Thursday, 12 June 2014

RESEARCH 2 - TIPS ON WHAT MAKES A GOOD SHORT FILM

A GOOD SHORT FILM:

AN EXCITING AND ORIGINAL IDEA: Although it is hard to come by an original idea the best way is to watch a huge range of other short films and steer clear of any trends that happen, so your story can be innovative. Even though your story may not be completely innovative try and look at the story from different viewpoints using different techniques. You could perhaps even use your own experiences to gain thoughts and ideas.

A STRONG SCRIPT: A good script takes time. Often films can be poor because the scripts are overwritten or underdeveloped which has a huge effect on the film. To avoid this, before investing any money into your film try your script out on friends and family and see whether they like it or not.

GOOD ACTING: For your short film to be successful and have that essence of realism you’re going to need a good bunch of actors. One bad actor can change the whole essence of the film and ruin the realistic life of the film. There are plenty of actors who would be willing to be a part of a short film and you can find this by advertising online and using social networks.

HIGH PRODUCTION VALUES: Even though digital filmmaking has had a positive impact on the process making things more accessible and affordable, you must still ensure that you still apply the same values if you were shooting with the crew. Most low budget films are let down by their lack of talent in certain areas like sound, lighting, camera work and editing. If you want a successful film then you and your crew must work together, so it’s best to get people who specialise in those certain areas. You can check for these people on film boards online and people who are willing to volunteer in the filmmaking community.

MAKE IT SHORT: Now this is vital, the clue is in the name SHORT FILM! Most festivals don’t accept films that are over 30 minutes as the time span for the viewing is only 15 minutes so you must make sure that your short film stands out. Also if its shorter it is much easier for distributors and buyers as they find it easier to programmer and sell it to multiple platforms such as online, mobile etc.

STORNG BEGINNING: Most festivals will need to be attracted to your film straight away so you have to make sure it is the best from the very first shot! Don’t waste time on fancy introductions and credits they just want to look at what your film is about and whether it’s the going to be the new film in town. Also sometime credits can be distracting and if it’s not interesting in the first 2 minutes…well there’s not much hope.

AVOID REPETITIONG AND PUNCHLINE TWISTS: Although sometimes a repetitive scene can be used for a dramatic or comedy effect sometimes it can come across as being repetitive and expected. Trying to capture humour on a short film can be quite difficult so perhaps the best thing to do is give it a test run see how it goes down on YouTube and see how the audience find it. If you have a punchline then consider it to be short and snappy so the audience don’t expect it and aren’t disappointed.

EXCITING NEW TECHNIQUES AND STYLE: Sometimes experimenting can be the best way to go see how a different animation works or how to film in a different angle. NOTE – DON’T HAVE TO MUCH FUN!
By looking at the tips of what makes a good short film I'll be able to see what I need to include on how to make my short film successful and these are things that I need to consider during my process of producing my own short film.
 
 

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