Film making is an art. Some filmmakers might say it is a battle where you need to slay the dragon of obstacles to create a beautiful film. To many it is a beautiful journey where they make memories along the way of becoming a featured filmmaker. To many it is an expression of their own life. To many it is passion. To many it is a hunger for creating something out of the world. But in my opinion, and I am sure all successful filmmakers will vow to this, it is a way of living. In this article I will briefly be describing the most essential components you need to keep in mind to create a good short film.
If you search for the definition for short films on the internet, the definition you will get will be something along these lines, “A film not long enough to be a feature film and usually takes less than 40 minutes including the credits.” So, the foremost point to consider while making a short film is ‘TIME’. Time is the most important component to consider while creating a short film. Short films are small scale productions that leave a deep impression in a very short span of time. So, when selecting a script for your short films, try to keep the time to an absolute minimum.
The key component while making a short film in my opinion is a good script. In the end, all that the audience is going to take back is not the sound effects or the cinematography (Though they are essential to keep the audience’s interest till the end), it is the story and the message you want to deliver. While choosing a script for your short film always try to keep the message clear and precise. You are building a short film not a center for worldwide problems. So try to focus on one topic or genre instead of trying to cover all the problems of the universe and all genres. You should focus on leaving a deep impression on the viewer’s mind. That is the beauty of a short film. It gives a clear cut message on what the artist actually wants to deliver instead of beating around the bush. So, choose the script carefully and properly. A good script makes a powerful film and is the first step towards creating a good short film.
Now, that we have established that a great script has the ability to create a great short film, it is important to realize that the emotions in the script have to portrayed properly in order to do justice to script and to actually make a good short film. Many of us would have read a book before watching the movie and then be devastated that the film did not reach our expectations. So, it is important to find actors who can portray the emotions of the script to the viewers in an efficient way. You can follow the standard procedures you usually perform to select the characters. If possible, try to avoid assigning a character to a person based on personal connections and biases.
Also, for any film making, choosing the right gear is a must. But at the same time keep the gear to an absolute minimum. Many a times filmmakers end up buying a lot of gear for film making and in the end realize that it is of absolutely no use. So, keep this in mind while buying gear for your short film. As a filmmaker, you need to be able to manage your budget. It all about maintaining the budget especially if it is an independent film.
While you are shooting the film, there are many technical aspects to be covered. The camera quality is important. Also, the cinematography and sound effects will help you grab the viewer’s attention. So pay great attention to detail and quality and keep your story interesting up until the very end. Cinematography is a very key component and should be precisely done. You can get many tutorials on the technical aspects on YouTube or even seek expert advice on- https://www.shortfundly.com/expert
Also, it is very important to incorporate the dialogues in a film properly which will be explained in the article- http://blog.shortfundly.com/2018/05/04/efficient-usage-of-dialogues-in-films/
So, in this article we have only learnt about a drop in the ocean of film making. Keep following this blog for more updates to improve your film making skills. Also you can join the film makers community using- http://shortfundly.com/
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