becoming the master of a small universe

There’s nothing quite like starting that first page. You’ve got your idea, now to just put it in to writing. In this following - hopefully helpful - post I will try and give you a rough ballpark on, if nothing else, how to approach writing a short film.

I’ve written two short films now - I think the budget for those two combined comes to about 200 pounds. Which - let me assure you - is really not a lot whatsoever. Both shorts included myself as an actor and a director, and combined we used only three locations over the whole of the two shorts.. However, both movies got in to film festivals proving that with a good enough script and a functioning, willing team alongside you you can create something that people will actually want to see.

it's a small world after all

I’d advise first off, before you even commence writing; be level-headed: what do you have access to? Are you one of the many writers conforming to cliche and working in a pub? Perfect! Use that pub environment, chairs, tables, cash registers, booze… it all makes for ideal short film background. Otherwise, what kind of experience do you (or those around you, for that matter) have? Experiment - shoot on phones, get weird, crazy angles and play with your edit, be obnoxious - this is yours, do whatever the fuck you want to do with it, but always be concrete clear on what you want to say with it. You’re probably not going to have a lot of time, and your cast and crew will most likely be mates that you can’t afford to pay so be frugal. For example, check out this video by Royal Ocean Film Society on No-Budget filmmaking, where Christopher Nolan suggests one swaps in a (rubber) hammer instead of a fake gun to clearly create something dangerous and realistic looking on-screen.

location, location, location

In actually coming to writing, limit yourself to few locations and actors. Look at Kevin Smith’s “Clerks”. Dialog drives 90% of this movie, and the background is exactly that; background that contains the characters and in turn focuses them for the audience (please also see this recent short interview from Kevin Smith on using Jay Mewes to his full potential; simply because he knew him from the area and realised how valuable and weird he could be for his picture). Bottle episodes are the playground of short films, and personally I would recommend letting dialog be the driving factor for your short. Again, this isn’t going to be multi million pound piece, but your writing - and in turn, acting - most certainly can be if toned and worthy. Nothing can be said more for making it personal too - again, this is your baby (ironic as you too are learning how to walk in making it) - so by all means tell us about why that place you work at sucks, or that neighbour that annoys you - shout and complain about the things that you hate. Our first short was titled Zero-Hour Contact and its tagline read “True love - at national minimum wage”, it was set in a pub and involved star crossed lovers unwilling to wait on tables during the lunch rush. And yes, it was in black and white. More recently we finished shooting Dogs Chasing Cars - a short entirely focused on my mental health and depression. It was raw and personal and shot pretty much entirely in my cousin's bedroom. Just remember that you aren’t limited to your current situation in life - but rather that you can certainly exploit it as a filmmaker.

different short film mediums

I come from a background of sketch comedy - proper grassroots Youtube filmmaking - this originates from a love of Mitchell and Webb, Big Train, and Trigger Happy TV (yes, I was born in 90s), which I would also recommend shooting before actually attempting to write your short film. Even if comedy isn’t your fallback, sketch provides a wonderful freedom; dig deeper and it reveals a severe talent and eye.

Check out these two sketches, two very different pieces; one that is good and one that, well, goes on too long (and that, yes, also both act in their own way as short films): in the first by Mitchell and Webb note the single location, and the time frame - two actors speaking comical lines and making you laugh. In the second by comedy troupe Aunty Donna, note the overlong runtime, the repetitivity and simply count until you get tired of what’s happening on screen… this second sketch shows an overreliance on improv which makes it extraordinarily unfocused, and basically screams out for a tighter edit to streamline and focus its humour. The end result is a messy sketch that goes on for too long without any real point.

Within sketch you can be as ludicrous as you wish - but within only a short amount of time to be funny. Working on a sketch helps you practice: timing mostly, working with what you have to hand, props, locations, actors, so on… and sharpens yourself as a writer/director/editor in when to properly deliver your punchline and leave before it becomes unwelcome (sidenote, I feel this also can be applied to the Horror genre and will help in figuring out just where to put that scare to make it the most effective - another great example of no-budget and limiting oneself to the maximum potential is Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead, shot pretty much entirely in a log cabin). We recently shot a sketch calling out Mr Tickle in the #MeToo movement. Note how we only use one location and really only one shot, and let the dialog (and the work of my truly fantastic editor) do the talking. This is a prime example of what can be done with no budget, but a good, silly idea.

work small but aim big

If the script is good and original then people will want to work on it with you. Then, once you’ve wrapped, finished it, and submitted it to festivals with varying success, put yourself through the blender and simultaneously accidentally managed to discard every single person in your personal life by making this film - and almost have a breakdown from exhaustion... you’ll finally feel hungry again and will want work on your next which will be even bigger and more ambitious than the previous. As a final final point, check out the MakingFilms group. They believe in gathering your team, shooting and finishing your short in under a month and they’re just wonderful people.

Good luck!