Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Consider Ideas
• Part 2 of 3: Create a rough draft
• Part 3 of 3: Refine the script

Short films are a great way to start a film career. Good shorts will help you create a unique style and your own vision of full-length films. An interesting and engaging script is one of the most important aspects of a short film. First, think about the ideas, concepts and characters of the future film. Then write a draft script that can captivate the audience with the events and characters from the first frame. Refine the script and show it to your friends to get an outside opinion and make the necessary edits before filming begins.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Consider Ideas

1. 1 Come up with an unusual concept. It should be slightly exaggerated or surpass real life. Take an everyday situation and make it weird. Get inspired by childhood memories or an unusual storyline from a news release.
   • For example, use your childhood memory of going to the dentist, just turn your doctor into a serial killer with a drill.
   • You can also use popular movie ideas, adding a touch of strangeness to a familiar situation. For example, a person finds a corpse on the beach. What if the corpse belongs to an alien from another planet?
2. 2 Focus on a specific topic. Common themes like "identity", "loss" or "friendship" can be used as inspiration. Add your own interpretation to achieve an effect of freshness and originality.
   • For example, focus on “identity” and make a film about parents who grew up in poverty and disadvantaged areas. Choose the theme of "friendship" and show the friendship between a child and an adult.
3. 3 Come up with an interesting character. Often, short films focus on just one person. This approach allows you to reveal the character in a limited time. Show a character who can inspire sympathy from the audience. Let go of stereotypes and clichés. Make your character unique, but close to everyone, so people can identify with the character.
   • For example, show the life of a boy who wants to do well in school and has an alcoholic father at home. You can also talk about an alien who is trying to return to his home planet.
4. 4 Make up plot plan. The plot plan usually includes six parts: exposure, opening, development of the action, climax, folding of the action and denouement. Any short film must include all of these elements. Example plot plan:
   • Exposure: Enter the setting, protagonist, and conflict. For example, a guy strives for academic success, and at home he constantly quarrels with his alcoholic father.
   • Setting: an event that changes the usual rhythm of the main character's life. For example, our boyfriend meets a new neighbor who is several years older and goes to the same school.
   • Action Development: Show the development of characters and the relationship between them. For example, the guys became friends and became inseparable.
   • Climax: High point, most dramatic moment in the film. For example, the father of the protagonist enters into a skirmish with a neighbor's boyfriend, which develops into a fight.
   • Collapsing Action: The protagonist is faced with the consequences of the climax. For example, a guy kills his father to save his older friend.
   • Resolution: the conflict is resolved and the hero gets or does not get what he wants. For example, friends bury their father and vow not to tell anyone about what happened.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Melessa sargent

   
   
   Professional writer Melessa Sargent is president of the Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that engages entertainment professionals in teaching screenwriting and business for television, film and digital media. The organization helps its members by offering training programs, creating access to new opportunities through collaboration with professionals, and contributing to the growth of quality scenarios in the entertainment industry.

   Melessa sargent
   Professional writer

   Don't overcomplicate. The length of the short film should be 10-15 minutes, which is 15-20 pages of material. During this time, you need to clearly imagine the beginning, middle and ending. Focus on one, maximum two characters and make their experience really meaningful.

   
   
5. 5 Watch other short films. Watch other people's films to see successful shorts through the eyes of the viewer. Choose from a variety of genres from horror to growing up stories to romantic comedies. Follow the development of the characters and the plot in a limited time. Watch the following films:
   • Stutterer Ben Cleary;
   • Controller Samana Kesha;
   • Cargo Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling;
   • Overrun Asher Morgan.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Melessa sargent

   
   
   Professional writer Melessa Sargent is president of the Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that engages entertainment professionals in teaching screenwriting and business for television, film and digital media. The organization helps its members by offering training programs, creating access to new opportunities through collaboration with professionals, and contributing to the growth of quality scenarios in the entertainment industry.

   Melessa sargent
   Professional writer

   Watch cartoons for inspiration. Cartoons are great for inspiration, as they convey a complete story in 15–20 minutes. Watch a couple of cartoons (or more!) And notice their similarities in terms of plot structure, character development, and dynamics.

Part 2 of 3: Create a rough draft

1. 1 Start by taking action and getting to know the character. At the beginning of the tape, show a frame that can interest the audience. You literally have 20 seconds to draw attention to the movie. For example, show a character who is busy with a mysterious or stressful business. You can also start with engaging shots and dialogue.
   • For example, show the wreck of an alien ship on the beach next to a vacationing family. Such an introduction will surely interest the audience. They will want to see further developments.
2. 2 Don't put off the tie. The exposition and setting in a short film should take no more than two minutes.Provide the necessary information about the character and the nature of the conflict at the beginning of the film to tie the viewer to the screen.
   • For example, in the first scene, the protagonist leaves the house and goes to school. At this time, he is reprimanded by an alcoholic father, and at school he is offended by hooligans.
3. 3 Use a limited number of locations and characters. Limit yourself to one, two, or three characters to keep the script short and successful. The same goes for the place of action. Then you don't have to spend extra money on a large number of sets and actors, and the script will be concise and focused.
   • For example, you can choose a school as the central location, and the main character's bedroom as an additional location.
   • You can also get by with one main and two minor characters, or only two main characters.
4. 4 Consider the specifics of the genre. Short films are more successful when they are in a specific genre - horror, thriller, romantic comedy, adult film. Pick a genre that inspires you to write a good script. Use both familiar and unique looks.
   • For example, write a script for a horror movie in which the protagonist falls in love with a zombie during a zombie apocalypse. You can also make a growing up movie in which the protagonist befriends a teenage alien survivor of a beach accident.
5. 5 Focus on the visuals. Remember, a film is primarily a visual form of creativity. Use visuals to your advantage to engage your viewer. Show very exciting or unusual footage. The visuals should contribute to the development of the hero and set the tone for the story.
   • For example, describe the setting as "sunny day at the beach, lots of people sunbathing and frolicking in the sand." You can also describe the character as "a green alien with a bag on his belt."
6. 6 Indicate sounds in the script. Sound or noise is indicated in CAPITAL LETTERS in the script, as this helps to give the scene a thrill.
   • For example, write: "Roman CHAVKAL at breakfast time" or "Zombie snarling in bed."
7. 7 Use concise and effective dialogues. The short film has a limited length, so do not use verbose or descriptive dialogue. They just have to work on the development of the plot and characters. Use two or three lines of dialogue. Quite often, in short films, dialogues are cut for the sake of visual actions.
   • For example, introduce a shy main character who answers any questions with one or two words. Also, the hero can only communicate with his pet and be silent in the presence of other people, preferring the language of action.
8. 8 Experiment with shape and timing. A short film is a great opportunity to choose an unusual chronology and sequence of events in the plot. Start at the end to move towards the beginning. Use memories to travel through time.
   • For example, in the first scene show a forest and two guys burying the body of a grown man. Then show the audience the events in reverse order.
   • The structure of the plot should be clear to the viewer. Experiments shouldn't compromise the plot. An unusual approach is intended to complement the story, and not distract from the main thing.
9. 9 Come up with a deep or unexpected ending. Most short films are remembered for their strong ending. Surprise the viewer or show an unexpected plot twist. The ending should shock or shock, not just solve the problem in a predictable manner.
   • For example, it may turn out that the mother of the child persuaded the older boy to help him kill the father.

Part 3 of 3: Refine the script

1. 1 Read the draft aloud. Make sure the dialogue sounds natural and entertaining. Also check the consistency and sequence of actions in the scene.
   • Do a live proofreading of the script. Ask friends to act as characters and voice dialogue.Invite the actors and ask them to read out the dialogues so that they can hear the text from the outside.
2. 2 Find out what other people think. Invite friends, family, or acquaintances to read the script. Ask what impression he made on them. How unexpected or shocking was the ending?
   • If you know screenwriters or other filmmakers, ask them to read your script.
3. 3 Script format. The scripts use a special format to make the text easier to read. Format it manually or use scripting software such as Final Cut and Movie Magic. The following elements are used:
   • Scene Titles: Indicated in CAPITAL LETTERS at the beginning of each scene to clarify the location and time of day. Use the designation INT (interior) if the action takes place indoors, or EXT (exterior) if the events develop outdoors. Example: “INT. HOUSE - NIGHT "or" EXT. ROAD - DAY ".
   • Transitions: These show camera movements between scenes and are indicated in CAPITAL LETTERS. Common transitions are FADE IN, FADE OUT, CUT TO, and DISSOLVE TO.
   • Character names: In the script, character names are always indicated in CAPITAL LETTERS. For example, "MARINA is walking down the street" or "PAUL slams the bedroom door."
   • For more details, see our article.
4. 4 Come up with a name. The title should be short and memorable. Short films are often referred to as one capacious word that captures the entire plot. Use the concept or theme of the movie for the title. You can also name the film by the name of the main character of the picture.
   • For example, a short film Stutterer talks about a man who stutters a lot. Movie Overrun tells about the unplanned pregnancy of the protagonist.
5. 5 Find a producer. A producer is the person responsible for raising funds to shoot a film and organizing the work of the film crew. You can make a film yourself or find an experienced producer.
   • If you are a producer, you can apply for a grant from the Ministry of Culture or your local government to get additional funding for the film. You can also ask friends and family for financial help.