Have the determination of a mirror. It never loses it's ability to reflect, even when it's broken into thousands of pieces.
My name is Eze Prince Justice, without any further ado, let's go straight to the point.
7 Rules to Making a Good Short Film
1. Have An Original and Unique Idea
a. Avoid clichés – (e.g. Do not start the film with you waking up in the
morning/alarm clock going off. It’s boring and overdone!)
b. Try to look at the subject from a different angle
c. Keep it simple
d. Focus on a theme/message, not individual character development
2. It’s Not About Fancy Special Effects
a. The subject, message, or theme is the most important
b. Often used tip: think about editing/changing scenes when you blink. This
may signal a natural “break”
c. If you remember the special effect more than the message of the film, you should revise
d. Beware of style over substance, even if you’re experimenting with new
techniques or developing your own style
3. Ensure High Production Values
a. Colour and lighting adjustments should be made for continuity
b. Sound quality should be clear and volume should be appropriate (think of
both music as well as dialogue)
c. Editing should be appropriate and clean
4. Make it Short
a. A good rule to go by: The longer your short film is, the harder it is to keep the viewer’s attention, especially if you plan to post your film for an audience online. (The averageamount of time an online viewer spends watching film is 1 minute to 4 minutes!)
b. The more you do with less, the more impressive your product will be
c. Every scene must have a purpose. If you could eliminate one and the film would still be effective, then you don’t need it
d. This should hint to you just how important planning each scene is
5. Start with a Strong Beginning
a. Grab the viewer’s attention from the very first shot
b. Don’t waste time on long intros and/or credits. It’s not about you!
c. Don’t waste time on long establishing shots
d. Audiences like to “put things together” – don’t spoon feed them with too
much information
e. Show the work-in-progress to someone who has never seen it to get
feedback throughout the post-production process!
6. Tie Up Some Loose Ends (if you want to)
a. Short films are often about showing a glimpse of real life so you do not need to have an ending where absolutely everything is resolved. It’s OK if the film could continue with the credits.
b. There is no need for a happy ending
c. Make your audience think about your work—and continue thinking as they leave the theatre
d. Make your film appeal to iya Bose selling pepper and daddy Kazeem, shoe maker as well as top notch filmmakers. Movie makes the world go round.
1. Have An Original and Unique Idea
a. Avoid clichés – (e.g. Do not start the film with you waking up in the
morning/alarm clock going off. It’s boring and overdone!)
b. Try to look at the subject from a different angle
c. Keep it simple
d. Focus on a theme/message, not individual character development
2. It’s Not About Fancy Special Effects
a. The subject, message, or theme is the most important
b. Often used tip: think about editing/changing scenes when you blink. This
may signal a natural “break”
c. If you remember the special effect more than the message of the film, you should revise
d. Beware of style over substance, even if you’re experimenting with new
techniques or developing your own style
3. Ensure High Production Values
a. Colour and lighting adjustments should be made for continuity
b. Sound quality should be clear and volume should be appropriate (think of
both music as well as dialogue)
c. Editing should be appropriate and clean
4. Make it Short
a. A good rule to go by: The longer your short film is, the harder it is to keep the viewer’s attention, especially if you plan to post your film for an audience online. (The averageamount of time an online viewer spends watching film is 1 minute to 4 minutes!)
b. The more you do with less, the more impressive your product will be
c. Every scene must have a purpose. If you could eliminate one and the film would still be effective, then you don’t need it
d. This should hint to you just how important planning each scene is
5. Start with a Strong Beginning
a. Grab the viewer’s attention from the very first shot
b. Don’t waste time on long intros and/or credits. It’s not about you!
c. Don’t waste time on long establishing shots
d. Audiences like to “put things together” – don’t spoon feed them with too
much information
e. Show the work-in-progress to someone who has never seen it to get
feedback throughout the post-production process!
6. Tie Up Some Loose Ends (if you want to)
a. Short films are often about showing a glimpse of real life so you do not need to have an ending where absolutely everything is resolved. It’s OK if the film could continue with the credits.
b. There is no need for a happy ending
c. Make your audience think about your work—and continue thinking as they leave the theatre
d. Make your film appeal to iya Bose selling pepper and daddy Kazeem, shoe maker as well as top notch filmmakers. Movie makes the world go round.
