How to use a short film script to launch your screenwriting career.
Are you sitting by the phone waiting for a producer to launch your career? This is another option: Start it by writing a short video script.
How did the Duplass brothers and countless other filmmakers begin their screenwriting careers? Not by entering screenwriting contests, networking, or submitting content to screenwriting promotion sites. (Please note: we won’t knock these methods, but there is a more direct route…)
Sometimes the fastest way to start earning production credits is to write and produce your own short film script.
Working on a shoestring budget, the Duplass brothers made a short film about a man who leaves a message on Ansah’s phone, which is exactly what they did. It’s the spark they need to ignite their careers.
Here are the steps you should consider when learning how to write a short film script. The short films you can make will win awards and give your career the boost it needs.
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Write a short film script based on your budget (even if the budget is zero.)
• Low budget means low budget. Make sure your short film script can be shot within your budget. This does not include any space on your credit card. Don’t take on personal debt Fund a short film.
Make sure what you write in your short film makes sense for the money you have to spend. Even if it’s only $1,000.
• Minimum positions. Center your short film script around one or two locations. Get a free spot. Your house, a friend’s house, a business owned by someone you know, etc. are all great places to start.
Don’t write in places like Disneyland, an airplane, or the Oval Office. Rewrite the location of all the places you may not be able to access.
• Use iPhone if necessary. When it comes to short scripts, don’t worry about fancy equipment. Even if you don’t have the money, you can still shoot with an iPhone. Use free editing software on your laptop to cut out.
There are even festivals dedicated entirely to films shot on mobile phones. There are also categories purely for action content.
Keep your short film script short.
Many aspiring screenwriters write scripts for short films of 30 to 45 minutes. Most film festivals won’t show short films of this length.
Each festival typically has a 60- to 90-minute “block” that accommodates five to ten short films. so…
• Keep it short. Your best bet is to stick to short scripts that are 5 to 20 minutes long (5 to 20 pages). There’s no point in putting all the effort into writing and producing your own work if no one is going to see it.
• Keep it simple. Keep the plot of your short film script simple yet compelling. Short films with multiple storylines are essentially mini-features and tend to be less effective. Without enough time to devote to the story before the movie ends, the complex plot can become difficult to write down. And watch when screen time is limited.
Better to stick to a storyline a goal and a clear narrative.
Use your feature film as inspiration for your short film script.
Here’s one of the best ways to learn how to write a short film script:
If you have a feature film to sell, make a short film out of one best scene Can help attract interest from potential investors. Especially if it gets into the major festivals and wins an award or two.
whipping: From short films to feature films to movies.
this works wonders whipping Writer/director Damien Chazelle. He wrote the feature, which was rejected everywhere despite being on the 2012 screenplay blacklist. Apparently no one wanted to make a “drum movie.”
Instead of giving up, Chazelle chose one of them most intense scene And based on this, an 18-minute short play script was produced. Based on the strength of the writing, this attracted J.K. Simmons to sign on as Fletcher.
Watch this awesome short video to see how his skit scripts come together: Whiplash, from short film to feature film.
whippingThe short film script was accepted at the Sundance Film Festival and won the American Fiction Short Film Jury Prize. Interest in Chazelle’s feature script ensued, and the rest is history.
It should be very easy to write a short film script based on your storyline. Just make sure the scene has a clear beginning, middle and end Lots of conflicts.
Use a short script as an example.
Even if the film doesn’t go anywhere, it’s still a very useful thing to have in your portfolio: Films Made samples of your work. You’ll have a better chance of getting potential agents and managers to watch a captivating 5-minute clip than to read a feature-length video. Plus, it’s much easier to look up them via links to actual finished products.
Remember the success of your writing career in your hands. Only you have the power to make your dreams a reality by creating your own short film script and realizing it.
Short script writing example.
Of course, one way to learn how to write a short film script is to read the work of other writers.
Below you will find some resources You can read free short film scripts here:
SimplyScripts has an archive of unproduced short films divided into different genres such as short scripts, family, horror, and more.
Monologue Blogger has collected 15 free short film scripts. Genres are drama, comedy and dark humor/crime.
IMSDb has a number of short film scripts you can read for free, including one by novelist Rex Pickett, sideways.
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We hope this article gave you some inspiration on how to write a short film script and jump-started your writing career. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Do you have any experience successfully breaking in through short film scripts? What do you think of the approach we outlined in the post?
Don’t forget, one of our professional writers can provide coverage of your short script. Before you start filming or enter a competition, choose the genre expert you think will be the best suited to enhance your short film script.
Like this article? Read more about how to write a short film script…
Short Film Ideas: How to Come Up with an Idea that is 100% Unique and Filmable
How to write a unique script in 6 steps
16 Screenwriting Tips to Improve Your Screenplay Today
[© Photo credits: Unsplash]
