How To Plan and Shoot a Short Film That Hits

The short film is a powerful and effective storytelling medium. In fact, many of today’s current Hollywood A-list cut their teeth making shorts. The tighter runtime forces the filmmaker to be nimble, efficient, and daring. They can be an excellent challenge for any writer or director, leaving no room for extraneous elements or frivolous scenes. If you have a short you’ve been itching to make, whether you’re doing it on your own or working with outside short film production companies, here’s where to start.

Start With a Vision

When your story is simply an idea floating around your mind, it exists in its perfect, ephemeral form. You don’t need to know how characters get from point A to point B. It doesn’t matter if the timeline makes no sense. You don’t even need to know how it ends. It’s simply mood, ideas, character, and feeling.

To translate that into a watchable film, however, you need to dial in on what draws you to the story. Don’t pick up a pen or laptop until you have a strong understanding of your vision. If you try to pin it down on paper too early, you risk turning what should be an artistic endeavor into a grueling slog. Once you’ve given the idea enough time to percolate, it’s time to begin.

Craft a Compelling Story

No number of beautifully shot scenes or heartfelt performances can help elevate a script that isn’t compelling. Writing the perfect script is an impossible task, but you can work hard to write a great one.

Begin by taking your idea and outlining the most important parts. Once you have everything laid out, fill in the blanks. Finally, get some outside eyes on it. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds and miss what your story needs. You have the perfect version of the story in your head, fighting its way out. A fresh perspective can help you see what’s vital to the narrative and what isn’t.

The New York Film Academy advises that short filmmakers should focus on simplifying their stories before shooting them. Ditching the chaff helps you home in on the real meat of your story, while also making it much easier to develop a plan for production.

Assemble a Talented Team

Film is a collaborative art, requiring the skills and talents of a variety of professionals. To make a good short film, you’ll need a group of them on your side. You’ll need the help of assistant directors, camera operators, gaffers, costumers, set decorators, and many, many more people to get your project over the finish line. Short film production companies like Pretzel Logic Productions can help you fill out your ranks with vetted film tradespeople. With their skills, your final product will look, sound, and feel professional.

Build a Roadmap in Pre-Production

With your script in hand, sit down with your team and figure out what needs to happen for you to achieve your goals. You can break the script down into a storyboard to see exactly what shots you’ll need to assemble the final cut. You can talk about what kind of talent you’re imagining for each role. You can look at locations, determining what should be set on a stage and what needs to happen out in the world.

Most importantly, you can talk about how to make it all work within your budgetary restraints. Those pre-production meetings will help you stay calm and keep your eye on the finish line when things are moving quickly on set.

Execute a Well-Organized Shoot

As plenty of short film production companies know, running a shoot is no small feat. Luckily, you won’t be doing it alone. Make and distribute your call sheets early. Come up with a plan for quick communication for everyone on set—and anyone who might be elsewhere on a particular day. Even a group text can do the job, just as long as everyone’s in the loop.

Generate a shot list and keep it close by as you go through each day. Once you’ve finished shooting something, confirm that your audio and video are good, and you can check it off the list. Trust your team and don’t be afraid to delegate, and you’ll get through it just fine.

Find the Joy in Post-Production

It might seem like production is where a movie is made, but on set, you’re really just getting your raw material. It’s post-production where the final product really comes together.

There are many factors that go into a successful post-production workflow, but the most important creative aspect is assembly. You can edit projects on your own with a good computer, but working with an experienced editor—either independently or through a short film production company—can really open things up. They’ll work with you and your production partners to refine the project until it’s in screening shape. Remember, you’re trying to capture the pure feeling of that initial ephemeral idea. Never be afraid to make a change in service to it.

Always Be Ready for the Unexpected

Between unexpected actor illnesses, inclement weather, surprise equipment costs, or any number of other things that can go wrong, you have to be ready for anything that might get thrown your way. No one makes a short film because it’s easy, though. They make it because they care. You should do your best to stick to your plan, yes, but don’t hesitate to pivot if and when you need to.

The goal of the project is to produce something you can be proud of, not to give up because things get derailed. Whether you’ve reached out to some short film production companies for help or it’s just you and a few friends doing the best with what you have, don’t give up on your vision. Your short film wants to be made, and it’s up to you to make it.