Question 1

What are good topics for a short film?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

A good topic for a short film can be any story with a clear beginning, middle, and end that a filmmaker can tell in a short amount of time. Genre is not typically confined by length. Horror, drama, comedy, sci-fi, romance, and virtually any other genre can be told through short film. The key is finding a topic you want to tell that can be conveyed in a concise manner.

Question 2

How do you write a three-minute short film?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

To start, restrict yourself to writing no more than three pages of script. Given that one minute of screen time often equates to one page of a script, it’s a good start to writing a three-minute short film. Beyond that, a three-minute short film requires that the Writer or Filmmaker hone in on a very clear and concise story. A short film is not a trailer. It should not leave you with questions or feeling like you didn’t get the full story. So before writing even a single word of a script, you should have a solid story idea that can be fully told in three minutes or less.

Question 3

What makes a good short film?

Ari Eisner · Accepted Answer

A good short film tells its story cleanly and concisely. It clearly draws its characters and conflicts, and lets them play out in a way that feels resonant, but unrushed.
In features, there’s room to breathe and establish a fleshed-out setting, characters and backstory. Those luxuries aren’t afforded in the world of short films. The storytelling needs to be extremely economical and succinct.
Keep an eye out to make sure your story has a beginning, middle and end, but remember that your pacing will be much faster as the film’s storytelling is much more truncated.

Question 4

How do you come up with a good short film story?

Ari Eisner · Accepted Answer

A good short film story is found the way any good story (whether that be for a film, book, TV series or play) is found &#8211; by finding an idea that resonates with an audience. 
So let’s take a deeper dive into connecting with an audience. There’s a multitude of ways to do this. The first one up…

Question 5

What are the best short film festivals?

Ari Eisner · Accepted Answer

Film festivals are an essential way to get short films noticed, and many of them have divisions for short films. Film festivals can span globally, covering a range of genres and audiences. Some of the most notable ones are the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Careers have been launched at film festivals, as they’re also a terrific place to network. A fully comprehensive list (and one that filters easily) can be found here.
Not only will checking out these festivals help you figure out which would be the best places for your own movie to play, they can also serve as endless inspiration by watching the films showcased to see what works and what doesn’t.

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