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stronger impact on your audience

than a more elaborate story messily

crammed into a 5-minute short.

Focus on one character

As you write, focus on a single charac-

ter. Adding too many side characters

and subplots will just make your short

more confusing and take away from

the film’s narrative impact. In short

films, we hope to find the bare kernel

of the character’s story. This is not a

condensed version of a feature; it’s

a single moment that encapsulates

something important about your char-

acter’s life or identity.

Limiting your story to focus on one

main character is also more practi-

cal for low or no-budget productions.

Logistically, keeping the cast small

means fewer people to pay and feed

and fewer schedules to match up dur-

ing production.

Plan for a small crew

Likewise, the production process

will be easier if you plan for a small

crew. If you’re an independent film-

maker working on a short film, you’re

not likely to have a huge budget for

production. To increase the chances

of actually completing your film and

making it something you can be proud

of, think about your budget as you

write. Assume you’ll be working with

a skeleton crew, often one with limited

filmmaking experience. Know what’s

possible and what’s practical for you

and your crew when planning any

stunts or special effects. A script that’s

easier to produce will make working

with a smaller crew more feasible.

A short film, at first glance, looks a

lot like a feature film — it’s just...

shorter, right? It’s true: Both narrative

short films and narrative feature films

aim for a cinematic aesthetic. They

are well planned and painstakingly

executed. They both rely on dedicated

cast and crew and a director with a

clear vision. And they’re both based

on a script.

However, despite these similari-

ties, there are some key differences

between these two formats. While the

technical side — shooting, lighting,

audio — of producing a short film

matches up with the feature film

production process, there are big dif-

ferences when it comes to scripting

and storytelling. Let’s take a look at

some best practices specific to short

film writing.

Keep plot simple

Short films require a clear focus.

The feature film format can support

sprawling epics with twisting plots

and subplots, but short films are more

about capturing a specific moment

— there is a lot left unsaid in a short

film. You can’t expect to be able to

compact a full feature length narrative

into a short film format. The plot of

your short film, therefore, should be

simple and to the point.

Keeping your plot simple will also

lead to a more efficient production

process overall. If your script is easy

to produce, you will have more time to

carefully compose every shot and do

multiple takes to get just the right per-

formance from your actor. In the end, a

simple story told well will have a much

Limit your locations

Finally, don’t overload your script

with different settings. Keep your

story in one or two locations if pos-

sible. This will cut down on travel time

and scheduling, helping you get more

done in less time.

You’ll also want to make sure

you can get access to the locations

planned in your script. If a crucial

scene takes place in a grocery store,

don’t assume they will let you show

up and start shooting. Either secure

the location before the script is final-

ized or be prepared with an alterna-

tive location. Better yet, plan for the

scene to take place in a location you

know you have access to.

Embrace the short film format

These tips focus on limiting the scope

of your story and evaluating what will

be feasible during production. It may

seem like following this advice will

hobble your creativity and lead you

to tell boring stories. However, the op-

posite is actually true.

Distilling your short film script

down to its key components will

make your story stronger and your

film more compelling. Focus on just

one character and a single storyline,

and you’ll be on your way to crafting

a short film script that is both more

impactful and easier to produce.

Nicole loves a good short film. She is also the

Managing Editor at Videomaker and YouTuber

Magazines.

You can comment on this article by going online:

http://www.videomaker.com/?p=72011239

by Nicole LaJeunesse

Practical advice for writing a

short film script

A strong, focused short film script not only tells a

more compelling story. It’s also easier to produce.

PRODUCTION TIPS

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