5 ways you'll ruin your first short film
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
- If you're writing / directing your first short films, don't make the same mistakes I did! These are the 5 worst beginner filmmaking traps.
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0:00 DON'T DO WHAT I DID
0:12 USING YOUR FIRST IDEA
1:23 MAKING A LONG SHORT FILM
2:53 BAD AUDIO
3:32 LOSING FOCUS ON ENTERTAINMENT
4:54 TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH
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❤ My name is Tony Naeem smith I am your number one fan 🪭
There is something amazing about being young and thinking 'I have' no money, but I'm going to make a Vietnam war film and its going to be 20 mins long'.
Sick!
Vietnamese here, tell me if you think I can help
I am about to make my first movie and its an 1hour and half long in space lol rip
You could make a movie about American prisoners of war in Vietnamese camp, contemplating about the war. Or it could be about soldier's last moments of dying in the trap. You just gotta be creative about it
I think every high school filmmaker does that, i’ve known quite a few.
You can always take your first idea and write down the most obvious parts of it. Then try and come at it from a new or different angle that starts to make it more interesting. For example - you might want to make a film about a bank robbery gone wrong (obvious). But think of a character who could tell that story from a entirely new perspective, such as… the Etsy creator that made the masks for the robbers in the first place - she’s now making a fortune in merch because her masks were all over the news. 🤷♂️
Yo... I love this.
Nice twist on that idea
Thats actually such a cool idea.
That is actually a really good idea
ok I NEED to see that film!!
There are so many filmmaking gurus on CZcams and all they speak about are the latest cameras, gimbals, this gear and that stand; your channel is probably the only one I found, where ideas, experiences, mistakes and suggestions are discussed.
Glad I found your channel.
Thank you!
Those are also two completely diffrent type of You Tube channels. One is just educating you on new tech. Like Jared Pollen (Froknowd photos) then we have this channel that is teaching filming techniques no matter what gear you use. This channel has way more value than a channel talking about new lenses and camera bodies.
I thought it’s obvious
Yeah I've noticed that everyone is always constantly trying to make all their films look brand new, which honestly? I'm not interested in making it flashy and modern, I want to make my films look like low budget 8mm films from the 80's.
I disagree with “Using your first idea” tip, especially when you’ve never made a film before. You need to start, and that’s all you need at this moment. So I’d suggest to all starting filmmakers there, make whatever comes up to your mind at first, big possibility it’s shit, but just do it and learn from it. Overthinking the idea might not get you anywhere.
Having said that, you’re great man, I love your videos and I have learned a lot from you! 🙏🏼
i just want to dress like ghostface and record some deaths and jumpscares
As they say - "fail faster", i e. grab the first idea you came up with and start lightning-fast production, repeat 50 times.
"Less history. More mystery." Genius.
“Less is more” is such good advice for short films.
Shooting the first idea that comes to your mind isn't as bad as you might think. It's not about the end result, it's about the way: scripting, acting, shooting, putting together. Having fun. And the result will sure have an audience: a bunch of friends, relatives etc and even some unknown viewers on CZcams. It's totally fine. You just have fun, you get to taste it and think for yourself whether you want to do more or switch to other fun. And the taste of it boosts your imagination, you come up with better ideas. Your first shorts are cool, they're part of your experience, they made you - you. There's probably thousands of shorts like those on CZcams, it's ok. I've made a few shorts with a friend. He generated ideas, some great, some not really, I thought of ways to implement them. We had fun. And they're fun to watch again once every hundred years. You might find them dull and clichéd but they are mine, my personal experience, they stir memories to a degree that I don't really want strangers to see them.
Honestly, I had a hard time making it through this video due to the first advice you gave, was possibly the most destructive advice ever given. As a film maker you ALWAYS consider your first idea when making your first short film. The reason being is it will get you to shoot and DO SOMETHING. Every professional will tell you to just do something, anything, but don't be dormant, don't just sit around and wait for a great idea. Keep the film 5 minutes or less so you can work on it and get moving to your next (and possibly better) idea. It is the experience and the ability to learn, change and adapt , that helps you get better with making movies.
Exactly what I was thinking, to learn you have to make mistakes and if you follow advice like don't do this or that you can't be creative and develop your own style. Also it's also very discouraging for new filmmaker bqs they'll think that their first movie has to be a top tier film.
You know, I had an idea about this film where you follow an amibtious music student and aspiring jazz drummer, who is pushed to his limit by his abusive instructor - I could call it something like "Whiplash". But I dunno, maybe I'll just stick to my second idea which was a sci-fi movie with a lot of CGI, explosions, and it's going to be like 50 minutes long.
🙄
Give a character something they want and make them try to get it, that's the bones of an entertaining story, PROFOUND!
As good as this is, I love seeing short films that are “short” films. Short films under 20 minutes feel more like the slice of universe stories, but I love a good 40 minute mini movie. I guess they could be different categories but they’re always fun. I also like sequels to short films or episodic ones those are so fun.
I love making good 40 minute mini movies 🤣 I just feel it allows my creativity and people to look around the shot and see the scene instead of quickly impressing you with the pace and maintaining your interest. I want you to get lost in my film, see things I did or didn’t plan, I hate making things short because the biggest complaint I get with my shorter films, are they simply want more after the film has ended. It’s a great problem to have, but I personally would rather work on one larger piece than 3-4 shorter pieces.
yeh episodic ones are cool, its actually a very good idea for people starting out
OMG YES to the second point. I remember making 30 minute short films when I was 13-15 and they are SO BORING. I really wish someone told me "Skyler, nobody wants to watch you talk to yourself on Skype for an unfriended remake for 31 minutes!!!"
I love how you add in lessons learned from your past experiences. The war film insert cracks me up every time. Thank you for the information! Truly is appreciated.
a 2x2 board is good (I use trello) - so you can have cols for 2 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks.
When an idea strikes, think about it for 2 seconds and dump it into that column, when you have time at a later date pop it into the 2minute column and try to flesh it out, if it doesn't work, dump it.
When it has passed 2 mins, pop it into the 2 hour column, and flesh it out for 2 hours if it doesn't work dump it.
2 days, 2weeks + should operate the same way.
You can also combine the items in your list, this will narrow down the feasible ideas. I got this from Kevin Jump in a programming conference.
I really like this idea
@@StandardStoryCo Yeah as soon as he mentioned it I was thinking I could not only apply it to my own programming projects to test viable ideas, but to writing/filmmaking.
It also means you end up with a list of ideas that never got off the ground that may just work later on when combined with a different idea.
You can even use it for wordlbuilding ideas within your movie or whatever really. If you have a crack at it for a few mins and realise it doesn't work, it goes back on the heap.
Love ur channel. I’ve gained so much. I’m working on my first feat film and ur advice has defiantly been very helpful. Keep it up man
You're so funny and informative- I love your videos. I value your content so highly as I progress in making my first short film (first any film). Thank you so much Kent!
This is so interesting. In watching your videos, im learning so much about how to prep videos for small CZcams channels
Apparently festivals prefer shorts being ten minutes or less... my first short _Bucky_ came in at a hiccough under eight and a half minutes (we received a bare bones budget with the script winning a screenplay competition).
It was cool not only to premiere at a film festival at the Hollywood Chinese Theatres, but it won at that first festival right out of the gate (and won at several festivals during its film festival run).
dude your channel should have way more subs and views! this is all brilliant stuff. Keep up the excellent work my man.
Much appreciated!
Please post the Vietnam film! These are brilliant btw
Excellent perspective , sweet,short and to the point
Sorry people with taste, but I would watch the hell out of that Vietnam film!!! 🙄🙄🙄
I agree. Kent! Post it!
This is really solid advice. Thank you so much!
Great video, love this channel man!👊
To anyone who reads this. I disagree with the ‘losing focus on entertainment’ section. Entertaining an audience is fun, but I encourage any aspiring filmmakers not to focus on the views. Make the film you want to make. I make films for myself. I express myself through them, and I tell the stories I want to tell. And anyone else who wishes to watch my films are invited to enjoy them with me (pretty sure Tarantino said something along those lines). Filmmaking is an art, an expression of YOUR emotions, ideas and stories. That should be your priority.
I feel like making your first couple ideas are what are gonna give you experience and any sort of practice, I don’t think your first few should be sold in almost any creative field so I mean… make everything you want (hopefully not spending much money on them) and just having fun with all the different aspects
I disagree to some extent with your third idea - as long as generating profit isn't a motive. I think it's acceptable to focus on a film not geared towards entertaining and appealing to a general viewership, as long as you yourself enjoy the creative process and can use it as a building block for growth. That said, you make great points regarding the rest of mistakes to avoid. Much appreciated!
So happy I found your channel!
Great advice, really helps give a short film focus and pace.
Thank you sir! I actually just released my first short. I'm very embarrassed! Oh well, my art is out there now but I'm always looking for ways to improve. Your channel is very helpful and I have subscribed. Thank you again. 😊
Congratulations on your first. I’m preparing for my first
Hahahaha I was not expecting the call back at 5:57 truly cracked me up!!!
Great tips, thanks!
I love your cat clock. Also I anticipate every video. Each one has the best advice keep it up!
Thanks! More to come
The moving tail on the cat clock makes me uncomfortable. I feel better during the close up shots when the tail movement is out of frame. During wide shots, I focus on the left side of the shot. I enjoy looking at the gentleman with the big hair. Great content, though. I also anticipate each video.
These are really great tips!!
My first short was 23 minutes long. Now I try to get them down to the 2 min range.
7:46 Awesome! You cast Chris Fornataro (aka Paint Coach) in your film! Cheers!
I don’t think making short films too long is bad because every idea has its own length and making them be a certain shorter length is too restricting. In theory this will make half of your ideas not compatible because you think you have enough ideas to continue. All films shouldn’t have a cut off length unless the themes you’re expressing and story is starting to repeat itself. There’s no room for freedom if I can’t test the water and see how far my ideas can take me. That’s why some ideas span a 5 minute short and others in the film industry could span 3+ hours.
For sure, but if you're making your first short film, making a long one is just going to make your job so much more difficult since that first film is usually going to end up being a learning experience rather than a cinematic masterpiece.
My past 2 movies have bad auto but I just brought a cheap audio set for the next and it’s really good
Not using the first idea is a good tip throughout all writing, because I've come up with tons of good first ideas and then looked at how the logistics would work out, and it really makes you contemplate "is this really what I want to write?". That tip has helped with my essay writing, play writing, and definitely when it comes to my screenplays! Not saying your first idea won't be good, but if you think about it some more, a better option can always come to you.
hey Kent. Question. I have a couple ideas for short films but in actuality they're scenes from a couple feature ideas that I have. They're key scenes in the feature and work as standalones for a short. My thought is to make the short and use that to maybe rally people behind me to make the feature with me. Does that sound like it would work or am I wasting time thinking that way?
A lot of people do this. Just make sure it’s the strongest scene from your feature that would entice folks to donate or support you.
With the movie whiplash something like this happend
Sin city, and blood simple were made this way. You’ve got the right idea. I read a book recently that would make a sick feature, so I’m writing the first 5 minutes of it. It’ll work as a proof of concept, and a short I can run through the film circuits.
Also take your first idea and write down an outline for it. Then start refining that idea by adding to ot and taking away things that don't work. Even in Hollywood you can learn the history of a film and discovered that it started out as an almost completely diffrent film.
What about the same first idea but a different plot? I mean to have different varieties of plot for the same idea and choosing the best one?
Another great example of a truly awesome short film without dialogue is Fuelled, and definitely my favorite short film ever
Lightsaber nunchucks sound amazing!
Brilliant principles. Well explained. It's a great set of guidelines for any production. Thank you.
How would you record dialogue audio of 2 people when they are far away? Like 5 meters or so.. I only have 1 shotgun mic 😅
I watched many short films and (except for comedies) I can only recall 2 that were under 20 minutes and really good at the same time. And neither of them was under 10 minutes.
"Less history, more mystery." Hot damn, boy, there it is!!!👍👍👍
I have a question. I am writing a screenplay right now- psychological horror stuff that just takes place in a room. It's gonna be two characters conversing throughout, some flashbacks that I'll aslo film in my own house. It is shaping up to be about 20 minutes long but I think I need that time for the story I want to tell. No offense but that 20 minutes long bit you said just scared me a little now. Do I still need to worfy about runtime if my story is dialogue heavy and not anything flashy?
I want to focus on the 2 main characters and their dynamic as hell is breaking loose outside their house and they are stuck inside for months
Make the mistakes, be bold about it. Then you truly learn. No film is going to be perfect & no journey is going to be smooth. In order to succeed is to learn from them.
ive been working on a film ive made a script, shot list, and everything planned out. we are trying to make it a horror/scary film, but my comrades, really want it at night. im filming on my phone and i just guarantee it wont be good (not enough light) my friends insist it won't be scary during the day, how would i make it seem scary during the day?
Damn I’m already in too deep to abide by these lol. I have 4 scenes done for my short film and there’s been this lingering feeling that I have been doing too much in too little time. At the same time though, there would be a major tone shift if I were to change it. I would have to reshoot and my friends would not be happy with that. So there. It’s a film with messy morals and pacing but damn it, it’s my baby and I’m gonna try to to nurture it the best I can.
I want the link to your 20 minute Vietnam movie. I think it looks awesome
"Two Distant Strangers" is a 32-minute short film on Netflix that won awards. So your short doesn't always have to be just 12 minutes.
Mistake nr 1: listening to this dudes nr1. If you are starting to make a short film it does not matter at all what idea u use. First short film is never good, you should learn to make a short film before you ruin a good idea on it. Once you executed a good idea badly, you will not have the same passion to redo the idea again after you developed your skills. So dont think about a good idea too much when you never made anything good before.
I am a professional procrastinator. As a teenager I came up with many short films/feature length film ideas. I tried to improve on them over the years. After couple of years I realized most of them are predictable and unoriginal. So I kept working on them. After almost 2 decades later I can safely say that I think I have finally shaped at least 1 or 2 of those ideas into something original (out of like 100). I hope I get to make them someday so people online can tell me how bad they are.
Can someone, please, help me out? The portraits behind him, on the left is 'The Dude' on the right is Travis Bickle. Who is in the middle and in what role? It looks like it might be an older Malcolm McDowell or any age Kenny Rogers (which makes no sense, whatsoever).
I literally just shot 2 scenes of my short movie today and now i'm watchin and learning
is this a new update? When I was watching 3:29 and he said subscribe, the subscribe button glowed or something. like it had an outline appear then leave.
Audio is 51% of any film from a technical perspective, 100% Agree
In my opinion the "make movies that are entertaining, not philosophical" is badly worded. I'd rather say it this way : have a vision, and rather than trying to tell it the way it first comes to your mind, try and tell it in a way that makes the audience captivated by it.
Don't be one of those replacable youtube gurus/cinematographers that do forgetable action movies with no point but entertainment and that only get sold because they star dwayne johnson. Be like gaspard noé or wes anderson, have people watch your movies because you have a strong vision, that you try hella hard to convey onto the screen in a way that'll make the audience remember it.
There's a big difference between making entertaining movies and making interesting movies.
I however couldn't agree more with the last statements about less is more, not overexposing telling to much and not letting the audience figure it out, feeling it out, it makes dumbed down movies very hard to watch for me when the director really clearly thought the people that would watch it would either be dumb or not paying attention. So much that the whole message that could've been really beautiful becomes bloated, simplified and in your face.
Good tips! Is there a way i can watch that 20min vietnam war movie?
I think all five points are good advice ... for someone who has already had experience making amateur "home movies". My very first - VERY first - short film is something I will never, ever, show anyone. I don't think even my wife has seen it. I was 13 and just starting out. And yet, if I hadn't made that one, I wouldn't have made the one two decades later that got 2nd place in a nationwide film contest for "VideoMaker" Magazine in 2008.
"I wish someone had told me these..." - Your Very First Film still would have blown it on all five of those. Your first film is like learning to walk: A baby on his own two feet will collapse several times before he can take steps without his parents holding his hands. When you're 11 (or in my case 13), absolutely go out and make the Very First Thing you think of! Take that idea, go out and shoot it with your buddies, try your hand at editing, and then watch it and laugh with the people who helped. Get that practice and experience!
Someone's going to say, "He wasn't talking about the early years and the experimental phase", but that's exactly what you did when you mentioned the film you made at age 11. Literally your first film. And to that I say not a single one of these five points applies. These are five great points to keep in mind Later, when you're ready to make something designed specifically to "go public" and get a larger audience's attention.
Okay so about the time…I’m working on a short film that i want to have at a film festival and also premiere on my own, it’s not feature length but I think it will be around 20-30 minutes…should I cut it down to keep ppl engaged or should i keep it as long as I need it to be to tell the story and not rush the story
It'll be a battle if it's that length. I have seen those lengths before but they always had high production value or starred a SAG actor (film, tv). Thing he didn't mention here but has in previous videos is that they need to schedule a bunch of shorts in a block. The shorter your film is, the easier it is to fit in. Having a 30 min film is harder because that will take away 3-4 other shorts out of the block. If your 30 min is absolutely insanely good or has some marketability to it, like a star, it'll have an easier time getting accepted.
2:53 That Tenet audio, bro
Since your first film to three will be absolutely terrible, l wouldn’t worry so much about having a great idea, and just go out and make some films. If you are any good at it at all, your films will start improving by the forth one, and by quite a bit. Once you know how to make a competent film, have it all in focus and all that, now you can start to develop better ideas. And don’t wait till you get the best equipment, just use what you can get your hands on.
Saw this video about 3 months before making my short film. I wish I would have rewatched it because I forgot to make the film entertaining 😂🤣😂🤣 Ive spent the entire beginning of this year reworking every idea I have to see if they are entertainig.
love you kent
Thanks!
I'm trying my hardest to break out of the philosophical speech over slo mo phase 😅
To be fair, 13 minutes of that Vietnam film doesn't seem so bad when Predator is 1:47 and it's the same thing, but they also sneak around in the jungle to fill it out
havent even started the video and i already know I did every one of these
I would watch that vietnam short
1.29 Amazing cinematography 😄
thanksss
yo i wanna watch that nam film
A short film (
Thank you.
so glad I spent the past 3 years since I was 10 learning about this stuff.
*I knew all of these.*
Great job, this was a really good video ngl, even tho I already knew these lolol
Hey, right now that 20 min Vietnam war movie looks appealing.
I think the only thing I disagree with this video is taking the first idea you come up with and make a movie about it. Some of my most cherished memories in my childhood were getting a bunch of friends together and just making a movie on the spot. Now I wouldn’t call those short films masterpieces, but I the experience of making those short films without any predation beforehand was truly something special.
It was William Shakespeare who said 'brevity is the soul of wit', Hamlet, Act 2 Scene 2, Polonius to Claudius and Gertrude. Now you know.
👍 👍
My mistake: all the actors fell in a chasm. A ravine.
Well... Thank you for reminding me that Kiwi! Existed. Now I'm crying.
I agree with all, man. But nonetheless... Maybe you should say yes to every idea when you first start, and be able to commit mistakes, while not losing that initial inspiration and energy. And seeing your own work with the less amount of resistance nor insecurity possible. I think the first phase of filmmaking shold/could be about just getting that out of your system and experiment. Do this 1 or 2 years... film a lot, imperfectly... and then pause and start to be more cautious. And don't stick with your previous works, as i did, losing several years reediting it all. Keep moving forward. See what you're capable of, and so now you can start to be more cautious.
Althought, this all advice could be just a difference of styles. The cautious/perfectionist approach; and the imperfect/experimental/hyperactive approach.
Oh, yeah, and as someone on the comments said: don't forget you're doing this because it's fun, and exciting. Try to enjoy the process.
To the last point, there's the old phrase I've always heard: KISS aka 'keep it simple stupid'
I really did not care for Thunder road haha.
not the howtobasic toilet video
I'm not gonna lie; light saber numchucks is a kick-ass idea.
“Don’t do a meandering Terence Malick style piece”
Whoops 😅
I disagree with your first point. When making your FIRST film, you shouldn't focus too much on making a fantastic story, or have great editing, or really anything's great, you just need to make something. That something does not need to be good. And you shouldn't try to make it good, because your first is always your worst.
So instead try to just mess around, see what sticks, and overcome basic hurdles that experienced filmmakers take for granted, instead of making a story, because if you have a good story, but bad filmmaking skills in all other aspects, your story will likely get lost by all else.
Out of your 5 guides only 1 of them worth considering, the other 4 only discourage the filmmakers to do what they wanna do.
Game Over
Okay, I watched Kiwi three times, and I don't get it. Kiwi pulls a tree onto the side of a hill, nails it in place, and flies down the hill through a bunch of trees, sheds a tear, and disappears into the clouds. What's the message? Kiwi goes extinct because his wings are too short? IDK.
He built a cliffside fake forest so he could jump to his death and know what it feels like to fly. Horrible.
The Kiwi is a flightless bird, so Kiwi (main character) wants to fly (dramatic desire) so he builds the solution (the storyline), but we don't know what is happening at first (the mystery). It's a pretty good short film.
Uh, even Terrance Malick wore out his welcome…
i acknowledge the beethoven from ACO at the very end 👌
Im doing the Terrence Malik thing and you can’t stop me
The first idea , i feel like, is killing a lot of creativity.