I have a hard time writing short films.

[Boxing Filmmaker]

I try to make films that are around the ten minute length because I want to keep it short and simple, but when I start to write the screenplay, I get too attached to the character and write too much dilalogue and story for a short film. It's too long for a short film but too short for a feature film. That's my problem when I write these short films. I need a way how to fix this. Can anyone give me any tips or help?

Thanks.

 

[Thom 98]

I guess one of your problems is that you want to tell the viewer too much about your characters and their background. However, in a short film you don't have to give the viewer all the information about the characters. Let them figure stuff out. Give them little hints of whats your character is about and let them finish your ideas in their heads. Also you don't really need a completly finished film if your're doing a short. Oftentimes the ending is kinda open and again the viewer has to think and try to imagine what will happen next.
I like those kinds of films that give you a bit more freedom as a viewer.

Hope I could help you!

 

[David Vasquez Jr.]

Hard time writing short films

Hi Boxing Filmmaker,
The fact that you indulge in your writing is a good thing. The richer the screenplay the better your movie will be.
So what if the screenplay is a little to long. What's important is that you're getting to know your characters. The more you know about your characters the better you'll be when it comes to directing the piece. Also it's ok to write something lengthy and then pull a short out of it. So I say write till your heart's content then review it over and over again and condense it down to a reasonable length.

Hope I helped

 

[SoulCinema]

Maybe it's the difference between writing a short story and a novel. A short film/story may focus on a single story point or idea, told via relatively straight forward plot points. Don't "try to do too much" ... give your character(s) one problem or conflict to resolve, and then end it. Tell the story via ACTION not TALKING. An action is done then it's done ... whereas characters can TALK about something FOREVER.

Tarantino (and his tedious imitators) aside ... watching a film of characters TALKING is much duller than a film of characters DOING. Actions are finite, talktalk is infinite.

Do, don't dialogue. imo

 

[aingalls]

I agree with Thom 98. The great thing about short films is it isn't expected for a complete intricate complicated and complex story to be told. Mystery can often play a very dramatic role in short films and can separate a good short film from a horrible one. If you try to do too much, there's more room for error. Keeping it short in sweet, there's less room for doing something that could ruin the film and mystery is dramatic. It can leave someone discussing your film on a forum or over coffee at Starbucks to all their friends if it intrigues them to keep thinking about if after they've watched it and allowing their imagination to fill in the wholes, the mysteries, the untold parts of the film. While the SAW franchise can arguably be going downhill, I personally believe the original film was one of the best films I've ever seen. I am not a big horror fan, but SAW changed the genre and made an intellectual horror flick. It's visuals, intricate story line, and clincher at the end left people discussing the film for days after viewing it. Too bad, the later films in the franchise focused more on the visual and not the story, but I will forever be a fan nonetheless.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying make a 10-minute SAW, but making a short and sweet film with an intricate complicated twist at the end leaving the audience discussing the film for days or even leaving the end open can actually allow the film to become it's own publicity. If people are "discussing" the film for days, chances are they are recommending it to others in the process.

 

[FilmmakingStuff]

Cut the fat

You can make any movie you want to. But if you're looking to make something under 10 minutes, you'll have to cut the fat. If your difficulty is too much dialogue, consider cutting it down to the bare necessity. Then let your actor fill the scene with subtext and richness.

Also, if you get really, really attached to your character, nothing will stop you from reusing the same character in a feature.

 

[aingalls]

I'll tell you what I've told a few other filmmaker friends with the same problem. If you just can't keep yourself from writing a complex and complicated character, then don't. Don't hold back your creativity. Keep writing and writing and writing and just be sure to keep it written in short chapters. Then you have a choice: 1. You can make these chapters into a series of short films or a web series... or 2. If you have enough chapters, you may find you DO have enough to make a feature... and if you keep your writing in chapters, then you'll have an evenly proportioned movie.

 

[Danny Aindow]

A bit of advice i got from someone which worked quite well for me as i was having a problem keeping my short film short was to take out all the dialogue and see how much of your story is still told then go back through it and add in your dialogue as much as is necessary to tell the story. Then you will have it down to the nuts and bolts without it being too much like talking heads. Then if you feel the story will beneift overall, put some more back in.

 

[wcmartell]

You are going to have the same problem with feature scripts. Unfocused writing is a big problem. Screenwriting is condensed writing and precise writing.

Focus on the *story* (character dealing with conflict).

There is this thing I call the Superman Bowling Rule: Superman can probably bowl a perfect 300 game, but if that has nothing to do with the story, it doesn't belong in the script. The only thing that belongs in the script are the aspects of character that have to do with the story.

So - what is your story?
Cut out anything - even a single word - that is not your story.

I would also experiment with writing a short without dialogue - pure visual storytelling.

- Bill

 

[Weaponx]

I definately agree with wcmartell on this one. If there is even a single extra word it should be cut immediately. Extra words and ideas or dialogue will only get you in trouble and make writing much harder on you. I was once told that everything you write be it now or twenty years from now will have extras that need to be erased. I typically start by cutting 30% of my....

 

[Squishy]

I agree with wcmartell and I think that Danny Aindow's advice is very interesting and definitely worth trying. Another thing you should take into account is whether or not your character's traits can be shown without words. For example, the clothes he wears, the decoration of his house, his friends, his enemies, his actions, his expression, the way he walks, etc. Is he fidgety? Is he rigid? I'm sure you get the picture. Just keep all of these things in mind.