What indie movies could I use as inspiration?

Indeed, not every scene can completely stand on it's own. Then you have to change the scene in such a way it makes sense. The fun thing with a short is that you can just start in the middle of a situation as long as the resolution is clear enough to make it al make sense (without on the nose explaining). Or just write or find some other script.
CF is right: every scene needs to have a certain arc. They are mini stories the big story is made of.
Another good reason to make shorts! It makes you more conscience about the arc and dynamics inside a scene.

The challenge for you is that a short doesn't really have time for elaborate legal constructions. But that is a blessing: it will force you to make it more about human interaction/emotion.
Just for inspiration as few great shorts (not mine) :
https://vimeo.com/159449591
https://vimeo.com/127982767 (this one is made in 48 hours!)

I remember the city video: that is now 3 or 4 years old, right?
Did watch you Koyaanisqatsi already?
 
BTW, H44 and Connor make sure you get to know each other, because you'll be working together for quite a while with high stakes.
 
H44, I will not be the director of this. I made that mistake on my first feature. My acting took a huge hit. In hindsight, I treated it like a short and thought I could do everything. I'm not going down that road again. Live and learn.

"When you say every single person knows this person, what do you mean by that?" I have a well known actor that has jumped aboard.

Regarding Facebook and Craigslist.. I have never used those. I started by doing my own shorts at 10 after a weekend film camp. Then I would have my friends in them. Then I did local 48 hour film contests and I would network (Im not great at all with this) and meet the other teams/players. Because of the 48's people started casting me and I met more people . It just sort of snowballed where if someone in my town needed an actor my age they would just call me and I was cast without auditioning. Then when I needed help I would call them.

I had Terry Kiser (weekend at Bernies dead guy) in my film. It got accepted to an Austin Film fest and I stayed at his house for two nights and he totally inspired me. He said when I move to LA try to find a group of 4-5 kids my age and make things happen. He said go to bed early (definitely not great at that), work out daily and always be prepared when auditioning. I can honestly say I have been prepared all but once. I booked the first 3 sag projects I auditioned for and the next two I didnt get a callback. The 6th one I thought my Manager was going to drop me if I didn't book and I couldn't pull it together. He got the feedback that I was the worst in the audition and I told him my thoughts. Then he told me that booking the first three out of the gate was pretty rare and that Im on a five year plan. So Ive been relaxed and prepared since.

Yes do every project you can! You will always learn something! Does not matter if you get paid or not. I rarely got paid in my hometown. I didnt care. I would just observe and be the best worker I could be. You have to look at the big picture.

And yes just direct your own stuff. Make mistakes on your own projects. Just shoot a one page script. Do this.. Use a tripod and you are the actor and pretend you are traveling to go see this person in the city to do a make up tutorial. You can be pissed you have to go. You can be excited you have to go. You have city shots and makeup shots. so we see you get ready and bitch or you are totally joyful. Then you can also cut with you in the audience bored or happy watching this. You could shoot this in an hour and cut everything together and you have a short!
 
Okay thanks, cause I got some offers to help out on sets for this year, but not sure if I should take it, because I feel I have been concentrating so much on other people's projects, that I have made less time to try to produce and direct my own, and show off my directing skills. A few days ago, I just posted wanting cast and crew again for a project, and I got one response so far, but the person asking me to help them with theirs.

This keeps happening a lot. I try to make my own short film, and people respond by wanting me to help them with theirs. So I need to learn to figure out to get them interested in mine instead of the other way around all the time. In the mean time, I can take the job if it's worth it, but it will mean concentrating on her movie, with her as director, rather than me concentrating on directing one of mine again.

I just feel kind of discouraged now, because I am trying to get people to work under me as director and if I take another job, working under one, it is less time to me making my own short again.
 
Last edited:
That's called networking. You live in a small community. You help someone on their film, then when you make yours, you call on them. You can even set it up in advance when they want to "hire" you (if paid) and tell them you'll trade for work on your film.
 
Yeah but so far they do not help me on mine, just me on theirs, and that's how it's been for the last few years. I feel like I am always helping everyone else. Since this is a new person though, I can give it a shot.
 
You need to either be more firm or establish up front you want to exchange work on films... I have a feeling you are passive when it comes to this...
 
Here's a thought. If you don't want to invest in yourself/mine. Send me your script and make sure the lead is 16-21 and I will help you get a hard working crew and cast. I will rally the troops and make sure your feature is completed. I can get a crew and cast excited to fly to your city and we make a feature. You have the money to pay for flights and we can share rooms at a hotel. Then I can attach people that would be excited for a flight hotel and a small per diem to work on a feature in Canada. You can pay me as an actor and producer but i guarantee it will get done.

So if you are truly serious, I can have you invest in mine or I can help you invest in your own.

But, I don't play the waiting game so take the holidays and think about it. The deadline for either is Jan. 15th. If I dont have an answer by then I will assume you aren't serious and I will move on.

Would love to mentor you and get you going..
 
Okay thanks, I don't currently have any scripts, with characters that young right now. But why are you willing to get a cast and crew for me since it's a risk, since you do not know who I am and cannot vouch for me to them, therefore?
 
It's how movies are made what's the mystery?
 
Well I am kind of confused as to why connorwilliams is willing to put a cast and crew in front of me to have, since I am inexperienced and all.
 
theconnorwilliams said:
.........
Regarding Facebook and Craigslist.. I have never used those. I started by doing my own shorts at 10 after a weekend film camp. Then I would have my friends in them. Then I did local 48 hour film contests and I would network (Im not great at all with this) and meet the other teams/players. Because of the 48's people started casting me and I met more people . It just sort of snowballed where if someone in my town needed an actor my age they would just call me and I was cast without auditioning. Then when I needed help I would call them........
Click to expand...

In other words: start with your closest network. Expand from there.
And: see 48 Hour can be worth it, eventhough there might be flaws in the end result.
You need to look at the long term, H44, when doing a 48.

harmonica44 said:
...........A few days ago, I just posted wanting cast and crew again for a project, and I got one response so far, but the person asking me to help them with theirs.

This keeps happening a lot. I try to make my own short film, and people respond by wanting me to help them with theirs. So I need to learn to figure out to get them interested in mine instead of the other way around all the time. In the mean time, I can take the job if it's worth it, but it will mean concentrating on her movie, with her as director, rather than me concentrating on directing one of mine again.
................
Click to expand...

Why don't you post your latest add here?
Maybe we can help out making it better.
If you post: "I'm looking for a cast and crew to do a project." it can mean both looking for a project to join or looking for people to join my project. But since the project is unspecified it doesnt look you have a project.
But this is speculation: post the add here and we'll help you writing a better one.
 
Sure, thanks. Here was my latest add:


Hello there everyone. I am an aspiring filmmaker, wanting to break into directing mainly, and also work on my craft. I was wondering if any writers had any short film screenplays that they would like to collaborate with me on :)

You can do the writing and I'll do the directing! I'll also advertise the production and round up cast and crew of course. What do you say, any takers anyone!?
Click to expand...
 
Oh sorry, I misunderstood... I took those adds down because they were not doing any good, so I cannot exactly copy and paste it now. Mainly I just tried to sound as enthusiastic and said I am an aspiring filmmaker looking to direct a short film script, and that I was looking for a cast.

I got a couple of responses to my add about wanting to direct other people's short film scripts. One script is 14 pages long, the other is 18. Do you think those are too long, or should I keep waiting to see if anything shorter comes my way?
 
harmonica44 said:
I got a couple of responses to my add about wanting to direct other people's short film scripts. One script is 14 pages long, the other is 18. Do you think those are too long, or should I keep waiting to see if anything shorter comes my way?
Click to expand...

No new year's resolutions? It's going to be another year of questions like this?
 
H44- I m serious when I say invest in my project and I guarantee you will learn everything you want to lean. From casting to shooting to editing to submitting to film festivals. But like I said, my deadline for you is the 15th. I don't have time for indecisiveness.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top