Book Review: How Not to Make a Short Film

I’d say for the most part my first film was a success. In the six months since I first released it, I’ve gained over 700 views and some light buzz within the community, at least here in Tokyo. It’s opened a lot of doors for me both creatively and professionally. And finally, it’s helped give me a sense of purpose in this confusing world. So much purpose, in fact, I feel like it might be worth pursuing some sort of career in creative filmmaking. While the reception for my first film was overall positive I want to surpass my previous work and enter the upper echelons of the greats. Well, that’ll probably take some time and some deep connections but in the meantime, I can at least figure out a way to make some money from creative endeavors.

Thus I dove into research and came across this pretty nifty book, How Not to Make Short Films by Roberta Monroe, a former Sundance festival programmer and current head of her own creative consulting firm in LA. This book while short (and a bit old) had a lot of good insights on what it takes to make a great short film that’ll catch the eyes and interests of festival programmers, producers,m, and many more. The book is well worth a read on its own for those with even a slight interest in filmmaking but from my thorough read though I’ve come up with 10 take aways to keep in mind while working on your next project,

1. Keep it Short

Short films aren’t called short films for nothing. The title is a little ambiguous because how long is exactly too long for a short film? The time length varies for different programs and festivals. Some festivals made specifically for short films will have different categories for films of different lengths (1-5 min. 10-20 min, etc). Other festivals will give a time limit usually less than 45 minutes including credits.

The true answer will vary for each person but Roberta explains that your short film should only be as long as it takes to tell the story. Although it’s a dream to shoot beautiful shots in exotic locations and somehow incorporate the Micheal Bay spin in my film, all those extraordinary things feel more like distractions in a film that lasts only 15 minutes. Roberta recommends following the acronym KISS—Keep It Short Sister! Aim to be as short as possible to really let the story shine through. That ultimately means being less self-indulgent with your vision: no long openings or slow-moving credits. Don’t spend extra time giving background on characters. Just jump right into the story and let everything unfold.

2. Avoid Cliches & Stereotypes

Roberta spends a surprising amount of time emphasizing stereotypes and cliches. In fact she has several lists in the book about the most common ones she’s seen and will likely cause her to pass on accepting your film. I think everyone at some point is going to fall into using cliches and stereotypes. They make it easy for us to get an idea across, but using them too much does signify laziness on the writer’s part. Aside from it being boring, it also doesn’t set you apart from the thousands of other entrants who are likely using the same cliches in their stories.

Even big-budget movies fall victim to this. Remember in 2011 when there were about three movies about friends with benefits released at the same time? When of them was even called Friends with Benefits. People only remember one and it’s likely going to be the one with the most famous actors in it. You can’t avoid stereotypes but if you’re going to purposefully use them try to make sure they make sense to the plot and if possible find a way to turn it on its head.

Some Cliches & Stereotypes to Avoid

Black/Latino drug dealers
Tea ceremonies for movies set in Asia
A woman avenging her sexual assault
Movie titles: Twilight, One Night Stand, Forgiven, etc.
Angry Black woman/Black best friend
Films about dreams
Prostitute/Homeless person with a heart of gold
White savior complex

3. Fire Yourself

Before making Roppongi Heights, I had no idea about the level of collaboration you needed to make a film. I mean I knew but now I really know. There are camera people, actors, producers, directions the main crew. But there’s also needing someone to edit the film, keep tabs on consistency in the shoots and story, scheduling, rehearsals, etc. It is A LOT. I acted as producer, and writer-director, for RH and it was exhausting having to keep it all together it really made me think about how much I could use consistent help for my projects. While making one or two-minute shorts might not take as much energy once you start expanding the length of your film, the development of your story is going to call for some expertise that you might not have.

Roberta reiterates numerous times how necessary having a good producer is for the film. A producer is someone that’ll handles a lot of the logistics of filmmaking such as location scouting, casting, funding, etc. All the parts of filmmaking that aren’t necessarily fun. While there are certainly plenty of directors who took on the role of writing and producing as well, it puts a mental strain on you and takes away energy from actually making the story good. This could be said for all the roles you’re not interested in, but a producer is probably one of the people you need to have a solid relationship with prior to investing in any other field. Actors, writers, and directors will come and go but getting someone who will actually fight for your film is ultimately priceless. When putting together a team it’s important to look for people who believe in your vision as much as you do. They should be so good at their job that they keep your ambitions realistic and make you feel comfortable enough to “fire yourself” from their job.

4. Plan, Plan Plan

I’ve watched a ton of films, professional and amateur. Some amateur films you’d be surprised they weren’t produced by a big studio. And then there are some films that leave a lot to be desired. The difference between those great amateur films and okay-ish films really comes down to planning. Of course, you need the basics— a script, a camera, and some actors. But those aren’t the only things needed to be successful. You need a shot list, and list of locations, and contracts. Then also come up with a distribution plan for film festivals or your own independent channels.

While the overall filming for your project might not take long but remember people have their own schedules and timing as well. Your actors probably aren’t being paid so of course they can’t commit to this full-time. Some locations require special permits or only allow shooting at certain times. Film festivals also have strict deadlines and hardly make any exceptions. You can’t account for everything but you need to have some plans in place to make sure you’re not wasting yours or anyone else’s time.

5. Make a Budget

Speaking of planning, you’ll also want to take the time out to outline your expenses for your film. Filmmaking even for short films is unfortunately not cheap. I was astounded when I found out that many filmmakers make a minimum budget of $10,000— and that’s still with everyone working for free. Film festival fees also aren’t cheap either. The average fee is around $35 with fees going as high as $500 to include marketing and promotion deals. You might also have to pay for permits, transportation, food, music rights, and much more than you would’ve originally anticipated.

Another plus of having a budget is that when you’re applying for grants, you typically need to submit a budget sheet and outline where your expenses are going. It can be hard to predict how much everything will cost as an amateur but it’s good to get into the habit of making them and thinking in terms of money if you want to be taken seriously.

6. Keep Post in Mind

We talked a bit about budgeting and marketing for the future but also be sure to keep post-production in mind when shooting. As an amateur, you might not have a lot of tools at your disposal in terms of special effects but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to make a bit of magic happen during the editing process. When drawing out your scenes and making a storyboard, incorporate different angles and perspectives in your shoots. It’s boring to watch two characters talking for two straight minutes but you can jazz the scene up by slicing it in different angles to show the character’s emotions. Different takes might also have different emotions or maybe you might just catch something interesting that you didn’t originally plan for. If you’re adding special effects make sure you’re lining your characters up correctly to add those effects. One of the worse feelings in the world is reviewing your film after a day of shooting and realizing you don’t have nearly enough takes and shots as you need.

7. Invest Wisely

As the old saying goes, anything that’s worth doing is worth investing in. Filmmaking, even short films are an investment and you’ll have to find ways to put up a lot of money in a short amount of time. It might be tempting to purchase the latest most expensive camera but good quality but that likely won’t mean anything if you don’t know how to use it. It might be better to spend $500 on a decent camera and a good lens that’s easy to use. The money you saved could go towards other things many people don’t think about for filmmaking like voiceovers, b-roll, and music. There are tons of free sights around for indie filmmakers to take advantage of but if you’re looking at those sights chances are, other filmmakers are looking at them as well. It won’t disqualify you from the competition but it certainly doesn’t help you stand out either. Finances could also be used to host your own screenings. A couple of hundred dollars could rent out a small event space for a few hours and maybe even pay for catering. It’s hard to get your money back from filmmaking so make sure where ever your money goes it’s being put to good use.

8. Research Film Festivals

I was on the fence about entering film festivals since they cost money to enter and money to claim your award. If you have a large following online you'll probably have an easier time getting more views on your work that way than any marketing methods a film festival provides. However, the one thing festivals provide for filmmakers is credibility, and if you can collect a decent number of accolades from the festival circuit that could be enough to attract investors. There are a ton of festivals, probably more now than when Roberta first published. And especially in the digital age entering film festivals has been easier than ever. A lot of them are good and worth the entrance fee, but many of them will also make you feel as if you wasted your money—especially if you don’t win. Everyone of course dreams about big festivals like Sundance but it’s important not to discount the smaller, regional festivals as well. Smaller festivals often have access to a more local audience and are usually more inclined to promoting their candidates for free. Many festivals focus on themes like horror, drama, LGBTQ, documentaries, Black women, Asia regional, etc giving you a much more concentrated pool of competition. Take time to research festivals of interest and pertain to your film and of course their deadlines to stay on top of things.

9. Build Connections

As stated numerous times in this post, filmmaking is extremely collaborative. No matter how talented you are one person can’t do everything. There’ll come a time when you need help and input from other people outside of your inner circle. So while you’re working on your own projects be sure to take a step back from your ego and connect with others who are on the same journey. Attend festivals not just to see your own project but to see what other people are making. Actually have observations on their work, maybe go out of your way to leave a review. During the networking hours, be sure to introduce yourself and hear out other people as well. You never know what connections you might be able to make and it’s easier to do that by being kind rather than pompous. All takes is one good connection to get an upcoming star to be in your project.

10. Have Faith

Something that’s always hard for me to remember, but success doesn’t happen overnight. Success takes time and lots of small little milestones along the way before landing a big shark. No matter the number of improvements you feel you could’ve made, the fact is you did your best with what you had so the only thing you can do is be patient and let your work speak for itself. Good things will come to those who work hard and put in the hard work.