Looking for short film script writing tips? We have many tips for writing a short film script. Short films have been a part of the movie industry for quite some time now, and they are becoming even more popular by the day. For most aspiring screenwriters, the first port of call is short film writing before they ever venture into writing a feature-length movie. This transition process has a lot of advantages such as providing experience about what screenwriting and film making is all about, usually without having all the pressure of a studio exec to worry about. If you’re producing the film, you will become more aware of how to write a short film you can actually produce and film, being aware of locations and costs. Some of the most detailed points to note when writing a short film script or hiring a short film screenplay include the following:
The tighter the script, the better. Even though a short film can stretch to as much as forty-five minutes, it is best kept as tight as possible. This means that any part of the story that does not directly drive the plot forward should be omitted, and the central message of the short film should be delivered in as little time as necessary. The Motion Picture Academy defines a short film as having a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits. At the same time, 20 minutes seems to be about average. More importantly, keep it as tight as possible.
Try to be as realistic as possible. Writing a script about a dragon living in the clouds and raining fire and brimstone on earth might sound like the perfect satisfaction for a fantasy lover. However, unless you have some real-life dragons that actually live in the clouds to toy around with, or have the budget to work with a CGI specialist, the script would be impracticable.
Choose a convenient setting for your short film and not some high-budget or exotic location unless you have the budget for it. Again, while setting up a story at the top of the Alps might sound intriguing, the cost of getting an actual crew and cast to shoot the short film at such altitude might put a big dent in your budget.
Show more and tell less. This is the basic rule of cinema, and it is even more applicable when it comes to short films. You do not have the luxury of extensive dialogues, so you have to make use of the little screen time to establish your character traits while at the same moving the story forward.
For instance, a character who is meticulously dressed stepping out of a spotless living room could double back in steps just to straighten a painting on the wall before leaving the room. This singular scenario has said a whole about the nature of the character as a neat freak.
Make sure you tell a story and avoid clichés while doing so. There is no point in writing a script without a story, no matter how short. The more compelling your short story is, the better your chances of getting the right emotional reactions from your audience, which should be the main aim of every screenplay.
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