7 rules for Writing Short Films

Since we are doing  short films in our video production class (no brainer there) it makes sense that this article would show up sooner or later. Not that this is a bad thing...just a little advice on how to make the most and best of our short films. so here are the steps.

1. The Shorter the Better- this makes sense considering it is called a "short film". You don't want a short film to be an hour and a half long, then it's just a movie,even if it is really good (because there is no one in our class that adds extra stuff at the end of their film or goes almost to the max time limit. nope no one.)  This is because one it costs less to do so and if you are showing a few short films like lets say in a movie theater in the "commercials" you want them to be short so you can view several of them before the actual movie starts.
2. Keep Practicality of writing in Mind- This means choose things to do that you can do.  If you have a low budget and minimum time, the whole dramatic car chase scene you envisioned may not work.  Choose things or locations that are easy to get to, interesting and that make sense and fit with what you are trying to convey.
3. Make It Visual- Video is a visual medium.  This is so true.  This doesn't mean to cut dialogue all together (unless that's what you are going for) just let the visual speak for its self.  "A picture is worth a thousand words". Such rings true in films as well.  If you have a OCD character, you could have the person sitting at their desk, fidgeting, messing with things, organizing and reorganizing things over and over again.  This shows what the character is like and gives the character depth without any dialogue whatsoever.
4. Find Single Moments- not dates. It means to have a single epic point, a decision or conflict with a resolution, with a story attached to it. So it's like starting a movie at the climax, then going back and showing everything that led up to it, in a way. (I think. I hope I'm getting this right of Ms. Licata will kill me.)
5. Tell a Story -this is basically what is says.  Tell a story but with a short film you can push boundaries and try things you may not have necessarily tried in a normal film.
6. Engage the Reader- if the person who is reading your script isn't thrilled for the first page of your short, your sunk.  The same is true when writing a book, or writing one of those horrid ELA essays; you need a hook, something to get the reader interested and make them want to read more.  No one wants to read a boring story if the first couple of pages suck, why would anyone want to go see the movie of it?
7. Beware of Cliches- If it seems cliche to you then it is.  They are stereotypical ideas/characters/plots that everyone has seen and are quite frankly boring.  The mobsters, the "cute little kids", premonitions of death;been there, done that kind of scenario. So you could take a normal child's fairytale, making it modern and have the protagonist switch sides at the end to the antagonist side.

Okay so there are some tips. My three things I learned are in there somewhere.  Two opinions; I need to watch more short films because throughout the whole article I knew none of those short films and, the practicality one threw me. I would think with movies they could shoot at prime locations, (obviously I learned that things like the weather is something you can't control especially when you want to shoot something). Finally one question; I got nothing.  Can't think of one.  Sorry.