Rules Successful Filmmakers Follow When Writing Short Films

Writing short films is the starting point for many successful directors and scriptwriters in the world. With all of the technology available today, most of us may have come across and appreciated many short films posted on the web. What most of us do not know is that successful filmmakers follow some strict rules to give the desired end results. If you are aspiring to become a scriptwriter or movie director, the starting point is knowing these rules. Read on to learn more.

Keep It Practical

As you write short films, you must not forget the practicality of writing. Something may be described in a few sentences, but it will take ages to shoot the scene. So no matter how much you want to become creative in writing about train crashes, skyscraper jumping, and many other scenes, factor in that all these need to be acted out if your work is to become successful. Directors and editors will only approve practical work.

Keep It Short

They say that shorter the better, and that is the essence of short films. They need to be direct, to the point, and as clear as possible. Writers who know the right word selection to express a point are the most successful. Above all else, make the story short while maintaining the intended purpose. Experienced directors, however, caution against films that are too short because they may not look interesting. Thus, there needs to be a lot of interesting scenes.

It Should Be Visual

Whether you are writing an animation or acted film, the visual concept should be in the back of your mind. Reputable illustration companies suggest that writers should come up with a story that can be summarized into one visual illustration and still make sense to the viewers. The idea is to give it meaning as the audience watches the film.

The Story Should Flow

Viewers are interested in getting a film with a lesson in life. Thus, single moment stories with a conflict that is resolved before the film ends are the best. A direct and predictable story is not the best. Twist it and drop the solution when the viewers least expect it. Leave them amazed about what just happened. According to many film directors, writing a successful short film is all about being creative and expressing exactly that.

It Should Be Engaging

The first page of your short film should intrigue the readers to continue reading. If it is not engaging from the word go, the director is likely not going to approve it. What you write is going to be acted out and released to viewers. Short films with an engaging introduction are usually rated the best. However, it is not introduction alone that should be engaging, even the last page should catch attention.

Conclusion

Lastly, a good short film writer is one who goes beyond cliché. There is no reason to write about what everyone else has done. Be creative enough to do a story that does not show kids as being innocent at all times or the main actor as a superhero who never dies. As a creative writer, there is a lot to write about.