How do you set up a short film? Like for instance most feature-length movies have the three act structure, a beginning middle and end, 90-120 etc. However on a short film that is say 30 minutes or less, how would you do that? How do you fit the three acts in and develop a conflict and have the protagonist resolve it or not all in less than a half hour? Should you worry a little less about that on a short film, and instead go for shock value, or a really memorable scene?
Much Thanks
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Originally posted by Strongbad
a beginning middle and end, 90-120 etc.
I meant 90-120 pages. Sorry.
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How do you fit the three acts in and develop a conflict and have the protagonist resolve it or not all in less than a half hour?
Watch good TV commercials. They can develop characters and a conflict and have the protagonist resolve it in thirty _seconds_.
Personally, I'd keep any short film under fifteen minutes, and under five minutes if you can: anything longer than fifteen minutes is a hard sell to film festivals, and most will be able to find space for a decent five minute film. About the only reason to go longer than that is so you can sell it as a half-hour filler to a TV station.
I've seen plenty of short films which don't start until ten minutes into the movie: the first ten minutes is just boring setup which really isn't needed. That costs money to shoot, makes getting into festivals harder and puts off the audience.
I agree with Mark - the best shorts I have seen are the under 10 minute ones.
I?ve made 17 shorts - three of them got into festivals and won awards - all were under 6 minutes.
You fit all three acts in exactly as you do a feature only you change the time frame. And your resolution should be quick. I?ll give you an example:
Set up - 1.5 minutes: Two 10 year old girls dare a boy to go up to a spooky looking house, ring the doorbell and run. He says it?s stupid, they tease him, he agrees.
Conflict - 2.5 minutes: The boy walks up to the house. Spooky music, movement in the bushes, his footsteps on the gravel, the girls at a safe distance urging him on, a movement in the window, a loud creak as he walks up the steps, the long reach for the doorbell.
Resolution - 1 minute: He rings the bell. The door pops open! A huge, gnarled hand grabs him and yanks him in. The door slowly closes.
The two girls jump up and down, excited. They giggle about how fast he was sucked in. Then they have a brief argument on what number he was; seven or eight. As they argue a little girls comes walking up. They turn to her, look at each other and wave her over.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
