One reason people do short films is to get their name out there and show people what they can do on a small budget. I suppose if the person investing in the short believed that the projects director or producer had talent, and that they would go far, they might invest, and maybe remember them when they are a big hollywood player.

It would be difficult to make a living doing short films, unless maybe you could build a loyal audience who watches everything you do. The tricky part is quantifying this so you can prove to investors or advertisers that you have a large and valuable viewership. Its the same trouble with making webisodes. How do you squeeze money out of it. Short films are historically practice for features. But that may not be the case much longer.

I agree it would be difficult to make a living with short films but the odds are getting better now that internet distribution can get your brand out there at minimal to no cost.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Totally agree with f1lmmaker. Short films rarely appeal to a large enough market to garner distribution. However, the internet is indeed changing this. The problem is that a relevant business model has yet to emerge over the web - advertisers are wary of attaching there brands to video delivered over the internet. Nevertheless, shorts are a great tool to refine your craft, and it never ceases to amaze me what filmmakers can do with them on a limited budget.

SCENECLIPS, INC.
....................
Los Angeles, CA
info?sceneclips.com
www.sceneclips.com

There is a new innovative way to finance for your short films. We call it DIWO (Do-It- With-Others) Filmmaking. You can check it out at www.indiegogo.com. It definitely changes the way that people traditionally think about raising capital for a film, but it would be perfect for the kind of project you're talking about. Think of it as sort of "Obama style" fundraising. Rather than trying to prove to a hot shot investor that you'll be able to find an audience, you find your audience first and your audience helps you finance your film. In return they get to be a part of the process and you keep the lines of dialogue open with them from start to finish. Now you don't have to worry about whether your film seems like it's going to "turn a profit" in order to get investors, because now the people who are investing in it aren't investing in the hopes of possible profits, but rather just to see the film get made and be a part of the process. Not to mention you don't have to deal with investors that don't necessarily share your vision (or care about it) anymore...

I'd love to tell you some more about DIWO Filmmaking. Just let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!

Chitra