Making your own short film doesn’t have to remain a pipe dream. Don’t let a lack of budget or limited resources hold you back. By getting creative and utilizing accessible tools, you can turn your vision into reality.
For any beginner filmmaker, producing a first short film might feel daunting. Whether you’re a cinematography student or an amateur enthusiast, challenges like limited crew, actors, locations, and equipment are common. But these limitations don’t define your success. Some of the best artistic works come from embracing creative constraints.
If you’re big on ideas but short on help, take heart: even the most celebrated filmmakers started somewhere.
Artlist and the short film challenge
Filmmaker Will Niava recently partnered with Artlist for a unique challenge: to create a short film in one day. The Montreal-based, Ivory Coast-born, and Ghana-raised creative now has a wealth of experience to draw on, but Will spent years filming short films, music videos, and projects with his friends and family first. So how do you bring your ideas to life?
Defining your vision
Any project in any medium begins with a clear vision. Ask yourself: What is your aim? What story do you want to tell?
This is a short film, not a feature, so keep the scope modest. Consider your resources and how they might affect your project.
The length of a short film really depends on where it is going to be broadcast, but typically they are less than 40 minutes, including credits. According to modern film festival trends, the optimal length for a short film is 5-15 minutes, but there are no hard and fast rules, so keep it modest. Staying concise will make production easier and your film more shareable.
Pre-production work
Filmmaking can be divided into three stages. The first is pre-production. For a first short film, the effort you put in here will save you struggle later. Assets like a script and storyboards will be invaluable from day one in formalizing the design of the film.
What’s great is that this bit often benefits from being a solo effort. Writing a script or screenplay tends to be done alone, with a typewriter or computer — even a pen and paper if necessary! Here, you’ll focus on creating the story, dialogue, and scenes for yourself and anyone else involved in making your film.
Storyboarding is more about sketching shots and how the camera will be shooting sequences. Some of the best are done by hand, but free software such as Storyboarder can be faster and more versatile.
Overcoming limited resources
Moving on from the writing stage, where it can be easy to let the project stall when working alone, production is calling.
To overcome resource limitations with crew, actors, props, costumes, or location, use real-world elements as much as possible. Think about how actual settings and even sequences can be used, manipulated, or blended with any staged dramatic action. Alien worlds aren’t out of the realm of possibility for your film location, but you may need to look into virtual production to make it happen.
People and places
Many short films either star the maker exclusively, their family, or willing volunteers. For his debut movie Clerks (1994), director Kevin Smith used the convenience store where he worked as a set. His onscreen role as Silent Bob was a unique way to make a non-speaking cameo among a cast of friends and local acting hopefuls.
Much of the action was people talking, with the amateur performances and cheap black-and-white camerawork deemed stylish. Follow-up effort Mallrats (1995) added polish but again showed how real locations could drive a simple narrative when the Universal backlot is unavailable!
Camera considerations
Unless you’re planning a Pixar-style animated short, you’ll need a camera. Two issues exist here – what device to use on a budget and how to operate it if you’re both director and the star actor.
Thanks to the advancements in modern smartphones, capturing high-quality video is easier than ever. Devices like the latest iPhone or Android models support 4K and even 8K video recording at high frame rates with features like auto-focus, cinematic stabilization, and enhanced low-light performance. These tools allow you to achieve professional-looking footage on a budget.
Even mid-range or older phones can produce impressive results. The key is to experiment and conduct test shoots to ensure the footage looks great on larger screens.
For steady shots, invest in a tripod or a sturdy clamp. To capture high-quality sound, an external microphone is a must-have accessory for serious filmmaking.
Ready for release?
Your short film is complete! Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo make it easy to share your work with a global audience in an affordable way. On YouTube, you can even rub shoulders with inspiring channels like Film Riot and Corridor Digital, which stream epic short films made on limited budgets.
Reddit communities like r/filmmakers and filmmaking blogs can similarly provide support, feedback, or technical advice.
From vision to reality
Making a short film on your own is an achievable challenge that can launch your filmmaking journey. By embracing creativity and using the resources available to you, your dream can become a reality. Just follow this step-by-step process to bring your short film to life.
- Come up with a great concept
- Take your time to plan
- Get creative with your restrictions
- Ask friends or family to help out
- Invest in a tripod and a decent microphone
- Use free software as a ‘virtual crew’
- Learn from and collaborate with others in the filmmaking community
- Share your film on free platforms like YouTube, Vimeo or Reddit
And remember – icons of modern independent cinema all had their formative years. With some vision and resourcefulness, you never know, you really could be the new Steven Soderbergh or Sofia Coppola.
Learn more about filmmaking on the Artlist blog, and make sure to explore Artlist for all the creative assets you need — music, SFX, and stock footage and other creative tools — to plan, create, and bring your film to life.
*This article’s cover image was inspired by footage from the The Vintage Projector story by Hans Peter Schepp
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