Research: How to make a short film

 Hey everyone! The next part of our research was to figure out how we even make a short film. This was our first time ever making one before, and we wanted to do as much research beforehand as possible to make sure we can create an amazing product. We first learned about the writing process, and the most important thing we learned is the value of practicality. By this I mean that when we’re writing our script we need to always keep in mind our limitations. For example, we know that we have very limited equipment for filming, being that we are highschoolers, and thus, we shouldn’t be writing a script that includes things like aerial shots or explosions. By keeping this in mind from the start, we can make sure that what we plan to film will look well-thought out, put together, and professional. Essentially, the big takeaway is for us to not bite off more than we can chew!

Another important thing we learned in regards to writing is to never go with our first idea. This is because if that was our first idea, it was likely also the audience's first idea. One thing we don’t want is for our short film to be predictable and boring. Instead, we want to engage and surprise our audience, especially when it comes to the plot twist that we plan to incorporate. Since we want to really shock viewers, I think that this is important advice that we should keep in mind throughout the entirety of our writing process. 

The last piece of information about the writing process that we found is to write a script that fits your cast. This applies to us because we have limited options when it comes to actors for our film, and of course, none of them will be A-list actors! However, to lessen any negative impact that our cast’s acting skills will have on our film we can make sure that we keep our actors strengths and weaknesses in mind while we are writing our script. This way, we can plan ahead and try to envision what will work out well and what won’t well  before we actually start filming. This should save us a lot of time and worries! Another tip we learned is to always encourage our cast to give it their all during filming. When actors are holding back, the audience can tell, and it affects the quality of the film. This is something we definitely want to avoid, so, when choosing our cast we will make sure that the people we pick are outgoing and determined so that they will hopefully give it their all during filming. 

Another piece of advice we learned about the filming process, is to pick a theme and make sure all aspects of our mise en scene help support that theme/tone. This will help make our short film more cohesive and impactful. To make sure that we do this, we want to watch other short films of the same genre and take notes about how they incorporate mis-en-scene to further the tone. That should give us plenty of information, and since we will be conducting that research before we begin filming, we can make sure to put a lot of thought into it. 

The last thing we learned has to do with the editing process. We learned that when editing a short film, the best approach is to take breaks during the process. This way, everytime we sit back down to edit, we are looking at our film from a fresh perspective. Even further, we learned that it is also a great idea to have other people watch our film and give us feedback on it. Their feedback can prove to be invaluable as they are once again a new perspective, and can give us honest and practical advice on how to make our film more appealing. 

Overall, we learned a lot about how to make a great short film. We picked up many tips and tricks, and we feel more prepared than ever. However, we do still have some more research to do to make sure that we are completely prepared for what lies ahead. We’ll update you guys again soon!