Film Network- Film Making Guide

I was sent a link to a film making guide on the BBC website about how to make a good short film.

Reading the website has helped me decide on my final film idea by telling me what to do and what to avoid. To avoid involve: using friends who aren't talented actors in my film as apparently one bad actor can ruin a film considerably, thankfully, lots of my friends study drama and performing arts so I have no worries there.

I was also told to avoid clichés as it will ruin the film and make it predictable and subsequently boring. So, I have used original ideas of my own anyway and I said in my pitch that I would avoid clichés such as jump scares like they did in the paranormal activities. However, one interesting piece of advice I found was: even if you are using an unoriginal idea, try looking at it from a different perspective and use the idea to tell your version of events rather than recreate the original directors story, by doing this you could possibly end up with a completely different narrative altogether.

When it comes to script writing for short films, its harder because you no time/ have to develop your characters quickly and condense your story. Short films are ruined by over written/ under developed scripts all the time. Once the script is written, I've been told to ask strangers and friends. I can do this by posting my script on social media sites etc and ask friends in person. I've been told to ask strangers as well as friends as friends may be to scared to give constructive feedback, in case of offending me.

I've also been put at ease on my target viewers, as the article tells that audiences are mostly subjective and only appeal to a certain niche over a mass audience.

Another and perhaps the most important piece of advice on the website, is that short films have to grab the audiences attention from the start, I've taken this on board and consequently changed my film idea. I had originally intended on having a gradual build up however my new idea opens on a high to capture the audience then gradually build up again to its final climax.