The foundation for any good film is an interesting idea, something that you want to see and share with others. Once you have that idea for a story, even if it may feel slightly “stupid,” write it down, then ask people you trust for feedback. What questions does it bring up? What would they want to see?
Having trouble writing the script? Thankfully, filmmaking has become much more democratized than it was even 30 years ago and the great thing about student short films is that they don’t have to cost a lot. Think about locations that you have access to, where you could feasibly and safely film a scene for a few hours? Write the script with those in mind. When I took some video classes at MVCC, I had a few of my short films take place in their theatre because I worked as a stagehand and was able to ask to use the space when it was empty. So, if you work at a cafe, or you know the owner of the antique store, or you really like the park you go to every Sunday.
Actors? One day you’ll hopefully work with Meryl Streep, but even she started somewhere, so do you have any friends interested in acting? Ask them to be in the film and write the parts for them, no need to make them win an Oscar yet. In recent years, we also have seen a boom in community theatre in the area, with Players of Utica, Rome Community Theatre, a few others and our very own Theatre concentration at Utica University with a variety of actors that you could collaborate with.
Props? They can also follow a similar mindset, what do you already have or know someone who has it? A worn down piano, a weird looking chair, or anything else really, you’d be surprised at the perhaps weird things you already have that you could use in a film. One of my first short films was me interrogating my sister’s huge teddy bear, asking him “What happened to the kid in the photo?” It was a photo of me as a child… interpret that as you will.
Don’t be afraid to start small, keep your short film to one or two actors, one location, build up your confidence and get a few reps in. Also, don’t be too precious about the final product, it’s going to be a bit bad at first, but you have to keep going, because filmmaking is one of the crafts that you learn every time you do it and hopefully you just keep climbing that ladder. Ask any working filmmaker, and they’ll all say that they started somewhere and had a few failures along the way, until they are in a place where they can almost meet their vision now.
If you were ever interested in making a short film and were waiting for a sign, well… this is your SIGN! Go and do it! Have fun!
