Why are some directors driven to write their own scripts?
Out of frustration or the desire to get on with making something.
You shouldn't make an intense character study if you are scared of what?
Actors
What should you be careful of if you only have 5k to make your film?
Do not develop an action story that will require stunts, special effects ect.
If a feature film might be described as a novella, how might a short be described?
Haiku
What are the length boundaries different film festivals stipulate in their shorts sections?
Anything under 30 minutes. It is said that over 20 minutes are difficult to place.
If the function of your short is to make your audience laugh, how long should it be?
Maximum of 2-3 minutes
What are the three basic elements any kind of dramatic story requires?
A world, a character, a problem
Why can it be useful to set your film around a familiar event/ ritual?
It establishes an instantly recognisable world.
Why can a literal journey be a good setting for a short film?
It takes the audience on a metaphorical emotional journey
What are the 5 most important questions to ask when you begin to develop your story?
1. Who is the main character?
2. What is their problem?
3. How will the audience recognise the problem?
4. Are the stakes high enough?
5. Am I telling the story from the best point of view?
One of three things must drive your character through the story. What are they?
A want, a need, an obligation
What crucially must accompany this element?
Opposition
Why are a lot of short films about children and teenagers?
Due to their lack of experience if the adult world, which provides a rich source of universally recognisable problems.
What is one of the most important ways that you can demonstrate your skills as a filmmaker and not just as a storyteller?
By making the audience see the inner problems of the characters.
What does ensuring that something is at stake in the story mean the audience can do?
They know what the character stands to loose.
How can a different POV change a story?
It gives the story a different meaning
Why do many short film scripts fall down?
The POV changes during the story, therefore the audience is unable to identify with either character.
Why does an awareness of the meaning inherent in your story matter?
It helps when making important decisions throughout the development of the script.
What is tone intimately connected to?
Genre
How does tone emerge in a film?
Through the way each of the technical element supports the meaning of the film.
What is a common flaw of most short scripts submitted for funding?
Too little development work has taken place.
What is the ten point plan to test the spine of your story?
1. Title
2. Genre
3. Setting
4. Main character
5. Want/ need/ obligation
6. Opposition
7. Catalyst for change
8. Climax
9. Resolution
10. Theme
What point does Marilyn Milgrom make about unity?
She says that every scene must increase the audience's understanding of character and problem.
How can we make sure that what happens in the end could not have happened earlier?
Each scene should move the story on
What is the step outline and what does it ensure?
One sentence that summarises what happens.
What is revealed that is significant to the plot?
What is revealed that is significant to the audience's understanding of the characters?
Is there an indication of significant theme?
The step outline is a good way to check that there is no slack in the film.
Every scene of significant action should deliver something on at least two out of three possible fronts. What are these fronts?
Plot, character, theme
What is signified by the "order" in which to tell the story?
Whether it is a linear or non-linear narrative
What do audiences instinctively know?
When something is dishonest
As a writer, what is the crucial thing you are looking to insure?
Adding meaning, and keeping the audience engaged.
How do we establish the world and the character?
Maximum speed and minimum dialogue
What advice is given for making the film CINEMATIC once you have a good story?
Use both visuals and sound, establish a tone, keep the main character active, show a change in the character, use cinematic devices, go back to the step outline.
What final advice is given for ensuring that a short is more cinematic, less televisual in feel?
Use less dialogue to tell the story
Who is the first audience of your film?
The reader of the script
How can you help the reader SEE the film you are intending and not get irritated?
Follow screenwriting conventions, read other scripts, avoid writing camera directions.