If you want to make a short film there are several things you will need to do and have depending upon how ambitious you want to be. Firstly, you will need an idea of what to shoot. This could be a sketch that you have written that is funny, quirky or a simple punchline with a set-up. Or it could be more complex than that – perhaps a one minute drama or thriller. You might be thinking of a longer piece. It can be anything; the point is you need to be clear about what it is. if you don’t know exactly what you are trying to do you will end up wasting time with the camera and coming away with nothing usable. If you want to make a short film, rule number one is define what you are doing! You can call this having a clear goal, a clear vision or whatever you want just be sure.

An essential part of this being sure then is to totally flesh out your sketch, minute long trailer or longer project. Write the script! Write it out and write it again to improve it. The process of redrafting is simply going over your material until it is the best it can be. Professional writers do this all the time and directors do it all the time. Sometimes they may be pressured by outside elements like studios who make them start filming before things are as good as they can be but that’s the reality of the business. For you starting out or following your own projects without backing, the script or story is all you have so you better make it a good one.