How to Create a Narrative Short Film

Just because it's shorter doesn't mean that a narrative short film can't be just as powerful as a feature length film. Where features are akin to novels, short narrative films are akin to short stories, which means you have to make every second of your short count.

Instructions

1. Find a compelling narrative short film idea. Things happen quickly in a short film, so you may want to focus the entire film around one key scene. As with any narrative, you need conflict and some degree of resolution. Genre, such as horror, science fiction or crime and joke films that depend on a punchline rarely work well as narrative short films.

2. Write a treatment once you have a story idea for a short narrative film. Though many filmmakers see treatments as either a way to plot out a feature film or as a way to pitch a film, writing a treatment forces you to focus on visual storytelling while also giving you a flexible format to create your narrative.

3. Share your treatment with others before you commit to it. Ask them to read it for overall character and story development. You may also want to find out how they feel about the characters to see if your ideas are coming through.

4. Decide on the equipment you can use to film your short. The equipment you have access to determines a number of your shot choices as well as your overall approach to sound. As you look at your equipment options, decide whether you can record sound as you film or if you must do post-sync sound.

5. Convert the treatment into a screenplay, if necessary, and storyboard it. If you're going to work with a number of actors and crew members, a screenplay is helpful so everyone understands his role. If your cast and crew is small and has participated in the previous steps, you can shoot less formally. Storyboarding individual scenes helps you work out your visual aesthetic and plan the shots that best convey your narrative.

6. Hire crew and actors once you convert your narrative treatment into a screenplay and storyboard it. If it's your first venture into film, ask your friends to help you out rather than hiring anyone-but make sure they have the skills to actually do the job you want them to.

7. Shoot more than you think you need, just as with any film. That way, you won't have to reshoot scenes and can more quickly edit it into a finished film.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your main characters some visual character-revealing traits so they'll quickly come across in a short film. Habitual gestures or phrases can help you establish who they are.

• Write your treatment in present tense and only include what's observable, rather than character thoughts or motivation or backstory that wouldn't be seen on screen.

• Though most treatment approaches summarize the film, you can present the story moment-for-moment for a narrative short film in a treatment.

• Give your cast and crew a schedule for shooting and stick to it. You can complete most narrative short films in a day of shooting unless you need to shoot on location at a number of different sites.

• If you're using post-sync sound, keep dialog to a minimum--unless you want to draw attention to the lack of sync. It won't look or sound natural, though it can be useful if you're taking a less traditional approach to your narrative short film.