SHOULD I SHOOT A SHORT FILM Based on My Screenplay?

Many, many features began as shorts — DISTRICT 9, WHIPLASH, BOOGIE NIGHTS, to name just a few. If you’re interested, there are many lists of such films online, such as this one. This is especially true in the horror space of late; recent short-to-feature adaptations include SMILE, OCULUS, and NIGHT SWIM.

As a proof of concept, a short is invaluable. It’s not just words on a PDF; it’s a 10-minute (or so) experience that demonstrates exactly what folks can expect moving forward and hopefully leaves them wanting more.

So would having such a thing in your back pocket be a good thing to have?

Oh, hells yeah!

We do generally recommend shooting a short film or teaser version of your script — if you know what you’re doing behind the camera, or have friends who do. Content is always a good thing… except when it doesn’t achieve its goal, which is often.

Like everything else, it’s a dice roll.

It generally works like this: the short film gets some love/wins some awards on the festival circuit, and either along comes a passionate producer who wants to see more of this world, or the filmmakers see the potential and make it happen themselves by hook or by crook — via crowdfunding, investing their own money, calling in favors, etc. And boom – the feature version is born.

But it can also work like this: you spend months or even years of your life and all your money to make the short, and everything goes wrong every step of the way. Finally, you submit it to a bunch of festivals, and… crickets. Sure, maybe you’ll get a few showings, but basically, it lands with a thud. What happens then? Well… nothing, except hopefully the learning experience was worth it.

Pros:

If well-executed, a proof of concept can win people over. You might win some awards and attract attention; and as a marketing tool, it’s a lot easier to watch a 10-minute short than to read a script, which makes it an easier pitch to producers and managers than “Please give up two hours of your life to read my long-ass screenplay.” Nowadays, even big-name filmmakers will often have to shoot a demo version (a short) to convince the money to pony up for their movie.

A great short can move the needle and make all the difference for a project. It’s far more powerful than just a feature-length script by itself. And especially if you plan to direct, this is really the only way to demonstrate your vision and style and hopefully sell producers on the idea that you’re the only person who can direct the movie.

Cons:

Even though shorts are cheap, they still still cost time and usually at least a little money. In some cases, they can cost real money – you might need to get permits if shooting outside, or hire a stunt coordinator, gaffer and sound, or a special effects person, for example, unless you’re well-connected or have friends from film school and can pull in favors. The more pro people you have in key positions, the better your short will likely turn out. And even though you can shoot and edit a movie on your cell phone (and we encourage you to do so,) remember that there needs to be a patina of professionalism in the finished work to get any real traction.

As well, even a great script can be undercut by lackluster directing, acting, and especially sound. It’s almost ludicrously easy for even the best-intentioned short to go off the rails simply because one person on the team isn’t at the level they need to be. There’s only so much you can fix in the edit.

Lastly, there’s no real way to monetize a short. So if you drop, say, $5K making it, well, that money is just gone. And don’t forget, festivals cost serious money to enter — usually $50-100 each — and to travel to, and most of them, even if you win, won’t do anything for you – excepting a handful that are Hollywood Industrial Complex-approved. Yes, you can spend thousands of dollars traveling from festival to festival, racking up awards, and at the end have nothing to show for it except credit card bills, because no one “real” cares about those festivals.

So proceed with eyes wide open, folks. Keep in mind that the vast majority of shorts never achieve anything beyond maybe a few hundred views on YouTube. Even if it’s great and wins awards, that doesn’t mean Hollywood will take notice. It has to either go viral or you have to have some heat on you from connections or other projects that are moving forward. So good luck and may the almighty algorithm bless you. Over a couple million views and you’re in the zone. In fact, a development exec once told me that the magic number to compel everyone in town to watch your video is 10 million views.

Piece of cake, right? 😉

In short: a short is not a fast, easy, or surefire solution. But it is one more marketing tool you may be able to utilize — if it comes out great. If you send the link to your multi award-winning short in a query, there is at least a reasonable chance that the recipient will check out at least the first minute. What happens after that is up to you.