3. Short films: The short cut to a career in film

Homework

 

Task 1

Make it long or short

• Get out your handy notebook.
• Watch the feature film Whiplash.
• Then watch its short film predecessor.
• Make notes about how the short film was adapted to create a feature. Is there anything the feature lacked? Were the two films just as impactful as each other?

Task 2

Short film fests are the best

• Look online for a short film festival that takes place near you.
• Look through its website and social media platforms. Note down the type of movies it screens and make sure to watch any notable movies it premiered. Record the next event date and make damn sure you go!

Extra credit 1

Networking doesn’t feel like working

Networking is like gold dust in this game. You never know whom you could meet out there. The more irons in your fire, the more opportunities come your way.

• Look online for some local writing communities. We suggest searching Meetup groups, local colleges, Eventbrite, Craigslist, and Facebook groups.
• Make a note of every online or IRL event you want to attend. Try and get to at least one event every few weeks.

Extra credit 2

• Think about the titles of the movies you find while interacting with your new filmmaker friends on social media, is there anything about them that inspires the name for your movie?

Resources

Whiplash: Short Film

Whiplash: DVD