Short Films 101: How to Make a Short and Launch Your Filmmaking Career

by Frederick Levy

Where does a young filmmaker begin? With the right short-film concept and this book!

The right short can be a filmmaker's "business card" in Hollywood. Here's the authoritative handbook by one of Hollywood's most connected insiders that offers a step-by-step guide through the entire creative process of shooting a short film, as well as expert advice from established filmmakers, and a final game plan for promoting and selling the film once it's in the can.Topics covered

€ Concept
€ Budget
€ Finding equipment
€ Assembling a crew
€ Casting
€ Arranging for location
€ Locating festivals and ancillary markets
€ Working with the unions
€ Film vs. digital video

€ A list of film schools
€ Oscar-winning shorts and nominees
€ A selection of short-film festivals
€ Actual short-film budgets
€ Sample scripts and shooting schedules
€ A helpful short-film glossary

Genres: Film, Art

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Alexa]

Interesting advice from about five years ago. The landscape of short distribution has changed a lot, but good advice about buckling down make the shorts.

[Claudia Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

For how old this book is, it still has some timeless advice. But truly reading it felt more like a history book. How directors from the 2000s do everything to make their short film. How distribution throughout the internet worked. But I could see how helpful this book was. It has real script examples from the directors, shooting schedules, budgets reports. It has a list of 20 plus universities with film programs. And a list of Oscar winning short films throughout the decades. The only thing that I didnt like was the toxic behavior of you have to do whatever it takes to make your short film, including begging for money or equipment. I can understand that if you want it so bad you have to prove it. Or maybe I live a too modern life to understand it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for first-time starters!!

[Kieran Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's gives off obvious information. Not a great read

[Michael Winget · Rating 5 out of 5]

You wanna make a short film? This is the #1 book to go to...use it as a road map, a pocket reference, a short-film "bible."