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I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It:
Written by award-winning filmmaker Clarissa Jacobson, I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It is jam-packed with hard-earned knowledge, tips, and secrets on how to enter film festivals, promote your movie… and SUCCEED!
I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It covers everything from what festivals to submit to, how to maximize your money, secure an international presence, deal with rejection, gain publicity, harness the power of social media, what a sales rep does and much more.
Included are exclusive filmmaker discounts on services/products from the festival platform, Reelport, subtitling company, Captionmax, and promo merchandisers, Medias Frankenstein and The Ink Spot.
I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It covers everything from what festivals to submit to, how to maximize your money, secure an international presence, deal with rejection, gain publicity, harness the power of social media, what a sales rep does and much more.
Included are exclusive filmmaker discounts on services/products from the festival platform, Reelport, subtitling company, Captionmax, and promo merchandisers, Medias Frankenstein and The Ink Spot.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2019
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Clarissa Jacobson
2 books2 followersCLARISSA JACOBSON is the writer, producer and creator of the multi-award-winning comedy/horror short - Lunch Ladies (https://www.lunchladiesmovie.com) - based on her feature. The film was in over 120 film festivals and screenings, garnered forty-three wins and can now be seen all over the world on Kanopy, Tubi, Curia, Prime Video (Hellarious Anthology), Troma Now!, Argo, Dark Matter TV, Shot TV, Curtcircuit 33 and more. Originally from Minnesota, Clarissa has a BA in theatre from Indiana University and trained at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Her new book - I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It (a guide to film festivals, promotion, and surviving the ride) is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and her website – https://www.heyimclarissaj.com.
Clarissa creates scripted projects with Shayna Weber, under their Rebel Minx banner and happily resides in Los Angeles with all the other weirdos - https://www.rebelminx.com.
Clarissa creates scripted projects with Shayna Weber, under their Rebel Minx banner and happily resides in Los Angeles with all the other weirdos - https://www.rebelminx.com.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 4, 2019
I don’t know if seeing Lunch Ladies, the short film from which Clarissa Jacobson describes her experiences getting into festivals and finding distributors is required before sitting down to read I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It. However, I can state with absolute certainty that it is undeniable that she is the author of both that fantastic movie and this quick, engaging read.
The best thing about the book is its tone. From the opening sentence, there is a laid back, genial vibe Jacobson exudes and makes you feel at ease. She makes you feel like it is just you and her talking about filmmaking/ festivals/ distribution over drinks at a bar. This makes the book extremely approachable and relatable. That she has woven off the cuff asides into the very fabric of the narrative she’s laying out is further proof of her immense talents as a writer (not that much was needed, as Lunch Ladies is a masterpiece).
Far more importantly, is how the topics are laid out. She goes, more or less, in order of what happens after production on any hypothetical film is finished, and it is ready to hit the film circuit. First, Jacobson wants you to believe in your movie; believe that your movie is excellent and once you know that as fact, move on.
However, this review won’t just be a recap of her entire book. If you want that, well, read I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It. What matters is how fun, humorous, and knowledgeable Jacobson presents the material. I am not out to make movies nor market them at festivals or to distributors. But I still found a lot of useful and engaging information in these 170+ pages. If you are a filmmaker and need guidance on how to get your movie to the next level, Clarissa Jacobson’s book is a great resource. Plus, it is just a fun time with a good friend talking about the movie industry.
The best thing about the book is its tone. From the opening sentence, there is a laid back, genial vibe Jacobson exudes and makes you feel at ease. She makes you feel like it is just you and her talking about filmmaking/ festivals/ distribution over drinks at a bar. This makes the book extremely approachable and relatable. That she has woven off the cuff asides into the very fabric of the narrative she’s laying out is further proof of her immense talents as a writer (not that much was needed, as Lunch Ladies is a masterpiece).
Far more importantly, is how the topics are laid out. She goes, more or less, in order of what happens after production on any hypothetical film is finished, and it is ready to hit the film circuit. First, Jacobson wants you to believe in your movie; believe that your movie is excellent and once you know that as fact, move on.
However, this review won’t just be a recap of her entire book. If you want that, well, read I Made A Short Film Now WTF Do I Do With It. What matters is how fun, humorous, and knowledgeable Jacobson presents the material. I am not out to make movies nor market them at festivals or to distributors. But I still found a lot of useful and engaging information in these 170+ pages. If you are a filmmaker and need guidance on how to get your movie to the next level, Clarissa Jacobson’s book is a great resource. Plus, it is just a fun time with a good friend talking about the movie industry.
March 16, 2025
A Must-Read for Filmmakers
An engaging read from start to finish. I loved the tone—bold and direct, just as the title promises.
I haven’t seen the film that served as the author’s case study, but now I want to!
Clarissa Jacobson’s energy throughout the book is infectious. She pushes you to be your own first cheerleader, to truly believe in your film. And then, she lays out a clear, honest roadmap to follow.
Having been on the festival circuit myself, I recognized a lot of her points, had practiced some of them, and felt inspired to take things even further.
A must-read for every filmmaker navigating festivals. Jacobson deserves huge thanks for sharing so much—many wouldn’t. This book is a little treasure.
An engaging read from start to finish. I loved the tone—bold and direct, just as the title promises.
I haven’t seen the film that served as the author’s case study, but now I want to!
Clarissa Jacobson’s energy throughout the book is infectious. She pushes you to be your own first cheerleader, to truly believe in your film. And then, she lays out a clear, honest roadmap to follow.
Having been on the festival circuit myself, I recognized a lot of her points, had practiced some of them, and felt inspired to take things even further.
A must-read for every filmmaker navigating festivals. Jacobson deserves huge thanks for sharing so much—many wouldn’t. This book is a little treasure.
February 18, 2022
How I wish more nonfiction books read like Clarissa's work. This tomb is breezy, honestly, and incredibly helpful.
I actually am a co-founder of the Unnamed Footage Festival (a film fest that shows exclusively Found Footage Horror, POV cinema, and mockumentaries) and had to pleasure to show a double feature of Clarissa's shorts "Lunch Ladies" and "A Very Important Film". I bring this up because I learned something's about running a festival from this book (I'll forever credit the writers from now on) and the pros here are 100% her. She is a kinetic ball of positive energy and both she and this book are fantastic.
I actually am a co-founder of the Unnamed Footage Festival (a film fest that shows exclusively Found Footage Horror, POV cinema, and mockumentaries) and had to pleasure to show a double feature of Clarissa's shorts "Lunch Ladies" and "A Very Important Film". I bring this up because I learned something's about running a festival from this book (I'll forever credit the writers from now on) and the pros here are 100% her. She is a kinetic ball of positive energy and both she and this book are fantastic.
March 20, 2025
Insightful and hilarious
This book is packed with valuable information that I can't wait to put into practice. It's also incredibly funny! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I know many others will as well. If you're in search of a book that combines useful insights with entertainment, you absolutely need to pick this one up.
This book is packed with valuable information that I can't wait to put into practice. It's also incredibly funny! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I know many others will as well. If you're in search of a book that combines useful insights with entertainment, you absolutely need to pick this one up.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews