Write to Shoot

9Your Type

The Feature-Based Short

As an earlier chapter pointed out, your short film is a calling card that will help you get noticed by the industry, but it can also be used as a “sizzle reel” of sorts to sell that feature you want to make. It can help you raise money by demonstrating your film’s value. We’ll discuss how this works with fundraising in Chapter 10, but basically what it means is that your short film will need to demonstrate a compelling theme. It should also introduce people to your characters and demonstrate your writing style, your ability to handle dialogue, and your talent for creating tension and conflict—in short your filmmaking charisma that will all be evident in your feature script and, later, in the feature itself. ...