Story

It’s important to remember that the story you write is for a short film.

For Film By, we ask that films submitted be 3.5 minutes at maximum, including credits (we will talk about credits during copyright), but great little films can be shorter. For example, we have had films submitted that were 30 seconds, and they work.

The rating for all Film By films is G. Download this handy checklist. Writing a short film checklist (DOCX, 84.94 KB).

Before making a film, the first things to consider are ‘who is my audience’ and ‘what is the purpose of this film’ (what you really want to say).

Writing for the film begins with an idea. Ideas come from anywhere you need them!  Keep a record of your ideas. Keep a notepad next to your bed. If you wake up in the night with a dream or idea, write it down or put it in the notes section of your phone. Capturing ideas is important.

Sometimes that idea could be the beginning of a whole film, or maybe it’s a bit that could become a scene in your film.