Generating Ideas
Because of their limited running time, short films typically involve a main character who has to overcome a certain obstacle, often within a time limit; yet, since there is also not time for much character development, the audience learn who the character is through how the character reacts to the obstacle (Nash, 2012:52).
Character is important to short films as the audience need someone they can identify with, empathise and root for in order to be interested in the story - when the audience are interested in the character, they will also be interested in the character's struggle, which, fundamentally, is the story (Cooper & Dancyger, 2005:41).
For this reason, when making a short film it is essential to have something to say, so that the film stands out as an individual piece of work with a strong point of view (Rabiger, 2006:173).
Thus, short film stories are typically closed-ended (Masterclass, 2019).
Character is important to short films as the audience need someone they can identify with, empathise and root for in order to be interested in the story - when the audience are interested in the character, they will also be interested in the character's struggle, which, fundamentally, is the story (Cooper & Dancyger, 2005:41).
For this reason, when making a short film it is essential to have something to say, so that the film stands out as an individual piece of work with a strong point of view (Rabiger, 2006:173).
Thus, short film stories are typically closed-ended (Masterclass, 2019).
Initial ideas
Coming up with ideas begins with brainstorming and seeing what type of stories you gravitate more towards (Masterclass, 2019). For instance, I found I am more inclined towards stories about women supporting one another, characters with ambition, and stories with the potential for comedy.
Although I kept in mind the limits of making short films (running time, limited locations and characters etc.) I also generated ideas for high concept films. I did this in case I had any ideas which I at first may have thought would be high concept ideas, but could actually make good short films.
After generating these ideas, the next step is to "write down all moments, set-pieces, beats, or bits of dialogue you’d love to see in the film. Don’t worry about whether you’ll actually include these elements, or whether they make sense: just write whatever comes to mind" (Masterclass, 2019). This is so that the possibilities of all the ideas that you feel you want to use can become apparent, and are not later forgotten.
Although I kept in mind the limits of making short films (running time, limited locations and characters etc.) I also generated ideas for high concept films. I did this in case I had any ideas which I at first may have thought would be high concept ideas, but could actually make good short films.
After generating these ideas, the next step is to "write down all moments, set-pieces, beats, or bits of dialogue you’d love to see in the film. Don’t worry about whether you’ll actually include these elements, or whether they make sense: just write whatever comes to mind" (Masterclass, 2019). This is so that the possibilities of all the ideas that you feel you want to use can become apparent, and are not later forgotten.
"The Universe Is A Goldfish Bowl"
Short film (up to 20 minutes)
Science fiction
Whilst struggling to make a new discovery, a scientist accidentally brings herself from a parallel universe to this one – and has to find a way to send her back.
When generating story ideas, often a filmmaker's own interests can become involved (Nash, 2012:70). My idea for this film came from my own interest in physics, and an article I read about the idea that there could be a "multiverse" (several universes, not only the one we live in), despite this not being scientific theory, but "a theoretical consequence of the laws of physics as they’re best understood today" (Siegel, 2018).
However, I thought that this idea of a multiverse could create a lot of conflict for a character, since it could be possible, yet there is a lot of uncertainty. This is because our universe is curved, like a fishbowl, and thus scientists cannot see beyond it, meaning they cannot prove or disprove the idea of a multiverse (Howell, 2018).
Yet, in order to heighten the conflict the character faces, and make it more personal, I decided that, not only would the character end up finding proof of the multiverse, but that this proof is herself from another universe, who ends up stuck in this universe. This makes the main character's conflict both external (faced with another person who she has to get back to the right universe), but also internal, since this other person is almost the same as she is, and thus makes her own weaknesses more apparent (Cooper & Dancyger, 2005:91). Thus, this uncovers conflict which the character was already facing, good for short film ideas due to their short running time (Cowgill, 2005).
For this reason, the main conflict faced during the film would be trying to get the alternate universe character back to her own universe, with this difficulty heightened by the many similarities, as well as the slight differences, between the characters.
These differences come from the fact that if there is a multiverse, there is a possibility that when someone makes a decision, the outcome(s) they didn't choose happen in alternate universes (Kay, 2017). Thus, the biggest difference between the characters in this film could be that one was involved in some kind of accident/incident in this universe, but that the other wasn't in the alternate universe.
These differences come from the fact that if there is a multiverse, there is a possibility that when someone makes a decision, the outcome(s) they didn't choose happen in alternate universes (Kay, 2017). Thus, the biggest difference between the characters in this film could be that one was involved in some kind of accident/incident in this universe, but that the other wasn't in the alternate universe.
"The Performance of a Lifetime"
Sitcom (up to 20 minutes)
Follows the life of a struggling actor as they live in their head whilst getting into trouble in the real world as they reach for their dream.
Pilot: ‘A Long Way to Go’
After her latest short film receives awful reviews, aspiring actress Bea hopes an audition she’s been counting down to will finally be her big break – and get her out of her day job as the popcorn mascot at the small cinema in town. Until, on the way to the audition, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Including Bea getting arrested after someone wearing a popcorn costume just like hers vandalises the cinema. And the situation only gets worse when the police realise Bea is an actress – she’s so in control of her emotions, she can control the lie detector test they make her take, further making her look guilty.
Since I enjoyed writing a sitcom for my pitch during the as live unit, I decided to try and come up with another sitcom. Therefore, I looked back over my research from the as live unit, remembering that the plot of a sitcom is always created by the character(s), yet, these characters can't change too much, otherwise there is a risk the show would have no more plots to be able to continue for further episodes (Barnes, 2016).
For this reason, I decided to revolve this sitcom idea around a struggling actor, who is trying to make it, but probably never will - at least not until the very last episode. Thinking about the skills that go into acting, I decided to base this episode around the character being accused of a crime she didn't commit on the way to an audition, yet being so in control of her emotions that she can control the lie detector test, making her look guiltier. This is a funny situation, but the character doesn't make it to her audition and has to go back to her day job - therefore not changing, and allowing the story to be left open for more episodes.
For this reason, I decided to revolve this sitcom idea around a struggling actor, who is trying to make it, but probably never will - at least not until the very last episode. Thinking about the skills that go into acting, I decided to base this episode around the character being accused of a crime she didn't commit on the way to an audition, yet being so in control of her emotions that she can control the lie detector test, making her look guiltier. This is a funny situation, but the character doesn't make it to her audition and has to go back to her day job - therefore not changing, and allowing the story to be left open for more episodes.
Short film idea
(10 minutes or less short film idea)
Comedy
A writer is desperately trying to finish their piece, but a radio outside their window keeps blasting noise (music, static, talking, horns blaring – anything and everything annoying). Yet, every time the writer gets up from their desk and goes to the window to ask whoever is controlling the radio to please be quiet, the noise stops. Conflict/plot comes from the growing frustration of not being able to find a solution – the writer running to the window, sitting by the window and watching the radio for hours, not being able to win. Eventually, the writer decides to take matters into their own hands.
I came up with this idea after watching several short films to see how they used characters who "have a problem and a goal" yet "someone or something is preventing them from getting it" (Nash, 2012:51). For example, in Dig, a man wants to dig a hole in his own back garden, yet his wife, neighbours, and even the local police try to stop him - told from the unique perspective of his daughter.
This is similar to the conflict in One-Minute Time Machine. A man wants to impress a woman he meets on a bench, yet keeps messing up. He uses the time machine to help him by going back in time by a minute every time he messes up - but later has to face the consequences of this.
However, I found that conflict in a short film can generate plots as simple as a man panicking in a lift because he thinks it's filling up to more than its capacity (The Elevator), a coin machine always rejecting the coins a character puts into it so they are unable to get a ticket (The Coin Machine), and a boss being annoyed that their employee is a minute late (The Boss).
Nonetheless, when coming up with this idea I also thought about the possibilities of film (Muehleck, 2019). Unlike other mediums, film involves visuals and sound which can be used to tell a story (Cowgill, 2005). Therefore, although this premise is simple, it has a lot of possibilities, since it can be backed up by strong visuals and interesting sound design.
References
Barnes, D. (2016) 'How to Write a Sitcom: Seven Lessons from a Sitcom Writer.' In: Medium. [online] At: https://medium.com/panel-frame/how-to-write-a-sitcom-seven-lessons-from-a-sitcom-writer-57493d55c840 (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Cooper, P. & Dancyger, K. (2005) Writing the Short Film. (3rd ed.) London: Focal Press.
Cowgill, L. (2005) Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters. (2nd ed.) New York: Watson-Guptil Publications.
Cowgill, L. (2005) Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters. (2nd ed.) New York: Watson-Guptil Publications.
Howell, E. (2018) 'Parallel Universes: Theories & Evidence.' In: space.com. [online] At: https://www.space.com/32728-parallel-universes.html (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Kay, J. (2017) 'Is It Actually Possible To Travel To Parallel Universes?' In: Forbes. [online] At: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/03/06/is-it-actually-possible-to-travel-to-parallel-universes/#7a611ea126f2 (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Masterclass (2019) How to Write a Short Film: Step-by-Step Guide. [online] At: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-short-film-step-by-step-guide#how-long-should-a-short-film-screenplay-be (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Muehleck, C. (2019) '30 Ways to Brainstorm Short Film Ideas You Can Actually Produce.' In: StudioBinder. [online] At: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/short-film-ideas-you-can-actually-produce/ (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Muehleck, C. (2019) '30 Ways to Brainstorm Short Film Ideas You Can Actually Produce.' In: StudioBinder. [online] At: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/short-film-ideas-you-can-actually-produce/ (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Nash, P. (2012) Short Films: Writing the Screenplay. Herts: Kamera Books.
Rabiger, M. (2006) Developing Story Ideas. (2nd ed.) Oxford: Focal Press.
Siegel, E. (2018) 'What Is (And Isn't) Scientific About The Multiverse.' In: Forbes. [online] At: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2018/07/17/what-is-and-isnt-scientific-about-the-multiverse/#6f776b8c25c4 (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
Siegel, E. (2018) 'What Is (And Isn't) Scientific About The Multiverse.' In: Forbes. [online] At: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2018/07/17/what-is-and-isnt-scientific-about-the-multiverse/#6f776b8c25c4 (Accessed on 10 October 2019).
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