Short Film Script Download

[Garoa Wolff]

Ialways write directly to screenplay format. It's a terse form that requires you to think and write visually and that form, while restrictive, helps you to create scenes that are short and to the point.

Short stories tend to have no restrictions to what you can write and will promote sloppy screenwriting. In a screenplay, you only write what can be seen and you write mostly in the present tense, e.g. "Joe runs up to the door" as opposed to, "Joe ran to the door".

Having said that, you must know your story before writing it. Some people like to "discover" their stories as they write them, which is just fine as long as you are prepared to do a page one rewrite once you've discovered your characters and story.

There is no single way to write a screenplay, but I'd suggest that you read at least 4 to 5 screenplays before starting. I spent 6 months reading and learning before I embarked on my first screenplay which took another 6 months to complete with a couple of rewrites over the years.

If this is for a short, I suggest writing a treatment first and trying to shoot directly from it. Improvise. Then, and only then, you'll have a clear idea what you will need further down the road in larger productions.

Writing a treatment is basically writing a short story, with a certain structure. Structure depends on your preference, of course. However, for your first foray you might try writing a 3 act structure. 1/4 for setup, 2/4 for confrontation and 1/4 for resolution - with first and second act ending in, so called, plot points.

In general, you don't want to start writing your script until you absolutely know your story. There are a number of ways to get your story down: an outline, a treatment (which is basically an outline in paragraph form), or just in your head. The third is probably the toughest to do because you can't show it to anyone, and you can't store it losslessly.

My suggestion is to first write a pitch, which is a basic statement of your characters, their motivation, and what happens in the story. Tell your pitch to some people to see if it's compelling. If it's working for you, write out an outline so you know exactly what each scene will do. From there, writing the actual script is a snap.

My problem is that I have very little free time to write and film (outside of my day job). If I let myself get bogged down in things that don't lead directly to the production of a film, then that film will never happen. Don't get involved in something that will hurt your momentum.

You want to tell the story before filming it. You need feedback to make sure the story works. However, the details you can use in a short story (where visuals are no object) are very different from those you use in filming.

For example, let's say your villian is the traditional Bug-Eyed Monster (BEM) with a whole bunch of slimy tentacles. In a short story, you can describe how the BEM slithers and squelches across the room, how the muscles undulate in each limb as it heaves its stinking bulk forward, how the acidic slime sizzles as it eats away the carpet. Scary, dramatic, effective. As a writer, you can keep piling on impossible details (the BEM can become invisible, it has basilisk eyes which turns its prey to stone, it can sing Russell Watson songs) to your heart's content.

You have a budget for SFX. You have to create the BEM puppet or spring for the computer and software (and tech person) to create the monster's movement. You'll need to get a greenscreen set and several suits to make the invisibility effect work. You have to get enough ear protection for everyone in the room when the creature starts singing "Faith of the Heart."

Find a screen writing group and see how they work. It will give you a venue for feedback on your work and it will give you access to a group of people who have developed a process to get feedback on their work.

This way, you have something to show to people and get feedback of the story and they even can help you with some ideas for the screenplay and the footage. People often can imagine the story they are reading, inside their heads (that's one of the good reasons to read the book instead of seeing the book's film adaptation).

When you are done with the Kroll beat sheet, each beat is 2-3 pages in screenplay format to get to 100-120 pages of screenplay. Adjust and eliminate to get down to your short film length. You might eliminate most of the second Act, for example, or condense it to a few pages.

The problem with discovery writing (which is what I do, finding the story as I go) is that it is not well suited to the tight timing required in a screenplay. If you are "discovering" your story, it is best to do it in outline form (which is what beat sheets are). When you think you've got your scenes down, it is easier to write those sections, and they will tie together. You can even include the specific dialogue or action sequences you want to be sure is in each beat.

To me, the problem with trying to write the full blown screenplay from scratch is I exceed the page limit about a third or halfway through; and see no good way to cut it down. Controlling the length is paramount, so each scene is precious. For me that means thinking long and hard about how to make each scene and every line of dialogue do a lot of work, double or triple duty; something that is not so important in a novel.

In my last post I took a look at the unique aspects of writing short film characters. In this post I want to touch on short screenplay structure. Obviously the big difference between a short and a feature is length. While shorts can vary in length (generally no longer than 50 minutes) they still follow the traditional three act structure with some special considerations.

When it comes to no-budget filmmaking, we know from the very outset that we can likely only afford 1 or 2 locations, a couple actors, and no grand set pieces. There is no sense writing in a car chase if we can't even afford the gas to start the car.

So I aimed to keep it simple and focus on characters. Drama is what we want as an audience, the rest is window dressing. Two men in a room, a cop, a bad guy, the cop wants information, the bad guy doesn't want to give it up: conflict.

After writing the first couple scenes, I got into a flow and kind of forgot some of my own advice about keeping it simple. I ended up with about 10 pages, 3 main characters, a few extras, 3 locations (including a basement, a club, and an apartment) and a number of stunts, gunshots, and blood effects. So maybe a little over the top for what we could afford, but the first draft was done.

It was in our next and final drafts where we let reality set in more. With only 3 days to film, there was no tangible (or affordable) way to have 3 locations and all that extra action. So we cut it down to the core scene in the basement, where I extended it a bit to take up about 6-7 pages and cut the rest.

One of the challenges with this cinematography focused projects, we were extremely limited in the amount of dialogue we could use. The less the better; best being zero. It's actually a great exercise in visual storytelling, and it was part of what we tried to keep refining with each draft.

We actually had many visual elements in the script by the end to help describe each character and their stakes, goals, and dilemmas, but we kept running into budget constraints. Luca would take the drafts and re-work the shotlist and storyboards he was preparing, and we could constantly run up against the budget and have to cut a visual element.

And it's here that I think most people struggle with their short films, myself included: it's not a story. I've heard it called "short-film-itus." People forget the basic structure of story when they make short films and you end up with a part of a story, or a scene from a longer movie.

After cutting the 2 other scenes, I ended up cutting 2 acts essentially. There was no longer any structure, and in the end no full story. I think we have an interesting and compelling beginning of a story, and maybe even a good middle and climax, but we are missing a solid ending, unfortunately. But it was a great lesson to learn, and the best way to learn it.

I think we learned a ton after pulling this film together with the contraints we had. And I think it'd be a great type of project for any filmmaker to try and undertake. Even for veteran filmmakers, short films are an art to themselves. Like the short story vs. the novel, short films are not short feature films and need to be approached differently.

Now that you've read a bit about our writing process, you can sit back and watch our short film: ADOK. We'd love to hear what you think, send us a message or join the community Discord Channel to let us know.

However, writing the most effective short is not an easy task. Short films have their own category at the Academy Awards for a reason. To tell a complete, captivating story in a very limited amount of time takes skill.

Filmmaker Doug Roland was inspired to make FEELING THROUGH from his own personal experience, which brought authenticity to the script. Speaking to Awards Watch, Roland elaborates on the first time he met a DeafBlind person:

Diverse characters, writers, and directors offer representation that has not often been portrayed on screen, so there is a greater chance that diverse stories will offer a plot that audiences will find intriguing.

However, notice how there is little dialogue even before we meet Artie. At the end, Tereek almost misses the bus because he closes his eyes and ears to experience what life might be like for Artie. This shows us how Tereek has changed and stepped outside of focusing on his own circumstances.

Tereek is first established as being homeless. The inciting incident of Tereek meeting Artie presents the protagonist with a choice: does he help Artie or not? Now, we have inner conflict and the outer conflict of homelessness.

The tone is established within the first few minutes of the film and stays consistent throughout. Dramas make the audience feel for the characters and can tease out salient questions that make the audience think.

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