Short film concepts for students

Making a short film is the rite of passage for many new filmmakers. Discover fun, fabulous short story writing ideas for kids. So if a director loves horror and would like to direct some then a horror short is a good first step. The 3rd annual film pipeline short script competition provides an opportunity for writers and directors to get their material produced. You can still ace your final film project for way less than that. Throughout the program, students create, write, direct, and edit as. Try to think of instances that are newsworthy and ways you can use them in your story. It features a flock of red balloons on a snowy field wandering wherever the wind blows them, and while its contemplative instead of plotdriven, the final sequence delivers a delightful howdidhedoit magic trick of beauty. Not for our own personal gain, of course, but for yours. Hes got hundreds of tips to share and started making videos when he was just 11. Same for comedy, drama, period pieces, westerns, thrillers, action adventure etc.

Ideally, you want to avoid involving too many actors, elaborate costumes, and. Less soap, more blood 1 woman, 1 man this short comedic script gives the classic case of. A version of this article originally appeared in the austin film societys journal, persistence of vision. Yo yo, im a wannabe director, and i need some ideas for a short film. How to teach english through short films and documentaries. Longrecognized by the industry as an avenue to scout unique, diverse voices, shortform content has become a vital calling card in attracting representation or seeing a proofofconcept adapted into a feature. In gory detail, heres what you get when you buy the book 26 short screenplays for independent filmmakers. Back then remember that john major was still prime minister and princess diana was alive films were distributed in cinemas and on heavily regulated broadcast television. You can watch the film below and find a full lesson plan here. Marilyn horowitz is an awardwinning new york university professor, author, producer, and manhattanbased writing consultant, who works with successful novelists, produced screenwriters, and awardwinning filmmakers. Its those short film ideas that just pop and feel right. Nominated for the 2020 oscars, this damning documentary explores what happened during the 2014 sewol ferry disaster, where over three hundred people lost their lives, most of them school children. Brainstorm short film ideas 19 great ideas to make your. In our curriculum, awardwinning filmvideo artists and industry professionals teach an exciting range of courses, from the foundational firstyear digital cinema sequence to the culminating senior project, in which each student makes a short film as hisher senior thesis.

Rosalind franklin was a colleague of wilkins, but she and wilkins worked separately. All it must do is take the story in a new direction for example, accidental eye contact between two exlovers. Usually a short films primary purpose is as a demo reel to highlight a directors skills in an area of filmaking they are interested in. And everyone who you tell it to thinks its a great idea for a short movie too. A short film is anything up to 40 minutes as a general rule, but they are getting shorter and shorter and the sweet spot seems to linger between 7 to 15 minutes. Its a bit like trying to squeeze a novel into a short story theyre different animals. Saving on your costs takes a little planning and a lot of thought. Stop thinking about complex plot lines and characters, and instead try building a film around a simple idea. Did it enhance the story that the filmmakers were trying to tell. This short film from andrey levkovitch is simple and stunning.

Brainstorm short film ideas 19 great ideas to make your stories. I think it shows how the film industry is changing. Young filmmaker simon cades channel, dslrguide, is one of the most popular for filmmaking tutorials. How to tell good short movie script ideas from the bad. This efl lesson is designed around a moving short film by brett and mick, and the themes of texting and elderly people. Narrative category short film festival dslr short film contest 3rd place. When i wrote this article on how to brainstorm short film ideas way back in 2015, i had no idea that this would become one of the top pages on our website.

Brainstorm short film ideas and your carer will prosper. In each prompt, the students character encounters a surprising situation or runs into a dilemma. Write a wellstructured scene that needs no setup scenes that come before and a climax that resolves the story with enough closure that we. Another ambitious project is the leviathan from ruairi robinson, who is known for his academy award nominated animated short film fifty percent grey, as well as directing the 20 scifi horror the last days on mars. You get these gems as you gain rep from other members for making good contributions and giving helpful advice. Made by teachers and adjudged by students, short films on popular science concepts taught at schools will be showcased at a film festival that aims at building interest in science learning among schoolchildren. Students use the movie clips to pull out examples of each theoryconcept. An understanding of short film idea generation is almost a carte blanche to become known as a filmmaker of short films with the kind of pedigree. Log lines for all of my short film scripts, with links to more details about each short film screenplay. Ask students to write freely for five minutes on their movie of choice. Im trying to think of some super short concepts like one to five minutes in length that. Everyday life is full of short film ideas for students. This doesnt seem like a how to write a short film tip, so much as a screenwriting lesson in general. Scott rice is a lecturer at the university of texas at austin.

You have just 600 seconds to dazzle the audience with your ability to tell a structured and cohesive narrative which effectively communicates its story and themes. Generally, when you have a great idea for a short, you know it. This doesnt seem like a how to write a short film tip, so much as a screenwriting lesson in general however, brainstorming short film ideas that have their endings baked in up front, will make your shooting script that much leaner. This is a mini guide on how to come up with ideas for your short films. For the last five years, vfxsavvy filmmakers trying to break through the hollywood logjam have been making proofofconcept short films to communicate their ideas for original scifi movies. I often use movie clips in introduction to sociology when introducing a set of theories or concepts. Short film ideas for 10 minute masterpieces udemy blog. I think the best idea for a short film is the one you can shoot and cut and learn something from. Winner of best fiction award at the altered images student post production festival in london 2010 winner of the film making contest 2010 winner of the best young filmmaker award at. The films will be based on popular science concepts taught at schools. But in a short film, there is no reason a plot point must be big. Its just not possible to squeeze a feature film idea or a particularly complex idea into a short format and do it justice. The seven best short films for elt students kieran donaghy. How to teach english through short films and documentaries there are many ways to go about teaching with these awesome tools, but im going to break down my strategy here.

Getting your filmmaking kit together is one of the hardest things to do on a budget, but you cant begin until you. Phone calls from family, friends, news feeds in tv, facebook. Pratt institute school of art undergraduate school of. Set guidelines on appropriate movies, such as having a g rating. I saw a great short that started inside a car with a driving instructor and a student. However, brainstorming short film ideas that have their endings baked in up front, will make your shooting script that much leaner. Most shorts do not have dialogue, theyre all action. Visual learners and students who typically struggle with reading comprehension, including english language learners ells, have greater success practicing comprehension skills with shorts. Mb provides actors, directors, producers and creatives a growing resource of free film scripts that you are welcome to use for your own creative needs. Simplicity is key when thinking up short film ideas for students. A great example is lunch date, a 10 minute short film which launched the career of writerdirector adam davidson. His tragic tale of idealisation and delusion shows us a reflection of our own misconceptions in love. Film making and editing students required manchester area. Hey yall, im getting into making my own short films recently two down so far.

For now just focus on the story, you can adapt the. So, teaching literary elements and device with short film doubles as a socialemotional lesson. The film is set in the distant future where humans have colonized. Itll allow you to only focus on the scenes and sequences needed to achieve your desired ending. A man living abroad in his single room, fearing about his family, they are suffering flood. Another way to ask this question is to show the class a short scene and ask the students to identify the short and long takes and discuss their use in the film.

Not counting the student films i did in college because they were awful. Dont worry about the budget or practicals of making the film. Allow our editors to peruse your work, and, provided its deemed appropriate, it will be published here for editors, producers, and impressed friends to see. Facial expression, losing his control over emotions etc. The upper hand of short films regardless of whether this. I already have a couple of short films under my belt, but i want at. Why use media to enhance teaching and learning media can be used in almost any discipline to enhance learning, both in class, and also for outofclass assignments. The mirror is a short film by ramon and pedro which tells the story of a boys journey from childhood to old age. Short film and television clips, written articles, and blog postings can be viewed to reinforce concepts and spark discussion. If you have never made a short film, now is the time. It also demonstrates how short film content is storming back into vogue.

Joining him on this project is jim uhls, the screenwriter of films such as fight club and jumper. Students can use the following writing prompts to write 30 individual short storiesor they can combine several prompts together to create a longer piece. Whether its a short clip from a hollywood film to reinforce the concept of gravity or a featurelength documentary that highlights the work of engineers, incorporating movies into your lessons can help kids connect what theyre learning in the classroom to the world at large. He was nominated for two student academy awards in 2004 and will soon direct a short film written by terry rossio pirates of the caribbean, shrek. Brainstorming for short film ideas is tough, but ideas are all around. Bear in mind, a short film is a concise full story. This is a super practical way to go about making short films. Traditionally short film honours and awards go to those that use visual storytelling to communicate their intention, not pontificating from the protagonists. In this class, you will learn how to write the screenplay for a ten minute short film, which you can then use as a writing sample or to pursue production. Not only are there a gazillion film festivals that offer a short movie program, but with websites like youtube, you have the ability to reach a global audience. Maurice wilkins, a physicist at kings college, was using xray crystallography to determine the structure of dna. Well tackle the actual writing and developing of shorts in another post.

Whether its breakout dramas like whiplash or scifi smashes like district 9, a short film can provide a strong foundation for adaptation into a full feature. Increasingly, shorts are being used as proof of concept that a story works. Hi, if you are struggling coming with a story idea for a film than i have some concepts that might help. Updated by michael dolby on february 25, 2014 short films are a tricky business. A short film based on the true story of nigel, the lonely gannet of mana island who hopelessly fell in love with a concrete statue. For short films, its often better that the concept is something extremely simple. The reason i am asking for ideas is because i have recently hit a massive wall of writers block. Lots of college campuses built in the midtwentieth century feature cool, brutalist design ideal short film ideas for college students who want.

Since 1998 she has taught thousands of aspiring screenwriters to complete a feature length screenplay. Short film ideas short films film ideas please help an idea about a campus short film short film ideas 45 minutes long. So in the interests of education, we are proud to present these cheap and easy short film ideas for students. Its presented in 5 easy steps thatll help you reach your students and get everyone engaged in the viewings and activities. Im talking a nice simple idea, something that would only last about 5 minutes. The key to writing a short film is to keep it simple. Students learn empathy, kindness, compassion, selflove, and many more great human qualities from the themes present in animated short films. Describe the difference between long takes and short takes. Short films are the ultimate calling card in the movie industry, and can be your ticket to an agent, a contract, and even yes.

They appreciate the chance to apply sociology to their regular lives. Linus pauling was also searching for dnas structure. The most important thing is to choose the length that suits the story you want to tell. Read short film scripts submit your script australian. When arons girlfriend disappears within the bizarre world of an alpine wellness resort, he isnt sure. Im trying to think of some super short concepts like one to five minutes in length that would be easy to execute with no budget. Teach reading comprehension skills using short films a. It works very well for getting students speaking, writing and using vocabulary related to age, face, body, mood and actions.