How to make short films with limited resources 101

The idea of making a short film can be daunting for anyone, but if you have the will and vision, anything can be possible. Even if you have a low budget or limited resources, you can get creative with the shoot and discover great things along the way. You might be an amateur cinematographer or just a film enthusiast, either way you need some basic equipment to get your production going.

Any project begins with a simple vision in mind. What is the aim and the concept you are going for? Keep in mind that it is a short film and not a feature. Biting off more than you can chew is risky in terms of scope and duration of the short film, so setting the duration is important. The New York Film Academy says 10-15 minutes is an ideal reference time but there are no hard and fast rules. For a first short film, assets like a script and storyboards are invaluable from day one.

Moving on from the writing stage, the second stage is the production bit. This this where the limited resources may come into play in props, costumes, sets, crew, actors etc. An important tip here would be to use real settings and environment as much as possible in the short film. Second tip would be to always film more footage than you need. Next is the camera considerations, what device can you use on a budget. Thanks to modern technology, most of the smartphones in the market today offer high quality video recording. Test shoot with different smartphones before you select one and how the results appear on a big screen. For better quality and sound, you might need a tripod and an external microphone.

The next step in making a short film is the actual filming. At the end of each day it is a good practice to watch the film to make you got everything you need out of the particular shots. A movie is made when raw footage is crafted into a definite narrative with a rising action, climax, falling action and a resolution. Fortunately editing is much easier nowadays with many free software and applications available in the market. Most Apple macs come with iMovie, a movie maker specifically designed for newcomers.

“I did not have a camera, I did not have anyone to teach me, I just knew how to tell a story” says Nimesh, a short filmmaker based in Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has directed 4 short films till now. For his first short film, he used his phone to shoot, a selfie stick that he stuck on a flowerpot as a tripod and edited on the same phone he shot on. He also submits his short film in various film festivals. The link to his first short film is given below.