"Come up" and come on down!

So writing my second review of the short films that I saw at the IFFCA film festival. I thought today I'd write about the topic, what if you're trying to do your own short film? Well, there's some things to consider first. Like knowing what is the best scenario and story to do for your film. I can imagine it's got to be a tricky thing for most writers/directors/producers, picking that one story. And a short one has to pack the punch of a feature, but quicker. For me, seeing what worked at the festival inspired me to want to do my own for sure.

Now I would say that there was no genre that was better over others, but what really mattered was if there was a story or not. There were a few short films, that I won't mention, that didn't really fit that bill and I felt suffered because of it. But the rest were great at being mini movies. So if you have yet to do your own short film and you're looking to try your hand at one, be sure you include the beginning, middle and end, with the goal and obstacles, just like any feature. And if you can, throw in a twist.

One of the short films that I felt did a great job at this was called "Come Up" directed by Christopher Boyd. It was a funny story based on an action film that happens on the set of an action film. A lot of the humor in this piece faired best with people in the industry, as you could hear them laugh the loudest during the film. Inside jokes, for sure, but that didn't mean people who hadn't worked on a set couldn't get enjoyment out of it. But I have heard from industry producers that movies about the biz don't do well outside of the group that makes them because regular movie-going folks just don't care or get the story as well. I think as far as doing a piece for a short film festival, doing a movie about the industry is perfect though. Because who else is probably going to see most of these festivals, but your movie biz peers? 

The people who created this film talked about how they figured this story out while on the set, which is another way to get your story ideas for shorts or any story you're writing. Write what you know, you know? Because when you do, the audience can tell and that comes across as a solid piece of film.