Short Films

Book excerpt: A complete guide to short film screenplays, from finding and developing that exciting idea to information on the technical revolution in digital filmmaking and distribution Every award-winning short film begins life with a clever idea, a good story, and a screenplay. Here Patrick Nash analyzes the process of writing short film screenplays and gives advice on story and structure, plot and pace, generating ideas, screenplay format, dialogue and format, and character design. He helps readers ensure that their writing will be fresh by discussing common clichés and stereotypes; conflict, obstacles, and stakes; eliciting emotion; and how to hook the viewer. The specifics of loglines, outlines, and synopses are also covered, as well as rewriting, length, practicalities, and budgets. The book also includes a number of award-winning scripts and interviews, advice and contributions from their award-winning screenwriters and a discussion of the benefits to writers of writing short screenplays.