short films

[Anonymous]

How would one make money by making short films? Can somebody open my eyes to this please.

[TomScratch]

The answer is: You have a client who pays you to make a short film… To be part of that world, you need to have a track record of making great short films.

Getting down to earth, those who make short films do it:
–For love, not money.
–As a contemporary form of dynamic self-expression; in the old days you were stuck with writing short stories and articles, and submitting photographs for publication. (However, even though “short” it takes a group of dedicated individuals, a team, to make a memorable short film; exceptions to this are rare.)
–To get experience in all aspects of film-making to prepare them for making long films or for getting paid jobs in the industry.
–To submit to film fests and contests, to win modest monetery awards and get buzzed by cool non-monetery awards (e.g., Audience Best Award), and maybe to be discovered.
–To spend all the money they made when engaged in doing other creative and non-creative commercial video work, e.g., events, infomercials, local commercials (all satisfying in their own way; and paying well if you are organized and business savvy and charge what you are worth…)

I’ve heard all of the above in conversations with short film makers at short film festivals.

There must be a growing market for short films. All those cable channels: some of them need product. In the theaters recently Eros, and Bocaccio ’70 is in re-release. Have noticed on airline flights that they are showing a lot of short flims (the quality is not consistent; readers of this forum could do better in some cases; flight mags give info on who’s packaging these films…)

I think the packaging of exceptional/cool/audience-connecting short films could be a force in the industry at some point. (Meets the need of shorter attention spans!) Entrepreneurs, start your engines.

REGARDS … TOM 8)

[TomScratch]

The answer is: You have a client who pays you to make a short film… To be part of that world, you need to have a track record of making great short films.

Getting down to earth, those who make short films do it:
–For love, not money.
–As a contemporary form of dynamic self-expression; in the old days you were stuck with writing short stories and articles, and submitting photographs for publication. (However, even though “short” it takes a group of dedicated individuals, a team, to make a memorable short film; exceptions to this are rare.)
–To get experience in all aspects of film-making to prepare them for making long films or for getting paid jobs in the industry.
–To submit to film fests and contests, to win modest monetery awards and get buzzed by cool non-monetery awards (e.g., Audience Best Award), and maybe to be discovered.
–To spend all the money they made when engaged in doing other creative and non-creative commercial video work, e.g., events, infomercials, local commercials (all satisfying in their own way; and paying well if you are organized and business savvy and charge what you are worth…)

I’ve heard all of the above in conversations with short film makers at short film festivals.

There must be a growing market for short films. All those cable channels: some of them need product. In the theaters recently Eros, and Bocaccio ’70 is in re-release. Have noticed on airline flights that they are showing a lot of short flims (the quality is not consistent; readers of this forum could do better in some cases; flight mags give info on who’s packaging these films…)

I think the packaging of exceptional/cool/audience-connecting short films could be a force in the industry at some point. (Meets the need of shorter attention spans!) Entrepreneurs, start your engines.

REGARDS … TOM 8)

[Anonymous]

Nice one, Tom!

[SteveMann]

BUEYEHL Wrote:

How would one make money by making short films? Can somebody open my eyes to this please.

Here’s the quick way to make a little money in short films: First, you start with a lot of money….

[TomScratch]

X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D X-D
8)

[SteveMann]

But seriously, folks.

Tom’s initial answer is probably the most correct. Few. Very few people make any money producing an unsponsored short film. It’s mostly looked up as paying your dues on the way to finding a sponsor.

The problem is in the distribution. A film is dead without distribution. A distributor is in business to make money and there’s just so much market for independent films that only the very best (and best funded) will ever see the screens.

That is about to change.

In just a few years, there will be enough people downloading their visual entertainment into their personal media player or even their PC that there will be a market for short features.

My prediction is that this is going to be big. Really big. And we have the opportunity to be in the elevator at the ground floor.

Steve Mann

[Author]

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