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Jason Hanson

Mrs. Faugstad

English 12

March 25 2022

The Process and Steps to Making Your Own Short Film

How can a regular person make their own short film, out of the

limited amount of tools at their disposal? Before I answer that question, I

should give you a little context into how I got so interested in movies.

Let's rewind back to the early 2000’s! I was just a little boy, and I was

frequently watching VHS movies with my sisters and brother. Obviously

all little kids are interested in animated movies, but that was the start of

my obsession with them. Further along the road the VHS was overtaken

by the DVD, which was a super important part of my childhood after our

family got rid of Directv. My brother Nicholas and I watched too many

DVD movies to count! I think that time frame really engrained a love of

movies inside of me. Fast forward through my elementary and preteen

days of living and breathing video games, I found my way back to

movies around junior high. The reboot of Star Wars had just come out,

and I really enjoyed it. I asked for all the Star Wars movies for my

birthday, and they are now some of my favorite movies ever! In my

junior year I took two film classes that had a huge impact on me. In a

school year that felt a little more busy than all of my other school years,

I found a little bit of peace in those film classes. The work was

something that I would do at home, rather than actual boring school

work. First semester was “Write! Direct! Shoot!” where we learned

about the history of film and learned different things about filming our

own videos. The next semester was

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“Film Criticism,” and as you could probably guess, the class was about

watching films and critiquing them. Watching a film from a critical

perspective is something I had never really done before, or even thought

about. And now a year later I find myself looking at, and appreciating,

things in films that I never even noticed before. Those classes really
 helped me gain an interest, and appreciation for the actual things that

filmmakers do to entertain their audiences.

Now there are no white and black ways to make your own short

film, but they usually all share common themes. Here is some

information that I gathered from The Nashville Film Institute, about how

to best begin your filmmaking career. Taking classes, like I did, is a

pretty good way to start out. Making your own short stories is a fun

thing to do and gives you good practice for making your own short film.

One of the most useful tools though, is simply watching movies. Without

even realizing it, you are able to soak in useful information about film.

Watch the film, if you like it, figure out what you like so much about it.

My favorite director ever, Quentin Tarentino, is the perfect example of

this. He never went to film school, and is known as a “self taught”

director. In all of his films you can find many references to some of

Tarentino’s favorite films. Utilizing online resources is not always

thought about as well. You may not have always thought of YouTube as

a place to gather useful information, but you would have thought wrong.

 Watching behind the scenes interviews from actors and directors gives

you lots of insight about what goes into making a big film. And

obviously you can always “Google'' your questions, and find answers on

many reputable websites.

Next let's talk about the different elements of film. Jeffery C.

Nyseth of Viterbo University has listed off some of the most important

elements of film. One reason I find films so

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amazing is that the directors can use these elements of film to

manipulate the viewers subconscious. We as the audience are constantly

being made to think or feel a certain way, just

from the decisions made by the director. Oftentimes I find myself so

immersed in the story that when I finally come out of my trance, I take a

look back and appreciate the amazing things that had me so hooked.

Composition is just one of the many elements of filmmaking. By putting

certain things in and out of the shot, the director is purposely giving you

the information they want you to know. Even the alignment of the

subject in frame has an effect on the viewer's subconscious. For

example, viewers find a shot more visually appealing when the subject is

placed off to the one side of the camera, rather than directly in the

middle. That’s not to say you HAVE to place your subject to the side,

because filmmakers break this “rule” all the time. (Wes Anderson for

instance) This also ties into something we learned in art class this year

called the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds divides an image into nine

different sections, which helps you line up your subject. Simple things

like height and zoom make the viewer think or feel something new.

Combine that with music, and you have a version of art that just can’t be

replicated. Shots taken from the top-down make a viewer seem small

and weak, whereas a shot from the down-top places the character in a

position of power. This is just another example of the director sending a

subconscious message to the viewer. Taking extreme close up shots

allows you to see the emotion on a character's face. Medium and wide

shots allow the viewer to gain information about a character, but also

gain information about the setting surrounding the character. An

extremely wide shot is mostly for setting and information, and doesn’t

tell you much about a character at all. And lastly, an establishing shot

introduces the setting. All of these elements: camera angles, camera

movement, camera framing, lighting, and audio deliver an

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unspoken message to the audience. Add this with amazing dialogue, and

acting and you can achieve almost anything with film.

Finally, here are simple steps to help structure the process of

your short film. As I stated before there is no white and black way to do

this, but this can be a useful tool for anyone who is

confused on where they should be going next in their process. According

to The New York Film Academy, these are steps you can take to

structure your work. The first step will always be an idea though.

Everything that has ever been made in the history of mankind started out

as an idea, or thought. You should have an idea of a story that you want

to portray on screen. The second step would be the story, script, or

screenplay. This is where you write your story. Everything from setting,
dialogue, and the story itself. The third step are the storyboards. You can

roughly sketch your ideas for camera angles, or shots that you want to

include. This step isn’t essential, but it can be a useful tool. Next you

will want a cast and crew. This is when you get to decide who you want

to act in the parts you have written, as well as recruit any extra help you

might need. Although when writing it can be a good idea to have actors

in mind for the parts you are writing. (Another thing Tarentino does)

Fifth step is the setting or locations you want to film at. Don’t be afraid

to explore different locations, but make sure you aren’t trespassing in

any private property! Next comes the actual filming. Once you have

these other steps planned out you are ready to begin filming. Don’t be

afraid to take your time, and get exactly what you have in mind. Lastly

we have post production. A very important part of the filmmaking

process is editing. Here you will combine all your clips into your first

rough cut. Then add things like music, effects, and color correction.
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How can a regular person make their own short film, out of the

limited amount of tools at their disposal? Well to finally answer that

question, there really is no set in stone way. You can

always use things like guides and structures, but in the end they are not

truly necessary. Filmmaking is really all about having passion, and

enjoying what you are making. If you are doing both of those things,

then it will surely translate into your work.

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Works Cited

“How to Get into Filmmaking: Everything You Need to Know.” NFI, 27

June 2021, www.nfi.edu/how-to-get-into-film-making/.

Nyseth, Jeffery C. “Basic Filmmaking Concepts .” Viterbo University .

www.viterbo.edu/sites/default/files/2019-02/

Basic%20Filmmaking%20Concepts_0.pdf.

Academy, New York Film. “The Beginner's Guide to the Filmmaking

Process.” Film School And Acting School Of New York Film Academy, 5

May 2017, www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/the-beginners-guide-to-the-

filmmaking-process/.