DO… Ensure you have a solid idea and a to tell. Watch a ton of films to discover what you think is a good idea or concept vs. bad ones, and learn from the experience. Also, it is worth pitching your idea to yourself in the bathroom mirror. If your own pitch doesn’t raise your level of excitement within the first 60 seconds, probably good to splash some cold water on your face and go back to the drawing board…
DON’T… Ever assume that what makes good news (i.e. true stories) translate into Oscar worthy short films. While they sometimes do, more often than not reality is not really that exciting on as on screen "entertainment" (unless you are indeed an Oscar worthy documentary filmmaker in the making of course).
DO…. Make sure that you have a good script. Continue to condense your story and fine tune your characters. Your script will be the spine that carries your story through from shoot to screen, without it you could be a lost ship.
DON’T…. Rush into production. Make sure your script (or at least your story) is in solid shape. While production will allow you to see new things and venture into new territory, you will not find your way back unless you know where you are going in the first place. Don’t lose your story before production even starts, by neglecting the importance of your script.
DO… Pick good collaborators. While your best friend, who also happens to be unemployed, is dying to be your cinematographer – remember that skill and experience is everything in a filmmaking team, so choose your collaborators wisely.
DON’T…. cast drama queens or time optimists. Or actors that suck. One bad actor can ruin your film. Much like one that is always late or a no-show can break your budget.
DO… Apply perfectionism. If you don’t know how to do something, find people who do. So what if your friends know nothing about filmmaking – find people who do, here on TheSmalls.com for example - the
members section even lets you search by category - from writer to DP, they're all there and they are probably pretty brilliant. It is much better to find someone who knows sound to work on your film, than to try to learn it yourself and risk your film as a testing ground. If you have a good idea, chances are qualified people will want to work with your for nothing or close to nothing.
DON’T… Let your film go on and on and on and on…. Us the editor for editing. If hesitant about any part of your film, take it out and see what you think – less is almost always more when it comes to short films. However, if it stinks, only cutting it down to 00:00 will help you.
DO… Get creative. Don’t be afraid to be different. Who said you can’t make a short film about the emotional life of daffodils? If you are going to go out there, go all the way.
DON’T… Get caught up in repetition. Don’t make short films for stupid people, make it for people who are switched on enough to get your joke in one twist, don’t kill off your story and comedy or drama with exposition and repetitious ****shit.
DO… Remain true to yourself. And you will succeed.
Good luck!!