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Let’s Talk About the Short Film
Published on
The Short Film
Here’s a very unusual video, but something I had to talk about. For about 2 years we’ve been working on a short film. I decided to hold a competition and pick out one winner with a great idea for a short film story.
For a year long we worked together with Eric Toms who had written the story. During the production we flew him over to Belgium so that he could direct as well. This was initially not my goal, but I had to ask for more help as I couldn’t do it all by myself.
So what started as I wanting to make a short film ended up with me funding and producing it.
Editing the Short Film
To have at least one creative role in the production, I took to edit on me. Even though it was done pretty quickly, I got stuck on the details. Over time, I would spend less and less time on the edit as I was slowly losing interest.
It’s been a year since we shot the short film and that edit is still far from done. I feel a disconnection with the film and that’s because of how the production turned out. It feels like I’m editing someone else’s film.
Visual Effects & Color Grading
Recently I’ve been focusing on a different aspect. Rather than editing the short film, I’ve been working on smaller details. Like the intro title, the color grading, small visual effects and such things.
By creating that intro title, I feel more connected the project again. I created that title and put my creative ideas in there. As small and stupid as it might sound, I need to find ways to actually create something for the project instead of re-arranging clips around to finalize the edit itself.
Feeling Guilty
For the most part I’ve been ignoring any question about the short film, or I would say that I don’t have time at the moment. A part of me wanted to forget about the project, but this has only had a negative effect on myself.
I’ve been feeling more and more guilty because I let so many people wandering. I’m so sorry and hope I can make it up by showcasing an amazing short film one day. I learned that I need to be more open from the beginning and just be honest.
I’m a new writer/director and I debuted my skills in a contest called the 48 Hour Film Project, where you get your genre and some mandatory stuff to be in the film on Friday night at 7:30pm, and you have to turn in a finished 5-7 minute film by Sunday night at 7:30 pm. I HIGHLY recommend this method of learning how to do film!!! You have no choice but to push through, make decisions and finish your film. It is nerve wracking, sleep depriving, and fun as hell! I know that there are 48 HFP’s so over the US and Europe. I had no idea how I was going to do. None of us had any film experience. On screening day, we found out that we had a clue! We screened middle of the pack and got a nomination for Best Special Effects (for our sounds). I learned about everything in 48 hours. I am going it again this year if I can.
Let something fun force you to do it all!!!!
Oh man. To quote the kids today, “it me.”
Started a zombie short in 2009, it ballooned amusingly from a seven minute short to a 42 minute … short?
We worked on it sporadically, when we had time, money (never) or a location. None of us had ever attempted anything this big or swung for the fences so hard. Finished (if you can say that) in 2015. Finally put on Amazon Prime in 2019.
Like a lot of others have said, we did it. It’s not perfect. Put it out there. It’s your first but not your last.
It’s up on Amazon Prime if you ever feel like checking it out. My Boring Zombie Apocalypse. For all its faults, I still love it! And like Ed Wood said, “If you don’t like it, my next one will be better!”
I think part of the problem is trying to wear too many hats. Many producers believe they can edit and vice versa etcetera and so on. For any one project wearing just one hat the only way o retain focus, imho.
Nuff respect for just doin it though!
Y’all, there was a ghostly and very palpable “Man,I feel ya,” in my room while watching this episode. I have more good intentions and footage for potential on all my hard drives than I have time in my life to finish anything, except what’s promised w/real deadlines.
Stop beating yourself up. In the end, you do what pays the bills, keeps people interested, and anyone who knows you, also knows you’ll keep your promises with the best intention of delivering what you promised. You and everyone around you is either working their tails off, praying for work, or being slovenly and watching us all work while they just ride along. These are some of the worst and weirdest of times and you gotta keep your head straight where you can. Your honour and creativity are well intact. Think about taking care of you! We’re all working to keep sane too. Get some rest, stretch, breath deeply, and take a walk for the sake of taking a walk. We got your back, man! You got a lot of snap!
This not a ‘writers block’, but a ‘Cine-block’.
I now you can do it Jordy!
‘Stay creative’ and don’t put your expectations to high.
Thanks for sharing your story, as I’m sure ALL of us struggle with similar issues. If the producer role is not a gratifying position for you, it can taint your interest in a project. So, maybe that’s a good observation going forward?
Post production delays can happen for a variety of legitimate reasons, so be fair to yourself in accessing what is creating delays and inactivity. When a project starts to languish in post, I am easily distracted by new projects, and the former project loses it’s appeal to get completed. At that point it becomes a nagging chore rather than a creative outlet of my filmmaking passion. Feeling guilt about procrastination is real, but it can add to the dread of resuming work on an unfinished project.
FWIW, I have a short film and documentary that are both on hold due to the COVID shutdown. There will be some challenges resuming them after months of inactivity, but I look forward, rather than dread, getting back to work on them.
The way I get my head and heart back into a stalled project is to clear away all distractions and make a contract with myself to re-commit to the passion that the project needs for completion. It’s the passion, or lack thereof, that defines how the project appeals to me, and the level of commitment I will give it. Find the passion, clear your head and dive back in with commitment.
Hi Jordy,
First off I look at you guys and learn a lot – thanks for the knowledge and inspiration.
I totally understand what you mean. I do the same as well, creative people are visionaries and we try to raise the bar because we know our potential, it’s a project to project struggle of the perfectionist. This plague has led me as a starting musician and film maker to a point where I didn’t put out anything for years because I want it to be perfect. Recently I saw a film competition where Shah Rukh Khan asked to create a spooky film and my friend told me about it 3 days before the deadline which was last Sunday (2 days ago). We came up with the idea, wrote it, filmed and edited it in 2 days. It was my first horror short film and it was run and gun on set – it’s probably the first horror short produced in my country (Trinidad & Tobago) we don’t have much film makers here. This was difficult because its quarantine time so I didn’t have any help from others. Only a tripod a gh4 and 1 light. The filming and editing was rushed.
However, I was way too in with a deadline and had to submit it. It’s far from perfect (no way near what you guys do), I also made some of the same mistakes from previous times, wish I had more time. Nevertheless I submitted it and I am waiting to see if I even get a place in the top three.
When I look back at it I see all the mistakes but I felt a sense of accomplishment (at least I had something to show), I felt I took a step forward and it also made me excited to start back being a film maker rather than a tech behind the scenes. I also know i’ve learnt a lot from producing this short and at least I can display my content as a starting film maker. My goal is to pioneer Christian films in Trinidad and the Caribbean.
Anyway I know this is long but just wanted to say go for it, put out that short! and thanks to you guys for all the knowledge you put out, I have learnt a lot from the channel. God bless you all!
P.S. This is the link for the short https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UXcgghQvzw