Getting your short script produced can act as a calling card for you as a writer and/or director. A short film is also an excellent way to solidify and share your unique point of view. But how do you write a short script with an eye towards winning a competition like the Short Film Fund? Read on for some tips, in no particular order…
#1: DEVELOP THE CENTRAL CONFLICT
OThink of your short as one major scene or sequence from a feature movie, where the focus is on one dilemma being played out and resolved. What’s the hook or the inciting incident? In a short film, the inciting incident should come relatively early (the first 1-3 pages or so) to both engage the audience and establish the conflict.
#2: SHOW, DON’T TELL
This is one of the most critical pieces of advice for writers – using expository dialogue to convey information to the audience often comes off as inauthentic and re-cappy. Consider other ways to clue your audience into important information, like visual cues. Utilizing visual cues to convey information also helps save time, cutting the need for overly-explanatory dialogue.
#3: CREATE COMPELLING CHARACTERS
Given the limited number of pages, there isn’t a lot of room for deep character development or long character journeys. Be sure to introduce your main characters succinctly, provide opportunities for the reader to develop an emotional connection to them, and directly connect their journey (whether emotional, physical, or both) to the central conflict.
#4: SURPRISE THE READER
A compelling short script offers unforeseen twists that keep the reader intrigued. Whether the twist occurs halfway through the script or is a surprise ending, keeping the reader on their toes helps a script stand out from the crowd.
#5: FOCUS ON THE TRIFECTA
Dialogue, sound, and visuals comprise the trifecta of scriptwriting. Short films in particular offer significant opportunity for utilizing strong dialogue, sound, and action, but too often scripts prioritize only one of them. Combining dialogue that is authentic to the characters with sound effects that advance the tone of the script, along with compelling visuals that support world-building can all add up to one stunning story.
#6: LIMIT THE BUDGET
Short scripts are often written to be producible. There are several ways that you can keep production costs low, including limiting the number of characters, choosing common “filmable” locations, and limiting the use of props and special effects.
#7: COMMIT TO PRESENTATION
You want your work presented in the best light possible. Checking your script for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors can go a long way towards ensuring an uninterrupted experience for your reader. You only have a limited number of pages to make an impression, and you don’t want your reader focusing unnecessarily on misspelled words.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Read our “Anatomy of a Great Short Script” series, which looks at past winners from the Short Film Fund and analyzes what made these stories so successful.
James Gould-Bourne’s winning film CHAMP
Rachel Benaissa’s Top 5-placing short script THE COMMITMENT
Scott Thompson & Hayes Hart-Thompson’s winning film FREE MARTIN
