What makes a successful short film? This is something I’ve been asked many times over the last couple of years as I traveled from film festival to film festival with my short films “A Family X-mas,” (19 festivals to date, domestic and international) and “Knit Wits,” (6 festivals domestic and international, and growing).

So what makes a successful short film? What makes a successful film for that matter? The answer is simple… a good story and a well crafted script. Even if the film is two minutes or two hours, you have to start with a solid blueprint— the script. If you spend the time perfecting the final draft, production can go a lot more smoothly. It is easier to edit on the page, than spend the time and money to shoot something you really don’t need. And in film production time is money. So cut it out before you shoot. I would also suggest keeping the script short. Don’t go out and make a 30 or 40-minute opus.

Try to have one or two locations at the most—don’t have a million company moves, (moving to multiple locations on a shoot day). When I did “A Family X-mas,” and “Knit Wits,”, I had one location that I managed to get for free. But the location was no accident; I designed the script around planning to shoot at one location. It just made sense logistically and economically. But of course if you have the budget, go for it.

The other thing to think about at the location is space. Do you have the room to move the camera and dolly around, plus have room for the crew to be out of the way when you are shooting? It is easier to make a space look small than to shoot in a “closet” and have any room to operate. Also, find a location that meets the requirements of the script. Don’t shoot in your dorm room for a location that calls for:

INT. PALATIAL MANSION – DAY

If you cannot get the location you want, you may want to think about editing your script to fit the locations you can get.

One thing I consider important as a filmmaker is paying attention to detail. I spent a week dressing the set for “A Family X-mas” because I wanted to be able to look anywhere in the room and be able to film in that direction. The scene is supposed to take place in a room, post Christmas party so the set is dressed accordingly—dirty plates, empty beer bottles and wine glasses, etc. I also did the same for the costumes. All the characters have appropriate attire and jewelry, even if you don’t notice it, it is there.

Don’t have a ton of characters, keep the cast small. Try and keep it simple and entertain. Remember the idea is to showcase your talent and show that you can tell a story with a beginning, middle and an end. I think where most comedy shorts fail is they forget this and make a Saturday Night Live Skit that’s a one joke wonder. And the drama shorts either spend too much time setting up the characters and forget about the story or vice versa.

With any type of film you want to have a great cast, because at the end of the day, the actors are whom your audience will identify with in some way, shape or form. So how do you get great actors? A great script. When I was casting my short “A Family X-mas,”, I really had a specific character in mind for the lead. I also wanted to get a recognizable actor, as I figured, more people will want to watch a project with actors they know or are familiar with. I got lucky when I landed veteran actors Robert Costanzo to play mob boss Johnny Guccianno and John Capodice to play Santa Claus.

As chance would have it, I saw the film “With Friends Like These” on HBO one Saturday night while I was in pre-production. The film starred Robert Costanzo, who played a character named Johnny DiMartino, fate? He was absolutely perfect, so I called the Screen Actor’s Guide (SAG) that Monday to find out who his agent was. I then called his agent and faxed over the script. That evening Robert called me and said he’d love to do the project. It turns out he loved the script and thought it would be a fun character to play. And through Robert, I got John Capodice, best friend since “Dog Day Afternoon,” because he wanted to do a project with John.

Now that the hardest part of pre-production is done— casting the film, the next most important step is getting prepared. There are so many things that can go wrong in film production, that it is almost impossible to just wing it, though sometimes you’ll find yourself doing just that, but only if you know your material cold. At this stage you have to break down the script and plan out every shot, whether you storyboard or not is up to you. I prefer not to only because it tends to lock you into a corner and possibly force your actors to do something that may not feel natural for them. I do, however, storyboard effects shots because these really do have to be locked down long before you roll a frame of film. I also make comprehensive shot lists so if I have to cut something out I know where I’m going in the scene. The shot list is almost like pre-editing on paper. It is a written description of what you will be shooting.

It is much easier to make a feature film than it is to make a short film. I know this may sound a bit odd, but it’s true. When making a feature film you usually have money—the great problem solver. When you are making a short film, you have to beg borrow and steal. Plus you may have to call in a lot of favors. This is most true when trying to get a crew together. At this stage, make a list of everyone you know and try to find “connections” to crew members you need. You might discover that a friend’s, brother’s friend’s aunt is a costume designer or your cousin knows a director of photography. Never be afraid to ask for something. The worse thing that can happen is they say no. And they can always say yes. But if you cannot get crew people to work for free, there are tech agencies that represent below the line creatives, (DP’s, Set Designers, Editors, etc.). If you have a great script and they aren’t doing anything that weekend, they might help out in exchange for new material for their reels. Again it never hurts to ask. The worst-case scenario is part of your budget goes to the crew. Another place to get crew is to approach someone who is ready to make the move upwards, say a 1st camera assistant or a camera operator who is looking to shoot, or a set decorator that wants to design. Leave no stone unturned, everyone wants to make a great film and if you give some of these people a chance, they will go the extra mile to deliver a great product.

Finally we come to your shoot date. You’ve got your cast. You have your shot list and you are ready. Don’t forget to enjoy the moment. Let the ideas flow, and listen to those around you who have more experience. There is no such thing as bad ideas. And you, as the director, ultimately decide what to shoot and what advice to do heed. Also remember to keep your cool. Most of your crew is probably working for free—they’re doing you a favor, so don’t blow a gasket or have a screaming fit. I’ve seen this happen and it isn’t pretty nor is it professional.
So what makes a great short film? Well, art is subjective. Not everyone is going to like your work. Hey it even happens to Spielberg! So just put your best effort forward. With a great script and the proper planning, we can all make great films.