Agh. I am trying to start a short film project but I am really stuck and I havent really gotten anything accomplished yet. What does everyone else do first? All I really have is a basic idea and theme... i tried just brainstorming... I dunno. I just need some tips to get rolling... any help?

Me, I make sure my idea is solid before I go out and shoot. I sit down and think about what I want in my movie, how to incorperate it, and how to present it. Basically, I write :^). Although I too have been in your situation. I get writers block soooooo much its not funny, so you can imagine how excited I get when I finally finish something (like my new script, ready to be made in the next month). You just need to motivate yourself, motivation is the key. My motivation is always wanting to be out there behind the camera. Thats where I'm happiest. Try and find your motivation to be a filmmaker and strive for that.


-Thomas Chalifour

Writer/Director/Actor Extrodinaire

Develop that idea into a complete story!

In one of my projects, I had just an ending as my basic idea.
From that I built the story backwards, filling in the answers to questions about that ending: Who are these characters? How did they get here? What are they feeling? Why? What makes the audience care?

If you have MS Office, PowerPoint is a really good tool for this. I'd just outline basic info on slides. With the outline slides done, I could organize them into scenes, figure out where eacn would take place, who would be there, what they would say&do. If needed PowerPoint lets you quickly drag-n-drop slides around to re-order scenes. Index cards would work too, but PowerPoint also lets you paste in pictures to build the foundation for a storyboard. Plus you can email the file to collaborators.

Good luck!
Have fun!

Some cool suggestions thus far. I really like the Power Point one. Organazation can really help you focus.
If all else fails, there is one more I have used. Just leave it be, and come up with another story. When I was first starting out, I had a couple feature ideas, mainly big budget, but I needed to think smaller. I started trying to wrap my head around short films, and came up with an idea. But that was it, I was stuck. I couldnt build, I couldnt create. I couldnt even come up with a location, or characters, nothing. I finally just set it down, took a few deep breaths, and tried to open myself up to other ideas. I just started asking myself what kind of little stories would I like to see (which was basically what I did before the first concept) and then, BAM, another came to me. I fleshed it a little further, but hit a hiccup. This time I didnt even bother, I just switched right back into open minded mode. Then another idea came. As I got them, I would cross refrence them with what I already had. Often, they could be incorparated, to make a better story, and fill in my gaps. If not, I stil had a new idea. If you open yourself creativley, in any way, youll find it makes all aspects easier to deal with. I still do deal with writters block, but often I simply move along to something else.
The end result is I have 7 scripted shorts right now, and about 3 more concepts knocking around in my head. I actually cant produce them as quickly as I come up with them.
Im not bragging, just showing you the possibilities. If your having trouble with one, start on another. Try looking at places, people, and props you already have access to, and writting stories around that. Have a nice car? Put it in a short. Have a crappy car? Give it its own short. Ideas are everywhere, just waiting for someone to reach out and grab em. Hope this is helpful. Remember, its all about having fun. So have fun, and good luck.
R. Michael McWhorter

And you shall know us by the trail of dead.

Yeah, production is the most expensive and involved process so I do everything I can to prepare. Preproduction (which to me is after you have your story ironed out) is simply a process of risk reduction/elimination. Ask who, what, when, where, why and how. And when that fails then who, what, when, where, why and how.

Of course, story is key and that needs to be strong before you start preproduction. Make sure it has a beginning, middle, and end. To be a story, you need: (1)a hero, (2)who wants something, (3)takes action, but (4)meets conflict, which (5)leads to a climax and, finally, (6)a resolution. If you can accomplice that, you're way ahead of the game.

good luck and have fun
joren

So you got an idea and theme right? Then this may help.

Here are some things you can try out.

1.) Know your ending. If you know your ending then you will know where you are heading while writing. It's kinda like wanting to know where you are driving when you get into your car. Act as if your story is a road and the ending your destination.(cheese ball I know,lol)

2.) Make note cards for the start, middle and end of the story. I'm not sure if you are aware, but you might be that movies most usually are told in 3 ACTs. Act one beginning, introduction and premise and at the end of ACT one some thing happens to the character that changes their lives for ever, like a fish out of the water idea. Act two the meat and potatoes. This is where you show how that "fish" gets back to the water. Usually there is a failing period for that "fish". You need to show the main character trying to overcome his/her problems and not giving up. Then at the end of Act two there is a climax, which the main character over comes the problem or enemy, whether the enemy is a bad guy like Darth Vader or an illness like cancer. Afer that Act three comes into place. This is where you wrap things up. Tell what happens to the main character after getting their lives back in order, what is the lesson learned? How did they better themselves and the world around them?
THE END

3.)Now you got a story, but re-write it as much as you can until it reads the way you like it. Get opinions from others who can be honest about your story.

4.)Draw a story board. Even if it's stick figures, this will help a lot to get your mind in order as for as shooting goes. You don't even need to use the story board but it is a great "MAP" that can tell you where you are "driving".

5.)Pick actors and practice their lines. If you don't there will be lots of takes. Plus it makes it harder to edit when people are using their own lines, because it's hard to make cuts in the middle of a conversation if someone is using different lines with every take.

6.) Make a schedule. Plane on when and where you will shoot. Even if you think it will only take 1 minute to shot it. I once got held up for two weeks trying to get a 10 second shot of a car driving by the camera because my friend needed his car for those two weeks.

7.) GO SHOT THE THING!!!

These are just some suggestions. If the writing is the hardest part to get started then just write what ever comes to mind. Sit down and write what ever is on your mind. This will get your thoughts on your story idea. Before you know it, you will be writing about the goals and ideas you have for your short. This will help you determine where you want to go with your story.

GOOD LUCK! E-mail me if you have any more questions!

So Bush has ****ed the world...Good Bye UN.

wow, thanks to everyone for the great advice... alot of helpful stuff... I'll see what I can do now.

i agree your opnion,just let it be and leave it behind. so far i have left a lot of stories...^_^ haa....