ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

12 years, 8 months ago - Frank Scantori

Go down the feature route. You'll find it more satisfying and it's easier to pitch around. Your short would have certain restrictions such as max length for certain festivals. If you're careful with planning and setups are not too complicated and you've got the equipment and a good team supporting you then do the feature. You'll also find a feature will draw more attention because it IS, a feature. So good planning and schedulling and a fast team equals Feature. Good luck mate. Frank

12 years, 8 months ago - Winfield Edson

Also note, according to all the film festivals I've seen of late, that anything 60 minutes or longer is considered a feature. (as opposed to 70 minutes a few years ago)

I agree with Elizabeth, well planned shots. It's ALL in the preplanning, visualising phase!

12 years, 8 months ago - Elizabeth Obisanya

@Winfield there are even cashprize giving festivals that consider a 40 mins project to be a feature true.

I think Janus is right in that if you do a feature you have your short as well.(in the edit) and but wrong in that no one watches long shorts. People are increasingly turning off short shorts to be honest why ? as you have just settled down and its over -, people want to be engaged with whats on the screen for slightly longer .! Also it shows potential capability of handling a feature , short films under 20 mins etc are now like pop videos and those directors still have to prove that they can handle the distance - doing a feature!

YOU SHOULD NOT LET THE MONEY THAT YOU HAVE OR SEEM TO THINK YOU NEED LIMIT YOU, you already have the budget so why not just push your boat out? I think we fellow shooters should just push you into the pool so to speak as i think you are taking too long to decide,!. Also you will have to move quick cos of changing seasons light, holidays etc if you plan on doing it this year. grab your actors if they are good and start ! so they don't think that you are un-serious or worser still DONT have the money and are wasting their time!!

12 years, 8 months ago - Kirk Watson

Go for a feature, I had the same dilemma recently and went for the feature. Which was hard work but I learnt more from it than any short film I've made. So the personal journey was worth the extra effort. It was super low budget too. It's nice to know after that you can make a feature.

12 years, 8 months ago - Marlom Tander

If you can do the feature production justice, do the feature as per Frank. If your resources can only do production justice to the short, I'm with Ros.

Do not do a creaky feature.

However - sticks on his writers hat - be sure that your feature script is a feature length story, not a short gone bloated.

12 years, 8 months ago - janus avivson

I had a very similar problem recently and the most intelligent solution is to go for the feature, definitely, (because nobody watches short or medium length films anyway) - but during filming and editing do cut a short, and as short as possible, using filmed material, to send it to festivals and to generate publicity. You need a script doctor who will do both scrreenplays and a good editor who likes the project.
Good luck with your project and be brave !!!

Janus Avivson

12 years, 8 months ago - Shaun Woods

There's some excellent points of view and answers here; thanks for everyone's input.

Personally, I'm a director, that's what I do. However, I've found filmmaking my favoured medium of work. So in essence, my films are not about how well they look. But how well they are as a piece of drama.

I really do run a No Frills setup, and I enjoy the freedom of non-invasive photography.

So I guess, Ros is right, in a sense; however, I am a far better director than I am a filmmaker; but we do what we do and what we can, so I guess I should really look to work with a cinematographer.

However, the more salient question is this short vs feature.

I feel I can better represent my skills by some quality scripted, well acted and impressionable characters. I think that is where my strengths lie. So, I feel a feature would better represent that, as with some of the shorts I've done, I've been frustrated by the lack of timing, rythym and pace that can be subjugated in these confines.

I have a very meagre budget, but I have excellent links with budding actors in my locality, so I believe with extensive rehearsals, good man management and good scheduling that I could in fact bring this screenplay to life.

12 years, 8 months ago - Shaun Woods

Yes, another excellent post Dan, it makes sense. Are you referring to Stateside festivals?

That brings another question, what are the returns from Netflix online distribution?

12 years, 8 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Do NOT do a long short. It will not be seen anywhere. I can't think of a festival that will show something that long. See, it's like this: most festivals have a time slot for shorts. Let's say it's 90 minutes. They want to show as much work as they can in that 90 minutes. So the ideal length for festival short is 10 minutes. If you make a 40 minute short, you've taken 4 or their slots. Unless the film is AMAZING they are not going to take up that many slots for it. Many programers think 20 minutes is too long. Having said that, 70 minutes is too short for a feature. To get distribution, and a better paycheck, the minimum is 78 minutes. At 70 minutes, the best you can hope for is Netflix. And they pay peanuts. And I mean you won't be able to cover your craft service bill for what netflix pays for streaming rights for 2 years. If it were me, I'd raise a bit more cash, expand the script, and do at least an 80 minute feature. (Assuming of course, your script is awesome).

12 years, 8 months ago - Elizabeth Obisanya

its up to you really what do you want to do?

Personally i would do a feature as doing a short esp a long short -can be just as much a hard work as doing a feature and at the end of doing the short you think - wow could have done a feature!
do the feature but plan shots well that need minimal editing if you know what i mean...

GOOD LUCK and MAKE A DECISION

12 years, 8 months ago - Shaun Woods

Good point Marlom. Duly noted.

12 years, 8 months ago - Ros Gihan Williams

At the risk of sounding mercenary, I would consider the value of creating a really well shot eye-catching short with the view to winning awards at festivals. This can then be used as a calling card for approaching investors for your feature. It's really worth considering what you want for yourself as the ideal outcome of the film - do you want to raise your profile as a director? Or have the experience of producing a feature?