Fixing Common Short Film Mistakes
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- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2024
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Today I want to take a look at some common mistakes I've seen in many short scripts. Hopefully understanding these mistakes and how to fix them will help you fix the mistakes in your own writing.
Watch some short films at www.shortoftheweek.com
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Instagram: @mowery
#Screenwriting #ShortFilmMistakes 
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I have found this video helpful thank you
Mistake 1: Not finishing them --
I feel personally attacked.😂🙄😳
Leave me alone...
@@johnalexandergifford8751 ouch
Ah
😂
"Exposition for 90% of the story and then a Twist at the end"
I cringed so hard at myself.
If your story is 90% backstory then you don’t have a story, you have a premise
Why is writing so hard ?
Lol I've tried writing this complex short but it just keeps ending up as a backstory thing so I'm starting to wonder if I've perfected the intro to my first feature 😂
That means that you learn from your mistakes, unlike M Night Schamalayan who seemed to never felt cringe at all from his works.
Well honestly if u set up the hints well enough, a twist would probably work
It's mostly that u probably mustn't have a twist if you don't establish your character's motivations properly
This is why it’s important NOT to watch a bunch of short films when you want to write a short film. So many writers completely forget the basic things they’ve had drilled into their brains.
A short film is the true test of a writer. Every single line has to serve a purpose. No time can be wasted. It tests your abilities.
Side note: I don’t agree with some of the things Tyler says. A “short film” encompasses everything from 10-50 minutes. You can’t apply the same structural rules to a ten minute short.
Better to watch 'Love, Death and Robots' for lessons.
A good rule of thumb: If you have a good twist, use it not at the end but in the middle as your turning point.
Thank you
So a general summary:
A story happens when multiple characters want different things, that may or may not conflict with each other, and what happens after they succeed or fail.
A character is somewhat a personification of a belief who has a particular desire for something, the pursuit of which will challenge them physically, emotionally and philosophically.
Nice job.
Yes yes yes :)!
I'm always excited when a new Tyler Mowery video gets posted
This is great information, you do a really fine job of presenting it. This entire series is among the very best in production that I’ve seen. They have all been quite helpful. I appreciate the work you are doing, thank you.
There's a lot of great points in this, as well as completely missing the point of stories
How does this miss the point of stories?
Thank you for providing such an in-depth list like this. This is sincerely helpful for me as I embark to work on my own short films 🎅🏾
This philosophical conflict thing really really works for me. Thank you so much.
Wow, this video actually came just in time! I just finished my first draft and feel so awful about it >< thank you so much!
How is that perfect timing?
Here here😂😂😂
@@shivamnanchahal4035 for editing?
@@diiii_mondlol😂
The montage section really captured where I felt Cyberpunk 2077 dropped the ball so early on in the game's story. Montaging through your relationship with Jackie, rather than playing through those sequences and developing that relationship and drama.. I do suspect they used the years of marketing with Jackie in most footage to build the relationship with the audience and possibly hoped that would take care of the relationship and attachment once the game came out.
Solely just speculation of course - but this video does a really great job shedding light on these common issues.
Thanks Tyler!
Haha, I fully agree. I was so excited to play that game. Then I did. Then I got rid of it.
this video just gave me the insight of what isn't working in my script. Thanks Tyler
This was incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Can't thank you enough, your videos have been really helpful 💚
Great montage never say that this is a montage, audience never notices that he/she is watching a montage!!
Example : Montage in the movie parasite...
One caveat to this is when it is comedic. South Park "montage song" is one example, but also Hot Fuzz when Angel is traveling to the countryside. The montage is so jarring and disjointed it becomes comedic, throwing the fact it is a montage in your face
@@jaredmaybee4377 Most people see this as a comedy, not a montage, and thus if we look at the full picture this montage doesn't say that is a montage but it says that this is a comedy and thus this is a good montage...
i really like the montages in the Dark series
There was a montage in Parasite?
@@nubivagant3068 Yes, it starts with plan on how to fire old maid and ends by showing blood on the tissue thus convicing mrs park that their maid has TB....
Just sublime work, thank you so much for sharing all this invaluable knowledge.
I learnt something today.
Thanks ❤
Thank you so much for this!
Important lessons in there. Thanks bro
I criticized your last video for using an episode of Rick and Morty and not a short film as an example. This time you used real short films and the examples worked great. Thanks for the work! Very helpful video! :)
Excellent video. I'm actually finishing up a short film right now.
Exactly Tyler - I hate montage short films, but they're so common. What annoys me even more is that they keep winning short film competitions.😡
But you gotta showcase that epic b rolllll!!!
I suspect this is because a lot of people lack access to capable actors, so writing proper dialogue may not be useful, if you haven't got anyone to say the lines.
well explained, thanks bro
I think, rather that "philosophical conflict" we should approach the matter more like Truby does: a reflexion on the way to live
Philosophical conflict is often pushed on writers making them believe that they should seek great questions of life when it is in fact quite the opposite: We must write on the most BASIC principles of life, meaning :
In what way must we act on life as humans in regard to ourselves AND others? Those choices must be the backbones of our stories.
(very) Briefly here is the Truby take on this:
One must ask first to themself: What subject could REALLY change my life right now? Love ? Honor ? Goodness ? Trust ? etc.
Then the subject in question must be completely deconstructed: What is honor ? What could be the various values relatives to honor ? What values could enter in conflict with the others..
Then, one must put those values against eachothers in a narrative context (by the character's actions) until the last moment where the protagonist must choose a path, a way to act on life (for example, will the protagonist choose honor over survival or the opposite ?)
This path will be the writer's take on the "philosophical conflict/debate" of the story. (take note that there are a lot of variances, the character can choose wisely, or badly, the character can also not be the only one to choose, by making the antagonist choose another path in the same time, the writer will add depth to his philosophical take on life)
Good points!
Philosophy is mundane too.
dont these two approaches boil down to the same thing?
the protagonist must choose between two values/sides of the philosophical conflict: their old ways or the new ways introduced in the story
@@kaidne exactly
@@kaidne yup. If they choose the "truth", they'll get rewarded, if not, they'll get punished. Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis.
When's your short film coming out?🤔
this video is not a 'short film'?
@@StayFractalesque no
Talks so much but I never heard him say something about his projects , if he has any tho...
Wow you all are incredibly rude.
@@ninja_tony That's what happens when you give crap writing advice...
Great video as always, Tyler! Thanks so much.
I agree that philosophical conflict is important to stories and give a deeper level for audiences to connect with. I would really appreciate if you would do a video on this topic. While I'm familiar with internal and external conflicts as a novel writer, philosophical conflict is a newer concept for me. It's definitely worthwhile exploring. I struggle with how to come up with a philosophical conflict that complements a story, that doesn't seem forced and, when introduced, doesn't seem preachy to the audience. Also, does this tie into Theme?? Tyler, your help please! This would be a great video! Thanks.
1.Character has a belief that's wrong. It normally stems from fear or something. Ex. Marlin believing that his over protection is beneficial and good for Nemo. 2. We will throw things at the character so he would change, we basically become a god that's trying to teach this guy a lesson. Ex. Nemo goes to open water, he gets captured. Because of that, we force Marlin to go out of his comfortable world.
3. We basically play with the character. A push and pull. We reinforce his belief. Ex. The sharks, reinforcing that it's dangerous out there. But, we also show test his belief. Ex. The turtles and Dory.
4. It all boils down to the climax in which he would choose what to do. Stick to his belief or abandon it (this is shown by action). Ex. Marlin embodies the theme/truth/what were trying to teach him. Pixar is fucking cruel. Marlin already has nemo, but wait, dory is gonna fucking die, and nemo is the only one that can save her. Marlin embodies the theme even though he can lose his son.He puts trust in him, and it thankfully ended happily.
I had no idea you do a live stream reading scripts. Do you just do short films for streams? Also, I started watching your videos a while ago and I can finally say I'm writing... Uh, something. Your videos were the biggest help in giving me guidance and understanding. I don't know if this will be worth a video (and this may be a stupid question) but what do you actually do with your screenplay when it's done, or as done as it can be? I've heard of directors looking for people who have something written, is this a thing? How do you get into these circles?
Sorry for the silly question. Your videos are mega helpful and thanks for all you do here!
I think a lot of what ya got to say should be considered, by my mans got a real vendetta against montages xD
Montages are fun when done well, and there are a lot of good examples.
You certainly can teach, master !
Please make video on the problem of storytelling in tenet.I think it clearly have lot of problems.
1. No philosophical conflict
2. No narrative structure
3. Exposition for 90% of story and twist at end
4. ?
5. No montages
I would brainstorm and outline to get practical prevent montages
Hey thank you so much for this video I’m guilty of many of these sins I’ll try to do better with the next few films
What about a trianing montage? Where a quick passage of time is crusal
Thank you
Lot of short films are made by directors who don’t write. They just want to show their visual storytelling (see Denis Villeneuve “Next Floor”). But I agree the best short films have good writing like The Wasp
Hi, thanks for this video. Can I ask what the the background music is?
Tyler. Do you work as a story consultant in Hollywood? If not. You should because they really need your help. You could have fixed dozens of movies that got it wrong
Hello Tyler, great vid. What would you say are your 3 top short films that don’t have these typical problems? I would love to watch and research those shorts, if possible.
I would check out "Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times." The best short I've ever seen and a master class in short film making. And it's on RUclips!
I would recommend Nursery Rhymes and Curfew.
Dude, where do you find these shorts?
I think the exposition/twist at the end works for Flash Fiction or poetry but less so for a complete story.
Philosophical conflict = internal conflict?
Learnt it from Abbie Emmons that plot is essesntially the external conflict, but a story also needs internal conflict from the character for the story to be grounded for the audience.
Basically _"The plot is the fist, the internal conflict is the punch."_
Watch my video on the purpose of conflict.
@@TylerMowery I appreciate the quick reply. Will check it out now!
I like the video n all the stuff u said was very imp, but while i was watching this video, I checked out "uncanny valley" and as a viewer: that film was actually very good, mc's goal and beliefs were shown n particularly in this current world i feel like we all can relate to them at some level(getting lost into vr/real life being slow) n the engaging vfx didn't prepare me for the conflict n when the conflict actually arises it had an "oh shit' effect on me n the ending was a nice circle. I'm not an expert but I totally loved it (n best part is they didn't give me 2, they gave me 1+1)
Moving picture with interesting components.
So, what is the philosophical conflict in Strangers On a Train?
Ok so, I have a script which includes a montage pretty soon in the beginning. It is to contrast the daily routines of the two characters without spending too much time on that. Now as I understood, that is a situation where it is ok to use a montage, right? And, no matter if a montage is fine or not, does anyone have an idea how I could show (and also contrast) daily routines fast in another way?
Give them small obstacles that are an objectification of their lifestyle. We probably won’t care about the exact daily routine but the bigger picture, meaning the general lifestyle which is a result of their world view.
Create contrast in the interactions between the two characters.
No. Please, just no. Let me guess: character 1 wakes up to the alarm clock and sluggishly hits the snooze button. He gets up. He brushes his teeth. He eats 1 fried egg. He leaves his house. Character 2 leaps out of bed and runs to the bus, already fully dressed. These people are DIFFERENT! Please never do a daily routine. Always mise en scene...start with the action. Now if character 1's daily routine is to feed the gimp housed in the cage in his dungeon, MAYBE an exception can be made and that's only because it shows the...uniqueness...of the character. Montages are almost never good. Rocky montage? Ehhhh...maybe.
I do improv theater and like what you say
I don't really agree with what you said about "Monday". This short film has a philosophical conflict as the film shows that the main character is doing something that he is not totally comfortable with in order to pay for his mother's medicine. And also this particular short was created to be made in to mini-series or tv show. I am curious to hear your opinion on this.
Thats not philosophocal conflict. Philosophical conflict is when two opposing beliefs about the world are brought into opposition through characters. A guy doing something he doesnt want to in order to help his family is internal conflict, but its not philosophical conflict. What is the counter argument? Who is making it? Why does that matter?
That being said, not every story needs philosophical conflict to work. The purpose of philosophical conflict is to examine the ways in which we should live our lives. If your story has a different purpose then it may require something different.
@@jessegoonerage3999 There is a scene with a police officer...
Hey I have a question..... When do you know to quit a project you started? You have new things in mind and old one isn't going well.... When do you quit?.... Please answer! Thanks 👍
I've always felt like dropping some of my scripts after a while--the best thing to do is to not give up on it and keep on improving it. If you have a new idea you're really passionate about, it's fine to pursue a new idea
Do the new one if you wanna do it. George RR Martin was writing science fiction but quit halfway when the idea for game of thrones same along and he went with it. If you feel passionate about this new idea, work on it, and maybe in the future you may lurk back to the old one. You have to follow the flow of your creativity otherwise it's all forced.
@@forfunely1240 yeah, sometimes its time to quit in order to pursue a better idea
Ive seen it recommended in a lot of books to have a few pet projects you jump between to keep it fresh.
as someone who follows tyler's lives, i can still remember of examples for each topic lol
Do you think Memento fits in the story circle.
Why don't you make an essay about the short film Whiplash? It's a curious case and people could learn a lot from it
Do you have any tips on how to stay motivated after the first draft? I can never be bothered to write a fresh second draft. I only ever edit my first one, rewriting parts and moving parts or deleting them etc. - or is this OK as long as I'm addressing the mistakes?
My advice: take a break, create another first draft or outline of another story and come back to the first story after a little while, might be a matter of hours or month. This will have two effects: no more over-exposure effect that can be sometimes problematic to creativity and you will have a new and fresh viewpoint of you story far more productive than if you had just keep working on it.
This can be the difference between just clearing some common little mistakes and ereasing structure issues.
@@c4n940 thanks but I've tried that, I either have the same problem as described above or I see a completely new take on it which basically is a new idea and the problem above is repeated
@@benjaminread5287 the latter in your initial post. Save a copy of your first draft and operate on the duplicate. Cut, rewrite, edit etc. It saved my life because I could never imagine rewriting the same story again for any textbook reason. You’ll get the same results or even better oppose to the other because if you aren’t trained to do that your story can take a major turn without knowing before it’s to late. Secondly, professionals approve of this and said it helps. Lastly, there aren’t any rules to this subjective world.
@@Sanctionedboss lol, thanks. But what professionals? I've heard many talk on this matter and all of them say that rewrites are necessary. Even Taika Waititi, who hates writing rewrites (though he waits about 5 years before doing so)
@@benjaminread5287 rewrites are obviously necessary but you can find and correct mistakes on the first draft without starting over if you think that works for you.
I think while all these tips may be true, it’s important to keep in mind that budget, legal, and logistical factors do play a major role in short filmmaking. So while yes, the short films often fall short of what you would really want out of a story, the important thing is that a filmmaker actually went out and made it happen. That’s something they at least have over other aspiring filmmakers and storytellers that don’t.
"Dont use lazy techniques like montages to fill up your script"
Didnt need to call me out like that, i literally thought about that in the last video xdd
Can you make a video of how to use narration in a short film or a feature film?? Im trying to work with that..
If you can avoid it or it doesn't add much to the story, try not to add naration.
@@xLightcrystalx I know that but i liked how scorsese used voice overs in his movies.. Thats why asked.
@@athulsanu769 narration in story all comes down to visuals vs dialogue. Let your visuals speak as clearly as the narration.
@@younghoratio6239 yeah i got it. I wrote my first draft with narration and the second draft without it. Then i understood that using narration is so lame.
@@athulsanu769 lol well as long as you find what works for you.
5:38 Tarantino made his career with this in Reservoir Dogs.
Most ppl aren't tarantino tho
@@seanosullivan4935 so ?
@@tareklegrand7747 so STFU buddy
right, but there is a lot more than just that, it's not just them talking about it - there is a lot of onscreen action going on.
@@feebee6810 sure but there's much more action offscreen as what they said about mr Blonde.
7:18
man explain how Se7en is so disturbing then
Howdy. How do you show a passing of time, like two weeks, or a few days, between scenes? I don't want to use montages or "2 weeks later"... I'm struggling to show this transition in the most simplistic way that still makes it clear to the viewer that it's not the next day. Would appreciate help please. There is literally nothing on YT
Use your scenery for that. For example a clock in the background or a calendar. Or use things like a date that was talked about and the action shows the day has come. Hope this helps.
13TH VIDEO LET'S GOOOOOOOOO
Whats the title of that short film on the thumbnail?
Paperman
does this structure applies to all genres?
It can. Definitely.
can you post a video on how to write a documentary for nat geo
Documentaries are basically structured like an essay, since they’re just informative video-essays. So start researching there
please make videos on making web series
I kind of agree but not every story has to be built on such deep and philosophical reasoning and with that much thought put to it.
...and that is why I have 250 movie channels that are included for free with my TV. Philosophical reasoning doesn't have to be deep or central. In his example with the guy selling stolen things, even him struggling with the criminality of it would have accomplished that. But then maybe we find out that he is employed full time with a phd but his niece is battling cancer and their family has to have big money NOW to save her life so now we're supporting his crimes so we have to battle our OWN philosophical reasoning which creates an emotional response which makes a good movie.
Does this work with shorts under 5 minutes?
Dan Harmon circle works for film any size. It's not a time thing just a structure thing. Hope this helps
All fair points about shorts. But when you have a short film you don’t have money, this hinders you showing and not telling. But I know you can show but you want bigger stories, if you written more than one short story. Also 5-7 pages is hard to fit in harmons circle.
Hey Tyler, could you read in spanish? I could translate my script tho
👍🏾
Technically, you are correct. However, a lot of what you're suggesting, is not possible on a small short film budget. I recently shot a short film, and I hit 2 of your points, simply because of time and money. We shot for 8 hours (single day shoot), for a $350 budget. Removing the part where there is some exposition on my short would mean a week of additional shooting. So I think your points make more sense for either high budget shorts, or for features. But not for smaller creators who can't afford to "show" and not "tell".
I don't think it's a budget thing more so than an air tight film script thing. I think with shorts you can't expect to hit a home run every time with structure like this and to me it's just better to lean into what works best visually in what ever amount of time you have.
A boring movie is boring whether it cost $350 to make or $350mil to make. These are MOVE-ies, not TALK-ies (although I guess since audio came along they are called talkies but that's a coincidence.) If making a movie in 1 day is more important than making a good movie in 8 days, then you'll have a movie that was made in 1 day which nobody will watch so why make it at all? I've made several movies in 1 day and always make sure to show and not tell.
@@HikingWithCooper Sometimes it's just not possible to shoot for 8 days. Lets be straight here. Short films are not even the step required to enter hollywood anymore anyway, as it used to be. So who cares.
Can you PLEASE! Get the notes in the pdf form..... Please... please.... please.... please.....
I wrote a short film. A girl telling a story about her experience when she was still in love.
I'm already turning it off. Now if it were "A girl SHOWING a story about her experience when she was still in love" then we may be onto something.
✌✌
These two short film videos are really disappointing. The first - You use a 20 something minute episode of a relatively long running tv show to explain short film writing.. they are different, their is assumed information, their is world building and it is simply far more expansive and longer than the logical types of short films that your viewers could logically make. Its like using captain America to explain how to make and indie dramedy. Then here you do legitimately draw attention to the problem of many shorts... but in context the solution is Rick and Morty? Also a 20 minute short and a 5 minute short are very different which isn’t accounted for... this stinks of I like well structured television and have very little experience watching or writing short films because with just don’t like them.... so here’s a series on that.... really wish it was more supportive.... and the fact you constantly use the Image of Thunder Road which is an incredibly structured short film with character, philosophical conflict while also being incredibly entertaining, yet you never talk about it.... these two videos reek of an inferiority complex - my shorts haven’t been good so I will only drag down shorts or people near my level and not actually appreciate the form.
I do wanna add that I love all your videos, just that these short film ones just feel, just really poorly considered.
I will also add thats I’ve been teaching a short fiction film class (practical) at a Uni here in Australia for the last 4 years and have become obsessed with single scene (ish) shorts and have can get you a list of incredibly well structured minimal scene shootable short films to use to illustrate a simplified version of the three act structure within a short short - which is distinctly different from a mid short (8-15mins) or long short of 16-30 minutes or the other way to a shorter ‘Skit’ - these times are approximate and the category is more representative of narrative structure than the length.... anyway now I work in tv and the distinction between narrative structure when learning to write the two mediums is night and day....
@@zacka161 I would love to know any short films you really dig zack! I kinda agree with you overall with this video; it feels petty and way too concrete when you say, don't use montage 90% of the time. I'd also love to see Tyler's shorts to see these examples he talks about exercised.
@@bczpkhny while I agree with most of his general points, he is making the same points as in any of his feature videos while not catering to the short film specifics, or understanding the variations of short film length and how this effect narrative, character and world building structure. For example, how to introduce a protagonist, their goals and obstacles, then have them face them, overcome or fail and be changed, all within the space of a single scene, this is on the surface the same as a feature but really not, a short film demands a completeness of the presented arc within a scene, while also doing all of the setup and payoff. It’s not the opening or closing scene of a feature, or even the middle, it’s doing the work of all of them. Which is why it can be difficult and also seemingly why Tyler refers to a TELEVISION SHOW to explain how to write a short. It’s different and it’s wrong.
@@bczpkhny some shorts
Jane campions PEEL
WHIPLASH original short film
Wes Anderson’s HOTEL CHAVALIER
THUNDER ROAD short
Derek cianfrances Lately There Have Been Many Misunderstandings in the Zimmerman Home (a bit more left field and could be a skit)
Dane Mckusker ANGELFISH
Jim cumming THE ROBBERY
Luci Schroder SLAPPER (a bigger short)
Andrew luarich A REASONABLE REQUEST (the absolute funniest awkward movie)
And my friend Renee’s film TANGLES AND KNOTS
That’s a start but I could keep going. Short films are amazing, and amazingly difficult to make.
Is this what short films are about??? I feel like your talking about a film rather than short ones. I think short films should be different and more diverse comparing to good films. It shouldn't just be a story.
i agree . it's a short film afterall they are meant to be short. what kind of a "story" you can tell in such a short time ?
I feel ya. Like the VR one. I would actually watch that and it conveys a powerful message, what we do online affects our real life
@@tareklegrand7747 You can definitely tell a structured story in such a short time.
Everything you need to know about montages in a song:
"The day is approaching to give it your best
You've got to reach your prime!
That's when you need to put yourself to the test
And show us the passage of time.
We're gonna need a montage. (Montage)
A sports-training montage! (Montage)
And just show a lot of things happenin' at once.
Remind everyone of what's goin' on. (What's goin' on?)
And with every shot, show a little improvement
To show it won't take too long.
That's called a montage. (Montage)
Even Rocky had a montage! (Montage)
In any sport, if you want to go
From just a beginner to a pro
You'll need a montage. (Montage)
A simple little montage! (Montage)
Always fade out (Montage)
into a montage... (Montage)
If you fade out it seems like a long time (Montage)
has passed in a montage... (Montage)
Montage... (Montage)"
-South Park season 6 episode Aspen.
this song nails it!
im writing a script about the tragic story of a prostitute and i fear her goals arent strong or compelling enough...would you say that getting out of prostitution, recovering her normal job and ending up with the man thats reluctant to be with her are compelling goals? i dont want her to just "pass the time"....anybody reading this might have some insight
btw i feel another reason to shoehorn in a montage is to show off a song that you like lol
I don't find those goals to be compelling at all. Let's break it down: 1. OK, this one could be a good goal if we understand why she is in and why she can't get out. Is she trapped by a pimp? By the drugs? By her need to choose her own working hours? 99.99% of people have never been prostitutes and I'd say a good portion of those don't have much empathy for them so why do we even like this person? 2. A job? No. That is a throwaway goal. Ooh, she had a glamorous life as a (fill in the blank.) I gloss over at this just like when movies talk about money. "We are going to steal a diamond worth a million dollars I mean a billion dollars no wait it's worth a zillion dollars." Not the high stakes the filmmaker was going for. 3. Unless you're in the 1950s and working for Disney, a "man" is not really a big yet relatable goal anymore. It's more the stuff of a throwaway Lifetime Network movie. What if her goal was to right a wrong she committed? Help a new recruit get out of the life? There's so much more to life on the street than wanting to find Prince Charming. And frankly, as someone who is probably regularly abused by men, I doubt that she in particular would want to find one at all.
I think that being a prostitute is already a tragic story so I would suggest avoiding her new job being the tragedy. I would write it as prostituting being a symptom of a more relatable or at least a more global tragedy. Maybe parallel her journey through the biz with a story that everybody goes through with similar goals to what we all have. Personally, I don't have a goal to get off heroin and remain free of most STDs so if those are her struggles, I wouldn't relate and would tune out. But maybe she's trying to get it together so she can get a proper home so the state will give her her kid back and she can drop back in to school to get her Associates degree. Or maybe she's a fish out of water genius with a goal of finishing her phd and working for NASA. Most people probably don't go through that exactly but we understand and emphasize with the individual elements at some level.
Should all characters have wants? No i dont think so. Why cant it be a diversified protagonist where we meet two characters with different viewpoints where one character goes about his want and the other character goes through a change? The character going through his want, let us take him to be a flat arc character and knows whats best for him. The character with the contradicting viewpoint, let us take him as a positive change arc character. Why cant this be implemented? I mean this is literally used in shawshank redemption where Andy is a flat arc character who believes in hope of escaping from the prison. So andy has a want or need in this case. And who is going through the change? Red is. He doesnt have that much hope in him untill Andy inspires him which indeed changes Red
I say all humans want something
What I don't understand is, all these examples of short films you've put in the video must've had some kind of success or else you wouldn't know of them? If anything, this is a way to promote them.
I feel like in the short film world the barrier of entry when it comes to story is significantly lower, and it almost seems accepted that a lot of short films can thrive with the lack of classic narrative A-Z structure. I've seen plenty examples of this, and the problem is I think a lot of filmmakers get fooled by this concept when they start to make bigger projects that are not supposed to be art films.
In other words, short film is a great way to learn about story structure that should not be taken for granted even if your film does well.
I am sick of so many short horror films just being really poorly veiled allegories for stuff pike depression, grief, etc.
I find that to be what horror is. I'm honestly not scared of some guy with a chainsaw chasing me through the woods. That's just dark fantasy and has no bearing in the lives of almost all people, ever. But most people deal with depression and grief which are horrific and, more importantly, relatable.
I have a question Tyler. Do you remember that when you talked about exposition, you mentioned that the Star Wars opening crawl is as far as someone can get with telling instead of showing? In my opinion, I think that that’s more showing than telling, since you’re visually showing the audience the information that they must see and read. I mean sure, it would’ve been better to simply watch everything happen, but I still think that it’s better to have those texts than to have a voice over explaining everything. And here’s my question, am I correct with this opinion? If not, can you explain to me why that opening crawl is more telling than showing?
Youre taking the phrase "show dont tell" too literally. Opening text is no different to voice over. Both are still telling information over demonstrating that fact through the events and interactions of a story.
Scenes demobstrating The pressense of the death star and storm troopers occupying various planets unopposed in the name of the empire shows us that the empire has taken over the galaxy. Showing people cowering in fear of them is also showing they are a threat.
@@jessegoonerage3999 Ok good points. But what do you think is better, a voice over, or texts? Like, I know that it’s always better to show instead of tell, but if telling was the only option, what is better in your opinion, a voice over, or texts. Thanks for the response btw.
Number 1: not writing them
That’s exactly why I don’t watch RUclips short stories. They’re all terrible
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Too formulaic
Good. Writers should learn from formulaic stuff so they can make great stuff. And not just what not to do, but also why you shouldn't do it the way it was done. A bad formulaic film can do something that doesn't work, while a good film can do the same thing but it does work, because the filmmaker understood that thing and decided to add it to their story.
As an animator, scripts aren't that important to us. Everything starts at storyboarding and how everything "feels" visually through movement.
Great video yet again tyler, I sent you a dm on Instagram because I am making a short film and I asked you a question, my handle is @on_autopilot_ I'd appreciate it if you check it out :)
I feel like making short films is a waste of time. Instead of making like 3 short films just make one feature length. Nobody pays to watch short films, you can't sell a short film to anyone really. You need like 1-1.5 hours of content for it to be worth doing.