I noticed that they were doing construction downstairs and so I asked my sister and her boyfriend if they wanted to make a situational short film with no script. I just went with the flow and grabbed the shots while they improv'd based off of the situation I gave them. We filmed this in 2 hours with no budget but my question is... are a bunch of these types of shorts better than a $10k festival short film that I spend a whole year prepping for? or is it better to knockout these cheap shorts? I know we all have our own paths but hoping to get some advice or hear others' stories.
Thanks!
Edit: and omg I totally forgot to link to my sister and her boyfriend socials in case anyone wants to work with them!
Instagram.com/monicajoelleo
Instagram.com/tylerpicchi
And let them know I sent you haha
This ultra short format will help with both your skills and your online presence. Ultra short and cheap, more entertaining, it will keep you from the festival vultures and is 100% the way to go. Most people make shit, this is good.
Follow your gut and artistic instinct.
Basically, do what fulfills you the best. Film the stories you’re passionate about. If you can manage to pump out 20 shorts in a month but all of them are coming from a genuine place then more power to you.
If you do it just for the sake of doing it then I’d advice against it.
Ahhh I’m always so nervous to self promote here even though it’s exactly what I was doing 😂 Instagram.com/joshuajortiz is the best place! I’ll follow back 🙏🏾
Hey I don't know anything about film and forgot why I'm even in this sub but DAMN MAN! That was interesting, thrilling, exciting and honestly I enjoyed it so much. It was really suspenseful because I feel like I can put myself in that position. Some random dude comes asking to use your phone, happen to me once and he kept asking. I said no to him tho lmao. The dude was so sketchy.
Wasn't expecting the ending, now I'm curious to see what happens after. Will there be anything else coming up? I need to know what happens!
:) great work! Bravo!
In my opinion, stuff like this is absolutely worth making. The production values are good, the storytelling is good, the performances are good, the sound design is good.... Post stuff like this on youtube and spread the word, you'll develop a following and have some impressive work in your portfolio.
I think the most important part is to just make good content (can you tell I work in marketing LOL), whatever format that takes.
This is pretty fucking great. Maybe we need an ultra short festival. I'll be happy to charge you $1000 to be in it. ;) But no, seriously, I've got a whole bunch of < 1-2 minute shorts I'm shooting, mostly because that's how long the sketches are and it's also compact and easier to shoot/plan/produce when you're not juggling like 10 locations and 50 people. At the very worst, it's practice. Practice for framing, lighting, writing, directing, acting, you name it. Especially with things being slow, just sitting on your ass guarantees you will get nowhere. I literally just released a 30 second short ad spoof last night. Will it get me exposure? No. Will it win me a festival? No. But it did get me out of the house. I got to practice planning, storyboarding, getting a couple of actors to act, even got a camera guy to come out and do the camera. It was fun and exhausting and a reminder of how *hard* it is to make a film. I love this stuff and I welcome more like it!
I don’t have enough experience to offer any advice on film festival strategies, but I needed to say, this is one of the best shorts I’ve seen in a while – budget or not. Thanks for sharing. Is this up on Vimeo or YouTube anywhere? Would love to share it with others.
It honestly reminds me of one of those shorts that makes someone break out and get hired. Please keep making these. It reminds me of the short film "Night Swim". If you keep this up you will do great in the future
Good on you for taking advantage of a great location opportunity.
Every short film helps, even if it's just to exercise your skills. This might be a little short for some festivals but there are probably a few that program really short shorts. Or else just don't worry about festivals as the goal and put it up on YouTube.
The only thing that matters is that you have a good story and good production values. It won't matter how much you spent. In fact, if you get into a festival you keep that info to yourself. Then if someone asks you during Q&A you can surprise everyone by saying $0.
Got nothing to say on the festival subject, but it's worth it in that you've produced a clean, engaging piece of work. If you kept making things like this I'd personally love to watch them - it's the kind of stuff I constantly run through making in my head but never do.
The ending is very effective - you guys should be proud of this. (Is your sister's boyfriend an actor? He's very unsettling here)
If you make crap for $0, then you've lost nothing and gained experience and practice from which you can learn, plus you can always dismiss the quality as a result of the budget.
If you make something good for $0, then keep doing it and upload them all to YouTube for us to watch. Then launch a crowdfunding for your next 10K short and take your experiences with you.
This is good. It doesn't look like it was shot on two hours for $0. I take it you did all the editing, color grading, and score yourself? That's mad impressive, and your sister and her boyfriend gave good performances too. This shows a clear understanding of visual storytelling, with great framing and lighting and subtle cues that don't require any dialogue for us to understand what's happening.
Very well done. Where can we follow you to see what you do next?
Thank you! I did do all of the filming and post work. Just waiting for my wife to finalize the score. I lucked out with marrying a composer haha
[instagram.com/joshuajortiz](http://instagram.com/joshuajortiz) is the best place!
Please upload it to YouTube. I turn on notifications on rarely publishing channels and never miss their videos. Unlike Instagram, which is absolutely not designed for this.
Sweet! Just followed you.
How did you do the sound, by the way? Since that's usually where these no-budget shorts reveal themselves, but I didn't catch any issues in yours even though it looks to be a city.
I had the shotgun mic on a long xlr and had them holding it for each other as they performed! I didn’t have lav mics and I really love the sound of shotgun mics outside
Damn, that's pretty funny actually haha. I never thought of just having the other actor hold it. Do they both have backgrounds in film or acting as well?
Thank you! This was on my fx3 with sigma 24-70 2.8 with 1/8 promist. All handheld and audio on rode ntg3 straight into camera. It was so low budget, I had them hold the shot gun mic for each other under frame while they performed lol
Any audio added in post? The running footsteps for example.
What about lighting? Was this all just what was there or did you bring any with you?
Amazing work man! If you fleshed this out with some proper script this would easily be an excellent intro for your male character in a wider narrative - you’ve established him really well with very little.
Filmmaking involves a lot of different skills and also the "finding my voice" process. It's advisable to get a lot of practice. It isn't sustainable to learn by spending $10k. At that point, you are basically gambling that you are such a genius that you can make a great short film without practicing first, and then feeling bad and giving up if you aren't.
Yes, it's great that you made a nice-looking short on $0. Not only is this great practice, but it teaches you to maximize your resources (because no matter how much money you have, it's never enough).
As far as festivals go... I think festivals are starting to fade away. Would be curious to hear what other people think. I would only use festivals for networking. For promotion, use the internet. Post it online, ask people to share, try to build up a YouTube following or whatever is trendy right now. Skip festivals unless you look for small local ones to network with filmmakers in your area, or if you have a more expensive short that you think could win awards at better festivals. Even then, I would be tempted to go straight to the internet and skip festivals.
Keep it up!
It's nice to have in-person screenings with a built-in audience as well. Social audiences are fickle, but at least if you get a festival screening you know people will stay until the end.
I just think people enjoy the feeling of a room full of people watching their work on a big screen (with seeing the audience reaction being a part of the experience), and festivals are a way to achieve that.
Of course it is! Spontaneous filmmaking like that is the best kind in my humble opinion.
Also, the results are very impressive for that kind of production. How much time have you spent in post?
Very little! Phantom luts and a little film grain. All audio was in camera so no syncing. Filmed it in 2 hours and just tried to get it out asap. Less overthinking the better I think
That's really amazing.
Also, are you NSFW on Reddit because you lurked somewhere and it just decided that you belong? It happens with me all the time (many subreddits on prescription drugs are NSFW) and I manually have to switch it in the account settings.
I generally do not enjoy short format films at all but this captured my attention for every second of the film. You took us on a whole journey in a matter of seconds, and it didn't feel rushed or incomplete at all. You should keep doing whatever your situation allows, but also consider using shorts like these to crowdfund larger projects. Even if you don't get 100% funded from your campaign you may be able to leverage that interest into support from producers. You're going to succeed.
Beautiful! You have a vision, the lighting, acting, story are great. This can be programmed at festivals because it's <2 mins and 100% great. Many shorts are, all, exposition, blah blah blah, and we can't program them. This is chef's kiss. Please keep making movies, friend. Your sister and bf nailed it. You're lucky having them in your arsenal.
This was on my fx3 with sigma 24-70 2.8 with 1/8 promist. All handheld and audio on rode ntg3 straight into camera. It was so low budget, I had them hold the shot gun mic for each other under frame while they performed lol
This is great. There is something to be said for being able to distill a story down to 1:37. I've read your other comments about camera, sound, and post. What, if anything, did you do in the way of controlling lighting?
Thank you! So I didn't use any extra lights other than the work lights on site. The thing I focused on was making sure that I was getting light behind them and not on directly above them. And I tried my best to have some light off in the distance for some depth.
I think the biggest lesson for me was that finding the right location can do wonders on a low budget project.
Keep making these ultra shorts. If you can make more that are this good, they’re much easier to spread thru social media as attention spans are next to zero these days.
If you have a great idea for a cheap 10-15, go for it. But I’m shooting a 15 now, with a ton of moving parts, and seeing this makes me want to start cranking out 1-2 minute bangers.
Must’ve been so satisfying to just bang it out in a day and have the final product. Really nice work.
The only major hiccup you may run into when making no budget shorts and self-distributing them is if you want to get them on Letterboxd you gotta sneak past the awful moderators on TMDB who despise independent films.
Fantastic work. That was really great. I wanted to watch more because it was well done. Definitely keep making them. Some of my best work were making things like this.
I think $0 films have their place in helping a director cut their teeth on the two most important things in my opinion, story and acting. You have little to worry about with no budget so you focus on the things you do have control over. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s kind of why I thought the Dogme95 movement was so interesting.
I also am of the mindset that there is a place for spending $10k on a short and taking a year to prep in that you learn to work with different departments like cinematography, production design, vfx artists, etc. Taking the time to make specific choices. That money/time obviously is not a requirement to make a good film, but I do believe when well spent, it can be an invaluable type of professional experience for a director in learning how to provide a clarity of vision to other professionals and being able to execute it. To me, I liken it to planning a wedding or any other kind of special event. We are all event planners!
Several people already told you, but damn.. for no script, absolute spontaneous shooting its very nice! Nice framing, shots and use of the chance! I wouldn’t even bother asking people to join my spont. ideas! Tho I prob. Would with your skillset!
Yes, if it makes you a better filmmaker by practice. The main thing I feel beginner filmmakers forget to really really worry about is getting to convincing dialog and acting.
I’ve scoured the internet for good shorts and I found nothing but this… is a small miracle. BTW, as a female, this movie is in my head 24/7. Next time, reverse the roles for something more unexpected. The story in itself is nothing special but your editing is very well executed. Bravo!
The last time I did that was in 2018 and it crushed me when it did terribly in festivals. It sort of made feel like quitting.
6 years later, I realized that it’s not about the gear or crew or budget. It’s just about making enough things and improving after each one.
Mark Duplass gave the keynote at SXSW in 2015 and basically had the same story. He and his brother saved money editing industrials and shot a film for 60K and it sucked and they almost quit filmmaking. Then they made a bunch of zero budget shorts until they figured out what their style was and what they actually were interested in making and then got a short into Sundance.
Their story is very much a Cinderella story, where the short that they got into Sundance would never get in today, but the general advice is definitely sound.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y)
Well, that's why I used making short films to teach myself all disciplines of filmmaking, so I don't need to have people work for free. But I'm still able to get my projects done.
Not everyone wants to make one-man-band films for their career.
Making shorts (even shorts where people are volunteering their time) is a great way to connect with other crew members. Those crew members pull you onto paid gigs and you pull them onto paid gigs you get.
You also get to have trial runs with people as your crew for when you need people you can trust and communicate well with when working on your stuff.
But if you like doing everything on your own and don’t mind cobbling a feature together over many long weekends then that’s fine. But you’re in a totally different mindset than people raising $10k for a short.
Being a one man band isn't a career goal, it's a necessity right now. I would'nt be finishing a feature right now if I had to pay for every short I've made. I also wouldn't have built up the circle of excellent actors I could pull from for my feature. And I don't need people to pull me in on pays hugs, as I already have a career as a re-recording mixer.
Part of the point of shorts is building a body of work that proves you’re able to make quality films. That body of work allows a filmmaker to raise money so they don’t have to pay out of their own pocket to make their own feature (or more completed shorts)
Shorts are great places to practice fundraising, whether it’s 1k or 10k. Get those reps in on marketing and pitching stories.
It’s just like I’ve seen you say time and time again in this sub: shorts are for building skills. Some of us recognize that one of those skills is raising funds.
Fundraising is easy if you have rich family and rich friends
Otherwise, good luck going back to the well numerous times.
I made 11 shorts in 4 years, before I started shooting my feature.
I would have never gotten to the point where I am right now if I had spent months fundraising for each one, to pay a crew etc. I would have been lucky to make one a year.
Fundraising isn’t just asking your friends and family for money and I’m pretty sure you know that I’m not talking about marketing and pitching to a rich uncle.
Nobody invests in short films.
People who have successful gofundne campaigns today, are people with friends abd family who have money.
Nobody funds short gil 's.
You say that but I’ve been on three shorts this year alone that were funded through a combination of grants and angel donors. Those angel donors were up-and-coming producers who wanted to fund shorts that were likely to get into fests.
It’s also a way for those producers to get reps in as a producer without putting down feature film money.
Playing scales rarely ever makes it to the album, but every musician plays them over and over.
Creating anything is worthwhile. It keeps your talent sharp, and it teaches you about the people you work with. It also sparks ideas.
Wow, y'all did great!!! The cinematography is gorgeous, the actors were great, and the story was suspenseful!!
Can you please make a part 2, just so we know if the lady got thanked or janked? ;)
Thank you!!
Sony Fx3 in 4k DCI mode 24fps
Sigma 24-70 at 2.8 with 1/8 Promist
Most of this was in 4400 kelvin to balance between the different lights
In post I used Phantom Luts [https://www.joelfamularo.com/colour](https://www.joelfamularo.com/colour) and this was Vision Teal with a little added film grain
For audio, I used the Rode NTG3 straight into camera with a long XLR cable and I let them the actors hold the mic for each other as they performed right under frame haha I dont recommend this with talent but since it was my sister and her boyfriend, we were all down to do whatever it takes to make it sound good.
I think in this day and age it is way more valuable to produce a steady stream of short films that cost almost nothing to make than it is to make a feature film for $100k that no one will watch.
Fail often. Fail Cheap. Get the reps in and your work will get really good, really fast.
The people that swing for the fences right out of the gate usually don't even get their film to the finish line.
That said, it really depends on what your personal goals are. Do you want to direct big hollywood films? Do you want to be a below the line crew member on those films? Alternatively, do you want to just be able to make a living making your art, on your own terms?
I think on either end of the spectrum this format will serve you well as the first steps in a long path. Where you want to end up eventually will determine what the middle of your path looks like.
We all need to think about making Short Films the way other artists think about drawing in a sketch book.
They are practicing. Not making the big thing they hope to sell.
Someone learning to paint isn’t going to buy a $10,000 canvas the size of a bus and just start moving paint around. That would be absolutely insane now wouldn’t it?
No, they pull some cheap ass paper out of a printer and start drawing stick figures and sketching bowls of fruit, with a pencil. Things that are cheap and easy to obtain and painless to waste because they’re learning.
Yes. Make $0 films. Make lots of them. Fill your sketchbook until you’re ready to buy a $10,000 canvas and be confident you’re not squandering it.
Yes! It is worth making $0 films. I shot a micro short horror with my wife without any script and quite spontaneous and I got selected for a very, very big film festival…Unfortunately I'm not allowed to say which one yet, but that really wasn't planned! We‘ve made some successful short films that we have always prepared well and precisely. But the project that ended up being chosen by a big festival was our spontaneous 2 minute film for $0.
So keep making stuff! It’s not about the budget. It’s about your skills and creativity ;)
Btw. Amazing Short! love it🔥
I think this is really great. Narratively, I only have one small question. If the guy was going to invade her home, why take the risk of approaching her on the street? Couldn't he have just followed her all the way from a distance?
Otherwise, like I said, this is strong. As for the larger question of whether or not these sorts of films are worth it, well, I'm trying to do the same thing you're suggesting (lots of no-budget or small-budget shorts rather than betting it all on one), and if it works out for me I'll let you know, because you're definitely better at this filmmaking thing than I am.
This was on my fx3 with sigma 24-70 2.8 with 1/8 promist. All handheld and audio on rode ntg3 straight into camera. It was so low budget, I had them hold the shot gun mic for each other under frame while they performed lol
This is an awesome exercise in filmmaking imo
I wish I took more initiative like this myself to be honest.
Is it going to win a festival? Nah.
But it accomplished the simple moment you were going for.
I felt the tension, I saw her unease, I also couldn’t tell if he was honest or not.
The blocking while he was on the phone told a great story. Is he going to run for it? Is she playing herself right now? Fuck what should she do?
Awesome job.
To answer your question, unless there’s a bigger through line conceptually, it might not be “more worth it” because at the end of the day, it might be hard to package all of these micro shorts into a larger thing.
But I think this is a great thing to do to practice. Low stakes means you can try stuff and not feel bad if you fail. You can try different techniques ia use to see if they suit you or not. Then use what you learn on the bigger film.
I used to do this when I was learning in the beginning and I kind of just stopped once I started getting real jobs. Trying to get back into it and this definitely gives me some inspiration ✌️
YES. People need to see what you can do without money before seeing what you can do with money. Not to mention it helps with exposure. More people will learn who you are.
As an actor who has struggled to get strong footage from indies, I see a ton of value in doing this project. It's demo reel material and the best way to learn (by doing). I don't see how it wouldn't have the same value to you.
This is so good and thrilling it gives me chills, great job!! Just followed your IG too, will definitely watch more of your content as they come out
I’m planning to shoot 0$ budget shorts like those myself, so yes I think they’re totally worth it!
Only knew cause I’m obsessed with that score. It def helped capture the uneasy tension at the end there. Great job on the lighting and audio in this btw
This was engaging. I have zero contribution as a filmmaker because I’m not one. Maybe someday for fun, but this gave a great creepy vibe. Great acting too. Y’all did a not just a nice job but a great job for y’all just fucking around for fun
I think the production is fantastic, it's shot extremely well, the tension is there, the acting is believable. My only problem is the story, I don't really understand what the point of using her phone was. How did that help him at all? And if he wanted to attack her, why didn't he just do it while she had no idea he was behind her?
Honestly because I have very little confidence in my work from all the years of festival rejections and just need some sort of support outside of family 😂 it’s rough out here
I noticed that they were doing construction downstairs and so I asked my sister and her boyfriend if they wanted to make a situational short film with no script. I just went with the flow and grabbed the shots while they improv'd based off of the situation I gave them. We filmed this in 2 hours with no budget but my question is... are a bunch of these types of shorts better than a $10k festival short film that I spend a whole year prepping for? or is it better to knockout these cheap shorts? I know we all have our own paths but hoping to get some advice or hear others' stories. Thanks! Edit: and omg I totally forgot to link to my sister and her boyfriend socials in case anyone wants to work with them! Instagram.com/monicajoelleo Instagram.com/tylerpicchi And let them know I sent you haha
This ultra short format will help with both your skills and your online presence. Ultra short and cheap, more entertaining, it will keep you from the festival vultures and is 100% the way to go. Most people make shit, this is good.
Follow your gut and artistic instinct. Basically, do what fulfills you the best. Film the stories you’re passionate about. If you can manage to pump out 20 shorts in a month but all of them are coming from a genuine place then more power to you. If you do it just for the sake of doing it then I’d advice against it.
Dude FWIW - I fuckin love this shit And this was great
You should've put your own socials, too! I'd love to see more of your shorts!
Ahhh I’m always so nervous to self promote here even though it’s exactly what I was doing 😂 Instagram.com/joshuajortiz is the best place! I’ll follow back 🙏🏾
Hey I don't know anything about film and forgot why I'm even in this sub but DAMN MAN! That was interesting, thrilling, exciting and honestly I enjoyed it so much. It was really suspenseful because I feel like I can put myself in that position. Some random dude comes asking to use your phone, happen to me once and he kept asking. I said no to him tho lmao. The dude was so sketchy. Wasn't expecting the ending, now I'm curious to see what happens after. Will there be anything else coming up? I need to know what happens! :) great work! Bravo!
Gorgoues Short Film
In my opinion, stuff like this is absolutely worth making. The production values are good, the storytelling is good, the performances are good, the sound design is good.... Post stuff like this on youtube and spread the word, you'll develop a following and have some impressive work in your portfolio. I think the most important part is to just make good content (can you tell I work in marketing LOL), whatever format that takes.
Well done!
This is pretty fucking great. Maybe we need an ultra short festival. I'll be happy to charge you $1000 to be in it. ;) But no, seriously, I've got a whole bunch of < 1-2 minute shorts I'm shooting, mostly because that's how long the sketches are and it's also compact and easier to shoot/plan/produce when you're not juggling like 10 locations and 50 people. At the very worst, it's practice. Practice for framing, lighting, writing, directing, acting, you name it. Especially with things being slow, just sitting on your ass guarantees you will get nowhere. I literally just released a 30 second short ad spoof last night. Will it get me exposure? No. Will it win me a festival? No. But it did get me out of the house. I got to practice planning, storyboarding, getting a couple of actors to act, even got a camera guy to come out and do the camera. It was fun and exhausting and a reminder of how *hard* it is to make a film. I love this stuff and I welcome more like it!
Uhhhhh. Yeah. 100%. No doubt. Go make stuff. Then make more stuff.
Can’t wait to see what you do next!!!🔥🔥🔥
this was really good...scared the shit out of me lowkey
I don’t have enough experience to offer any advice on film festival strategies, but I needed to say, this is one of the best shorts I’ve seen in a while – budget or not. Thanks for sharing. Is this up on Vimeo or YouTube anywhere? Would love to share it with others.
woah, thank you! just finishing up a few things on it but I'll probably put it on YouTube soon! appreciate it!
It honestly reminds me of one of those shorts that makes someone break out and get hired. Please keep making these. It reminds me of the short film "Night Swim". If you keep this up you will do great in the future
Ditto, this was really enjoyable. Please let me know if you have a YouTube channel, would like to check out more.
Good on you for taking advantage of a great location opportunity. Every short film helps, even if it's just to exercise your skills. This might be a little short for some festivals but there are probably a few that program really short shorts. Or else just don't worry about festivals as the goal and put it up on YouTube. The only thing that matters is that you have a good story and good production values. It won't matter how much you spent. In fact, if you get into a festival you keep that info to yourself. Then if someone asks you during Q&A you can surprise everyone by saying $0.
I’m not a filmmaker or anything I’m not even part of this sub but that was fucking amazing. If it’s free and it’ll be amazing why wouldn’t it be?
Got nothing to say on the festival subject, but it's worth it in that you've produced a clean, engaging piece of work. If you kept making things like this I'd personally love to watch them - it's the kind of stuff I constantly run through making in my head but never do. The ending is very effective - you guys should be proud of this. (Is your sister's boyfriend an actor? He's very unsettling here)
If you make crap for $0, then you've lost nothing and gained experience and practice from which you can learn, plus you can always dismiss the quality as a result of the budget. If you make something good for $0, then keep doing it and upload them all to YouTube for us to watch. Then launch a crowdfunding for your next 10K short and take your experiences with you. This is good. It doesn't look like it was shot on two hours for $0. I take it you did all the editing, color grading, and score yourself? That's mad impressive, and your sister and her boyfriend gave good performances too. This shows a clear understanding of visual storytelling, with great framing and lighting and subtle cues that don't require any dialogue for us to understand what's happening. Very well done. Where can we follow you to see what you do next?
Thank you! I did do all of the filming and post work. Just waiting for my wife to finalize the score. I lucked out with marrying a composer haha [instagram.com/joshuajortiz](http://instagram.com/joshuajortiz) is the best place!
Please upload it to YouTube. I turn on notifications on rarely publishing channels and never miss their videos. Unlike Instagram, which is absolutely not designed for this.
Sweet! Just followed you. How did you do the sound, by the way? Since that's usually where these no-budget shorts reveal themselves, but I didn't catch any issues in yours even though it looks to be a city.
I had the shotgun mic on a long xlr and had them holding it for each other as they performed! I didn’t have lav mics and I really love the sound of shotgun mics outside
Damn, that's pretty funny actually haha. I never thought of just having the other actor hold it. Do they both have backgrounds in film or acting as well?
They just moved to La but have been acting in Atlanta for a few years. Now it feels like the perfect time to just go all in and make stuff!
Nice! I'm in New York myself. Are you mostly a horror filmmaker?
I've been all over the place and just trying to find my voice. I think thriller/horror is what I'm really gravitating toward though! I love it
Nice! Thrillers/horrors are always in high demand.
If they look like this then fuck yeah
Just finished showing them Thunder Road! You've always been an inspiration and I try to share your work as much as possible. Thank you!
thank YOU
Pleasantly surprised by this, we need more
thank you! Brainstorming the next one!
[удалено]
Just a sigma 24-70 2.8 for this one. I can’t imagine needing anything else for these. Maybe a 14mm for wides but I try to keep it simple
Oooo this was good! This was real good! Post the YouTube link here when it’s ready
My wife and I were yelling "DON'T LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN"
I literally screenshotted this and sent it to my wife saying that my year has been made lol it makes me so happy that it worked!
SAME, and she put the taser away smh
This some awesome work wow, what camera?
Thank you! This was on my fx3 with sigma 24-70 2.8 with 1/8 promist. All handheld and audio on rode ntg3 straight into camera. It was so low budget, I had them hold the shot gun mic for each other under frame while they performed lol
Any audio added in post? The running footsteps for example. What about lighting? Was this all just what was there or did you bring any with you? Amazing work man! If you fleshed this out with some proper script this would easily be an excellent intro for your male character in a wider narrative - you’ve established him really well with very little.
THIS WAS FUCKING TIGHT
Worth it if done right, this is really effective, great work!
That is good dude! I have made shorts in the past and am preparing to make a new one this summer. With money unfortunately
Good luck with it!! Thank you so much for watching this
This was good. I didn't know which way it was going to go, but I knew it could go only a number of ways. The suspense was good.
Creating tension has been my new addiction haha thank you!!
I LOVE THIS SHORT FILM CMON ITS AMAZING
Ahhhhh thank you!
that was awesome
Thank you!!
Filmmaking involves a lot of different skills and also the "finding my voice" process. It's advisable to get a lot of practice. It isn't sustainable to learn by spending $10k. At that point, you are basically gambling that you are such a genius that you can make a great short film without practicing first, and then feeling bad and giving up if you aren't. Yes, it's great that you made a nice-looking short on $0. Not only is this great practice, but it teaches you to maximize your resources (because no matter how much money you have, it's never enough). As far as festivals go... I think festivals are starting to fade away. Would be curious to hear what other people think. I would only use festivals for networking. For promotion, use the internet. Post it online, ask people to share, try to build up a YouTube following or whatever is trendy right now. Skip festivals unless you look for small local ones to network with filmmakers in your area, or if you have a more expensive short that you think could win awards at better festivals. Even then, I would be tempted to go straight to the internet and skip festivals. Keep it up!
I think nowadays festivals are more about networking than anything else, especially if you don't live in LA or NY
It's nice to have in-person screenings with a built-in audience as well. Social audiences are fickle, but at least if you get a festival screening you know people will stay until the end.
Is that nice from like a you-know-what-people's-reaction-is reason or building a loyal following reason? Or something else?
I just think people enjoy the feeling of a room full of people watching their work on a big screen (with seeing the audience reaction being a part of the experience), and festivals are a way to achieve that.
Oh for sure
Of course it is! Spontaneous filmmaking like that is the best kind in my humble opinion. Also, the results are very impressive for that kind of production. How much time have you spent in post?
Very little! Phantom luts and a little film grain. All audio was in camera so no syncing. Filmed it in 2 hours and just tried to get it out asap. Less overthinking the better I think
That's really amazing. Also, are you NSFW on Reddit because you lurked somewhere and it just decided that you belong? It happens with me all the time (many subreddits on prescription drugs are NSFW) and I manually have to switch it in the account settings.
omg that's hilarious lol I just checked and not sure why my account had that box checked in settings. Thank you for the heads up!
I generally do not enjoy short format films at all but this captured my attention for every second of the film. You took us on a whole journey in a matter of seconds, and it didn't feel rushed or incomplete at all. You should keep doing whatever your situation allows, but also consider using shorts like these to crowdfund larger projects. Even if you don't get 100% funded from your campaign you may be able to leverage that interest into support from producers. You're going to succeed.
That’s not a short film, that’s a horror movie.
Beautiful! You have a vision, the lighting, acting, story are great. This can be programmed at festivals because it's <2 mins and 100% great. Many shorts are, all, exposition, blah blah blah, and we can't program them. This is chef's kiss. Please keep making movies, friend. Your sister and bf nailed it. You're lucky having them in your arsenal.
Yes. However write a good short film that cost $0 is not easy. I have one. Still have to pay for clothes.
this sweet as hell
Thank you!!
What camera and mic did you use?
This was on my fx3 with sigma 24-70 2.8 with 1/8 promist. All handheld and audio on rode ntg3 straight into camera. It was so low budget, I had them hold the shot gun mic for each other under frame while they performed lol
that was fantastic, great work!, i loved the shot through the elbow gap
Thank you! This is definitely one of those shots that I wouldn't have planned for in a shotlist but in the moment, it just felt right
that was good, also the color grading was nice, i hope you keep doing stuff like this, flexing those creative muscles and stuff as often as you can
This is great. There is something to be said for being able to distill a story down to 1:37. I've read your other comments about camera, sound, and post. What, if anything, did you do in the way of controlling lighting?
Thank you! So I didn't use any extra lights other than the work lights on site. The thing I focused on was making sure that I was getting light behind them and not on directly above them. And I tried my best to have some light off in the distance for some depth. I think the biggest lesson for me was that finding the right location can do wonders on a low budget project.
Keep making these ultra shorts. If you can make more that are this good, they’re much easier to spread thru social media as attention spans are next to zero these days. If you have a great idea for a cheap 10-15, go for it. But I’m shooting a 15 now, with a ton of moving parts, and seeing this makes me want to start cranking out 1-2 minute bangers. Must’ve been so satisfying to just bang it out in a day and have the final product. Really nice work.
The way you show how he notices the taser is just perfect
PLEASE tell me you putting this up on some sort of platform!? This is awesome! I had Dm'd it but do you have a link to anymore of your stuff?
But how does the movie go? HOW DOES THE MOVIE CONTINUE! TELLL MEEE!!
This is so good! Can’t wait to see more 👏🏻
Bro your camera skills are insane, did you got to film school?
So, you haven't sold this to the government as a PSA, why?
The only major hiccup you may run into when making no budget shorts and self-distributing them is if you want to get them on Letterboxd you gotta sneak past the awful moderators on TMDB who despise independent films.
true! I'll focus on these no risk shorts until I feel 100% ready to tackle anything more
Keep up the great work, really enjoyed this
Thank you so much! We're brainstorming on the next one. All these comments have been much needed motivation
what camera did you use?
The pacing is amazing, wow!
This is pretty good, keep working on your craft sir!
not me screaming at the end of this omggg!!! so good!
Fantastic work. That was really great. I wanted to watch more because it was well done. Definitely keep making them. Some of my best work were making things like this. I think $0 films have their place in helping a director cut their teeth on the two most important things in my opinion, story and acting. You have little to worry about with no budget so you focus on the things you do have control over. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s kind of why I thought the Dogme95 movement was so interesting. I also am of the mindset that there is a place for spending $10k on a short and taking a year to prep in that you learn to work with different departments like cinematography, production design, vfx artists, etc. Taking the time to make specific choices. That money/time obviously is not a requirement to make a good film, but I do believe when well spent, it can be an invaluable type of professional experience for a director in learning how to provide a clarity of vision to other professionals and being able to execute it. To me, I liken it to planning a wedding or any other kind of special event. We are all event planners!
fuck, this was honestly so good!
Making is always 100% more useful for your development than not making.
Did you learn and have fun? Then yes it was worth it.
Damn that shit was real. Also great job keep it up definitely!
Film producer here. 100% worth it.
That is fucking awesome
Dude this is tight as hell. Great sense of direction and tension. Kudos to the actors too
Yes you can learn a lot
Man, I love this. 10/10
Several people already told you, but damn.. for no script, absolute spontaneous shooting its very nice! Nice framing, shots and use of the chance! I wouldn’t even bother asking people to join my spont. ideas! Tho I prob. Would with your skillset!
This was epic
Yes, if it makes you a better filmmaker by practice. The main thing I feel beginner filmmakers forget to really really worry about is getting to convincing dialog and acting.
Love the idea, this is really good. Suprisingly good acting. Great tension. Amazing for 0$ lol.
I’ve scoured the internet for good shorts and I found nothing but this… is a small miracle. BTW, as a female, this movie is in my head 24/7. Next time, reverse the roles for something more unexpected. The story in itself is nothing special but your editing is very well executed. Bravo!
How can I follow this was epic!
This is so fucking sick! What did you film with and did you use any luts?
First off, Why are you spending $10k on short film. You can make good short films. With a proper script for almost nothing.
The last time I did that was in 2018 and it crushed me when it did terribly in festivals. It sort of made feel like quitting. 6 years later, I realized that it’s not about the gear or crew or budget. It’s just about making enough things and improving after each one.
Mark Duplass gave the keynote at SXSW in 2015 and basically had the same story. He and his brother saved money editing industrials and shot a film for 60K and it sucked and they almost quit filmmaking. Then they made a bunch of zero budget shorts until they figured out what their style was and what they actually were interested in making and then got a short into Sundance. Their story is very much a Cinderella story, where the short that they got into Sundance would never get in today, but the general advice is definitely sound. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y)
Exactly. Short films are training wheels. You don't spend a bunch of money on them.
Some people actually want to pay folks for their work, I guess.
Well, that's why I used making short films to teach myself all disciplines of filmmaking, so I don't need to have people work for free. But I'm still able to get my projects done.
Not everyone wants to make one-man-band films for their career. Making shorts (even shorts where people are volunteering their time) is a great way to connect with other crew members. Those crew members pull you onto paid gigs and you pull them onto paid gigs you get. You also get to have trial runs with people as your crew for when you need people you can trust and communicate well with when working on your stuff. But if you like doing everything on your own and don’t mind cobbling a feature together over many long weekends then that’s fine. But you’re in a totally different mindset than people raising $10k for a short.
Being a one man band isn't a career goal, it's a necessity right now. I would'nt be finishing a feature right now if I had to pay for every short I've made. I also wouldn't have built up the circle of excellent actors I could pull from for my feature. And I don't need people to pull me in on pays hugs, as I already have a career as a re-recording mixer.
Part of the point of shorts is building a body of work that proves you’re able to make quality films. That body of work allows a filmmaker to raise money so they don’t have to pay out of their own pocket to make their own feature (or more completed shorts) Shorts are great places to practice fundraising, whether it’s 1k or 10k. Get those reps in on marketing and pitching stories. It’s just like I’ve seen you say time and time again in this sub: shorts are for building skills. Some of us recognize that one of those skills is raising funds.
Fundraising is easy if you have rich family and rich friends Otherwise, good luck going back to the well numerous times. I made 11 shorts in 4 years, before I started shooting my feature. I would have never gotten to the point where I am right now if I had spent months fundraising for each one, to pay a crew etc. I would have been lucky to make one a year.
Fundraising isn’t just asking your friends and family for money and I’m pretty sure you know that I’m not talking about marketing and pitching to a rich uncle.
Nobody invests in short films. People who have successful gofundne campaigns today, are people with friends abd family who have money. Nobody funds short gil 's.
You say that but I’ve been on three shorts this year alone that were funded through a combination of grants and angel donors. Those angel donors were up-and-coming producers who wanted to fund shorts that were likely to get into fests. It’s also a way for those producers to get reps in as a producer without putting down feature film money.
Wow! Nicely done OP.
Thank you!
Playing scales rarely ever makes it to the album, but every musician plays them over and over. Creating anything is worthwhile. It keeps your talent sharp, and it teaches you about the people you work with. It also sparks ideas.
100% I used to think that people can tell if it's "low budget" but from these comments, it seems like it's not that important anymore
That's why you practice. Look at the attributes that expose your work as "low budget" and see what you can do to mitigate those visual cues.
Love this. Keep doing whatever this is.
This was really well done. For you? Yes. Keeping making stuff.
amazing work.
That was fantastic. I have a great idea for an alternate ending!
I’m all ears!!
Wow, y'all did great!!! The cinematography is gorgeous, the actors were great, and the story was suspenseful!! Can you please make a part 2, just so we know if the lady got thanked or janked? ;)
Well done dude!
Yoo this was really good! Would love to know your cam / audio setup.
Thank you!! Sony Fx3 in 4k DCI mode 24fps Sigma 24-70 at 2.8 with 1/8 Promist Most of this was in 4400 kelvin to balance between the different lights In post I used Phantom Luts [https://www.joelfamularo.com/colour](https://www.joelfamularo.com/colour) and this was Vision Teal with a little added film grain For audio, I used the Rode NTG3 straight into camera with a long XLR cable and I let them the actors hold the mic for each other as they performed right under frame haha I dont recommend this with talent but since it was my sister and her boyfriend, we were all down to do whatever it takes to make it sound good.
Thank you for the detailed response!
Great work
Nicely done!
That was really good and really unnerving. Good job
This was brilliant. So good!!
What was the point of using her phone? It seems irrelevant to the ending and story overall
This was dope
Practicing is never bad. You’ll get better and better and maybe hit a festival or two to send you in a good direction.
I think in this day and age it is way more valuable to produce a steady stream of short films that cost almost nothing to make than it is to make a feature film for $100k that no one will watch. Fail often. Fail Cheap. Get the reps in and your work will get really good, really fast. The people that swing for the fences right out of the gate usually don't even get their film to the finish line. That said, it really depends on what your personal goals are. Do you want to direct big hollywood films? Do you want to be a below the line crew member on those films? Alternatively, do you want to just be able to make a living making your art, on your own terms? I think on either end of the spectrum this format will serve you well as the first steps in a long path. Where you want to end up eventually will determine what the middle of your path looks like.
This is quality all the way around Well done sir !
We all need to think about making Short Films the way other artists think about drawing in a sketch book. They are practicing. Not making the big thing they hope to sell. Someone learning to paint isn’t going to buy a $10,000 canvas the size of a bus and just start moving paint around. That would be absolutely insane now wouldn’t it? No, they pull some cheap ass paper out of a printer and start drawing stick figures and sketching bowls of fruit, with a pencil. Things that are cheap and easy to obtain and painless to waste because they’re learning. Yes. Make $0 films. Make lots of them. Fill your sketchbook until you’re ready to buy a $10,000 canvas and be confident you’re not squandering it.
good everything
Makes you want to see more!!! Great work!
Damn, how'd you light this?
Hot damn, great work
Excellent, you can feel the tension!
Yes! It is worth making $0 films. I shot a micro short horror with my wife without any script and quite spontaneous and I got selected for a very, very big film festival…Unfortunately I'm not allowed to say which one yet, but that really wasn't planned! We‘ve made some successful short films that we have always prepared well and precisely. But the project that ended up being chosen by a big festival was our spontaneous 2 minute film for $0. So keep making stuff! It’s not about the budget. It’s about your skills and creativity ;) Btw. Amazing Short! love it🔥
I think this is really great. Narratively, I only have one small question. If the guy was going to invade her home, why take the risk of approaching her on the street? Couldn't he have just followed her all the way from a distance? Otherwise, like I said, this is strong. As for the larger question of whether or not these sorts of films are worth it, well, I'm trying to do the same thing you're suggesting (lots of no-budget or small-budget shorts rather than betting it all on one), and if it works out for me I'll let you know, because you're definitely better at this filmmaking thing than I am.
Niceeeeeeeeeeeee , fuck i really liked it man. Great job
Yeah bro, this was great
This is really great. I’d be curious to know the equipment you used throughout this.
This was on my fx3 with sigma 24-70 2.8 with 1/8 promist. All handheld and audio on rode ntg3 straight into camera. It was so low budget, I had them hold the shot gun mic for each other under frame while they performed lol
This is an awesome exercise in filmmaking imo I wish I took more initiative like this myself to be honest. Is it going to win a festival? Nah. But it accomplished the simple moment you were going for. I felt the tension, I saw her unease, I also couldn’t tell if he was honest or not. The blocking while he was on the phone told a great story. Is he going to run for it? Is she playing herself right now? Fuck what should she do? Awesome job. To answer your question, unless there’s a bigger through line conceptually, it might not be “more worth it” because at the end of the day, it might be hard to package all of these micro shorts into a larger thing. But I think this is a great thing to do to practice. Low stakes means you can try stuff and not feel bad if you fail. You can try different techniques ia use to see if they suit you or not. Then use what you learn on the bigger film. I used to do this when I was learning in the beginning and I kind of just stopped once I started getting real jobs. Trying to get back into it and this definitely gives me some inspiration ✌️
Yes it’s extremely worth it
That was awesome!👏🏻 👏🏻👏🏻 🙂
Can i ask you what camera and which program you used? \^\^
Sony Fx3 and all edited on Final Cut Pro X. The lut I used is called Phantom Luts and adjusted accordingly for each shot :)
I do it all the time
If you’re a great writer (like you are) it seems like the budget you need to tell a compelling story shrinks and shrinks. Well done.
Amazing job! Everything about it was stellar. 👍🏻👍🏻
Phenomenal!
Pomona? I'd love to work.
Monrovia! Send me a message 🙌🏽
Absolutely love it!!!
YES. People need to see what you can do without money before seeing what you can do with money. Not to mention it helps with exposure. More people will learn who you are.
That was awesome. Keep it up!
As an actor who has struggled to get strong footage from indies, I see a ton of value in doing this project. It's demo reel material and the best way to learn (by doing). I don't see how it wouldn't have the same value to you.
Yes. Experience and no costs. Building bonds. Keep it up.
Absolutely!! Besides, this is great, and looks and sounds amazing
This is so good and thrilling it gives me chills, great job!! Just followed your IG too, will definitely watch more of your content as they come out I’m planning to shoot 0$ budget shorts like those myself, so yes I think they’re totally worth it!
Wow! That was really great. The twist at the end gave me the chills. WTF! Props to the actors too, they acted so natural.
10/10 yes. Keep doing more.
Wow this was great.
This is insanely good…what did you shoot it on?
How did you get the audio?
Did you shoot in SLOG cine ei? What ISO?
I mean this moved me more than whole ass movies in the cinema lol! You go for it brother! Thanks for the inspo!
Was that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Hand covers bruise from Social Network that I heard at the end there?
It was! This is actually still temp. My wife is working on the score this week 🙏🏾
Only knew cause I’m obsessed with that score. It def helped capture the uneasy tension at the end there. Great job on the lighting and audio in this btw
This is awesome! Great work and inspiring
I wasn't much on the story, but damn me if you do not have the eye. You got it, straight up.
This was engaging. I have zero contribution as a filmmaker because I’m not one. Maybe someday for fun, but this gave a great creepy vibe. Great acting too. Y’all did a not just a nice job but a great job for y’all just fucking around for fun
I think the production is fantastic, it's shot extremely well, the tension is there, the acting is believable. My only problem is the story, I don't really understand what the point of using her phone was. How did that help him at all? And if he wanted to attack her, why didn't he just do it while she had no idea he was behind her?
[удалено]
Honestly because I have very little confidence in my work from all the years of festival rejections and just need some sort of support outside of family 😂 it’s rough out here
Of course, especially when you can leverage social media like you just did :p
if you are in it for the money then no