Experts suggestions on ways to earn money via shortfilms

WAYS TO MAKE MONEY VIA SHORT FILMS

Firstly let us know about what actually a short film is? Any guesses? Let me tell you. A short film is not as long as a proper film. Budget is small, team involved is small. There is no limitation of time limit but according to Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science a short film is that which does not extend more than 45 minutes including credits. Features word can also be used for short films. The increasingly rare term “Short Subject” means approximately the same thing.   

Are you thinking how to make a short film? A short film should be made as short as it can. Not more than 18-22 minutes. Even with a very short director need a clear beginning, middle, and end. With a short director can get a lot of mileage out of a good premise. The audience won’t tire of it the way they might in a feature film so it can be pushed. Don’t think you can let up on the quality just because it’s a short. Most of the shorts we made at Pixar were treated, in production and post, just like feature films that happened to be really short. I think short films are all about a good twister. Make it something the audience doesn’t see coming, but that they’ll see a fair on the second viewing. Last but not the least viewers today will forgive a lot of things about the picture, but if your sound is amateurish the film will never be anything better than amateur. Put effort into good recording and good post. Go back and re-watch any of the early LFL/Pixar shorts and listen to the soundtrack. It’s a huge part of why they work.

Then a big question arises- How to make money out of a short film? Making a short film is the rite of passage for many new filmmakers. Not only the gazillion film festival that offer a short movie program, but with websites like YouTube, a beginner in filmmaking have the ability to reach a global audience. Now days almost everyone has smart phones (android, apple, etc.). Every smart phone consists of YouTube means advertisement of a particular short film can be done easily. YouTube is the best way for a beginner filmmaker to make his short film earn good money. This is a better way than old days. Back then, making a short film meant that it would get projected in theatres before the feature presentation. It is a good way to make money. Trailers should also be made of these kind of short films and should be shown in theatres before or after a featuring film. The filmmaker can also do television screenings. A number of local cable operators networks are offering good money for the telecast rights of short films. Online pay per view portals can play a vital role in making money from short films. Few portals are offering this service on nominal fee that let the user to watch short films. And the best way is to make money from film festival. Screening the film in number of festival increases the popularity of the film and it can earn through the cash prizes.

These are just few ways, and now the market is become innovative. But content is the king. Only quality short films can bring back returns and it will tale time to learn the basic skills and come out with a good product.

Keep trying and experimenting. Money will come on the way once one got a product that can speak on itself. And one need to market your film well through social media for it to receive visibility.    

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