Short Film Woes and Worries

Entertainment lawyer Christopher Schiller takes a legal look at the trials and pitfalls of making short films.

Short Film

Short films are easy, right? I mean, they’re just like the real thing only shorter, cheaper. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, short films can be seen as a concentrated concoction of every problem and concern that a full length feature has to deal with, just in a compact size and budget. And I should know. I’m in the midst of production for another short film of my own. So I’m taking this opportunity to address some of the business and legal aspects of producing a short film to help you over the woes and through the worries we’ll likely encounter along the way.

Begin before you begin

A tendency of short filmmakers is to not put much thought and effort into the early stages of development, especially if they have knowledge or experience of longer form works. That’s a mistake. The realities of short films are that there are a lot of them out there. It’s hard to get noticed among the sea of choices and it’s incredibly hard to make money (it is possible) or bolster your reputation if you can’t differentiate your short film from all the rest. Putting deliberate thought into the planning of any film activity regardless of the length will always pay off as a worthwhile effort.

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