Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
i've spent the last two years embracing this notion of being not just an artist, but an artist-entrepreneur. there are enough differences between making a short and making a feature that I would suggest (if long-form is what you want to be doing and you can afford it) jumping into features. yes, you will likely have to bury the first one like tarantino did. but the education will be invaluable, and different in many ways from what you'd learn making a short. the first film I ever directed came in at 89 minutes. I learned a ton. there's a difference between working with an actor for three days on a short and 24 days on a feature where you have to sustain a compelling character arc, internal and external conflict, all shot out of order over the course of four weeks. shorts are perfect for learning lighting, composition, editing, sound design, etc. but I'd say the greatest education I received doing a feature was working with actors, learning how to guide them and most importantly: when to get out of their way. I personally, don't think there is enough time on a short film production to really learn much about that process. some, for sure.
also the benefit of features, imo, is not just about the mechanics of making a movie, but also the first-hand knowledge of how the world of finance and distribution work. the feature I made got me seen by magnolia and sony pictures classics, meetings with agents and top producers followed, and it opened up relationships with other people of influence that will give my second feature the sort of support it needs to have a fighting chance. none of the shorts i made after making the feature have done anything other than win awards at festivals. which is great, but I can't parlay a "best short" award into financing another feature. the impression I've had is that the gatekeepers look at shorts as a hobby, which we all know is BS, but you've got to be mindful of the business side of sustainable moviemaking and there is nearly no exhibition platform for shorts that will generate revenue, let alone a return on investment.
now, if you're goal is to first learn some simple scene mechanics, do some short shorts until you've got a polished look. but if you've already got that, i'd move into features right away... so you can learn the hard truths about this business like i did.
also the benefit of features, imo, is not just about the mechanics of making a movie, but also the first-hand knowledge of how the world of finance and distribution work. the feature I made got me seen by magnolia and sony pictures classics, meetings with agents and top producers followed, and it opened up relationships with other people of influence that will give my second feature the sort of support it needs to have a fighting chance. none of the shorts i made after making the feature have done anything other than win awards at festivals. which is great, but I can't parlay a "best short" award into financing another feature. the impression I've had is that the gatekeepers look at shorts as a hobby, which we all know is BS, but you've got to be mindful of the business side of sustainable moviemaking and there is nearly no exhibition platform for shorts that will generate revenue, let alone a return on investment.
now, if you're goal is to first learn some simple scene mechanics, do some short shorts until you've got a polished look. but if you've already got that, i'd move into features right away... so you can learn the hard truths about this business like i did.
