How to fit 8 years into a short film....HELP

It CAN be done for sure, but way too often these films (relationship shorts) devolve into two people we couldn't care less about yammering at each other about their relationship.

The "show me, don't tell me" rule should be in full force for those that are intent on trying it.
 
Coming back to this thread the next day...

I think a smart, concise approach would be to have 8 scenes between the two and the year superimposed as each scene starts. The first would be where they meet (2004), and the last where they break up, or she kills and eats him or something (2012).

I'd watch that.

Especially with the surprise cannibalism.
 
Ted Spencer said:
Those kinds of stories have been known to succeed pretty well on occasion though, like for example:

Romeo And Juliet
Gone With The Wind
West Side Story
Titanic

...and I'm sure there must be a couple others : )
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I was referring to the writer's actual relationship. Like, I'm going to write about what happened to me and my ex... Sundance rejects are all about those kinds of films. No one really cares what happened between you and your girlfriend under the sheets.... it only matters to those involved. I'm not saying its undoable, just very difficult and must be very skillfully done, the OP said he's not a writer...

By the way, those films you listed are amongst the longest ones in history... he wants to make a short...
 
Nuno Dias said:
I was referring to the writer's actual relationship. Like, I'm going to write about what happened to me and my ex... Sundance rejects are all about those kinds of films. No one really cares what happened between you and your girlfriend under the sheets.... it only matters to those involved. I'm not saying its undoable, just very difficult and must be very skillfully done
Click to expand...

Your last point, "skillfully done" is almost all that matters. The rest of what you said describes the opposite...except when it's skillfully done. "Annie Hall" was heavily based on Woody Allen's actual relationship with Diane Keaton. It got him two of the only three Oscars he's ever won (although he's been nominated 21 times, and may well get more for "Midnight In Paris").

By the way, those films you listed are amongst the longest ones in history... he wants to make a short...
Click to expand...

Correct, but incidental. The romance genre isn't specifically associated with longer films. That would be 'epic adventure'. Most popular romantic films are relatively short. On the other hand, I'm not trying to say that a romance is 'just as easy to do well' in a short as any other genre. It may arguably be harder than some. But it can be done well, and has been, many times.

But yeah - if you're inclined to write self indulgent navel-contemplations about your love life gone bad, it might be better to get counseling than make a film about it... : )
 
One (unsolicited) suggestion for getting started might be to make a list of the things/events/dates that you want included. Then rank those items by a few different criteria: importance to you (or the subject), screen time it will take to tell, cost to shoot, and impact to an audience.

When you think about screen time for a segment or event it might help you to put it in the "must have," "be nice to have," or the "maybe" list.

This might seem too objective and/or mathematical, but it could help you to get a handle on what you can do in a short on this subject.
 
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