Overcoming the impossible — making your next short film

When filmmaking expectations are too high

Lance Eliot Adams
Jul 20, 2017 · 3 min read

Sometimes when I talk to aspiring filmmakers and even filmmakers who have made their first shorts, either via social media or in person, I get the sense that for them making a film is this monolithic thing. The idea of making their first film or their next film has them overwhelmed. When I made my first few shorts, I definitely remember the fight or flight response kicking in. You’re pulling together cast and crew and finding a location and all of them are counting on you and you don’t want to screw it up and there’s that nagging feeling of “what if someone doesn’t show up?” or “what if I don’t do a good job?” or “what if this doesn’t turn out well?” Since then, I think I have found a good balance. Part of being a good director on set is being completely engaged with what’s happening on set and staying calm regardless of what happens. You need a global awareness of what’s happening on set and a micro awareness for the small details of an actor’s performance, the framing, the lighting, and even the mood on set.

When the aspiring filmmaker sees some of the films that have been made today with high production values and insane budgets, I get the feeling that shuts them down. If you look at Vimeo and YouTube, there are some fantastic shorts out there for free! Looking at some of them you’d think the budget was thirty thousand or more. And when you see what Oats Studios is putting out, its certain they have a decent budget.

I’ve never had that kind of money.

I’ve been on sets with two filming cameras, a light set up with a dozen lights, and half a dozen computers. I worked on a film set with over thirty cast and crew. And I’ve worked on films with one actor and myself.

I believe it all comes down to telling a good story with the resources you have and the people who believe in the story you are trying to tell. As I mentioned in a previous article, Chicago is blessed with a lot of talented actors. Even with actors moving to LA or NYC and all of the TV shows now filming in Chicago, there is a great actor pool here.

Sometimes when your film has a need, like a special location or a piece of equipment, you connect with the right person to make it work.

It all starts with a good script. Or if you’re working with improv actors, it starts with a good prompt or story idea. If you don’t have a good script, the flaws will only become more visible when you start filming. If your script has problems, they will be laid bare when you go into editing.

There was one filmmaker I knew who pulled in a few favors to get this big huge crane for this one shot in his film. It turned out the shot didn’t look that good, or they couldn’t use the crane because of wind. In either case, with the focus on this one piece of equipment there were problems with the film as a whole that weren’t resolved. The story structure didn’t work. There were flashbacks that didn’t add to the story. The dialogue was bad and the recording of some of the dialogue was echoey. The only redeeming thing about the film was that he went out and made it.

Look at what you have, think about who you know, and if you want to be a filmmaker, make a film. Make a film that doesn’t need a drone shot, or special effects make up, or a car chase, or gunshots. Make a film where you’re at and that can lead to making a film where you want to be.


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Next on Deck!

In two weeks we will be releasing a new short film! You can check out the first web series I worked on at: Vimeo.com/bridgeportfilmclub

Check out my previous article: Leaving Set — Indie Filmmaking 101

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Lance Eliot Adams

Written by

Chicago filmmaker. 20 short films, 100 article posts, 6500 have read my work & I am grateful. For my street cred check out: http://Vimeo.com/bridgeportfilmclub

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