This document outlines the pre-production process for students creating short films. It includes developing a pitch, treatment, script, storyboard, animatic, and production schedule. Students will work in groups to complete these pre-production elements. The document provides guidance and online resources on each step. It emphasizes strong storytelling, visual style, effective communication, and technical filmmaking skills like lighting, camera angles, and continuity. The goal is for students to thoroughly plan their short films before production.

1. Short Film Production
1/4
Pitch & Pre-Production

2. Objectives
• D2 Thorough & detailed pre-production for a
developed, stylistically confident & compelling short
film, with confident communication skills
• M2 Purposeful pre-production portfolio, for a well
thought out, imaginative and detailed idea for a short
film, with good communication skills
• P2 Completepre-production portfolio with basic
planning & pitch a concept for a what can be
recognised as a short narrative film

3. The hook:
Which do you want to keep watching?
• http://youtu.be/vN7BitXC49c
• http://youtu.be/NeLKh8JhGow

4. Starter
What makes a good short film?
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/introduction/what-makes-a-good-short
• Conflict or problem/question that needs resolving
• Character driven - depth, humanity, motivation and what makes them tick?
• An original or exciting idea?
• Stylistic experimentation (camera, edit etc?)
• Keep it short and pacey
• Production value - well composed, lit, edited, choice of location, attention to detail MES,
sound levels and mix.
• Avoid exposition dialogue - Rewrite scripts and condense
• Acting (get the right people and rehearse)

5. Discuss
• https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2015/04/01/funnel/
• https://vimeo.com/groups/shorts/videos/120871147

6. Assessment Schedule
Deadline /5/15
4 weeks
• Groups of 2 or 3
• Pre-production Paperwork THIS WEEK
• Film (5-10 mins), specific production role (ie Camera
Op, Sound, Lighting, DOP, Director) 2 WEEKS
• Production log/video diary
• Individual edit 1 WEEK

7. Pre-production paperwork by
end of this session
• Treatment & Pitch (with feedback from class)
• Script (at least 1 draft, with class feedback and final)
• Shooting script
• Storyboard/Animatic

8. Do you have IDEAS?
• Look at newspaper stories, quotes, song lyrics for
influence
• BRAINSTORM using Popplett
• Create a Moodboard of visual style influences and
Key Moment/narrative influences
• http://filmg.co.uk/files/downloads/Scripting-
Resource-Notes.pdf

9. Task 1: Pitch (video)
• Title
• What happens, who are the characters?
• Where/when is it set?
• What is the conflict/question or problem/obstacles that must be resolved?
• What style (chiaroscuro, realistic, surreal, hyper edited, minimalist etc)?
• What influenced - what have you stolen/borrowed/been inspired by?
• What is your theme or your message?
• Feedback improvements or questions on each other's with Post Its
• Write up your treatment - beginning, middle, and end - in no more than 1 paragraph

10. Task 1 Pitch (continued)
• Cost (and implications of your budget/how you will shoot this?)
• Requirements – crew (who is doing what?), actors, locations
• Who is your audience, and how you will distribute to them (veoh,
youtube, twitter – film festivals?)
• Presentation software: PREZI or Slideshare?
• Include visual aids from your Mood Board, screen grabs
• Presentation Skills: eye contact, body language, sell the idea to me
and maintain interest, clarity and tone of voice
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb98Yi9oxiQ

11. Assessment Unit 2.4&5
• All must contribute verbally
• 2.4 deploy and manage technology to pitch a media
production proposal effectively [and with some
imagination/creativity & flair]
• 2.5 employ forms of address in a media production
pitch to communicate ideas [effectively/with impact]

12. Task 2: Script, Shooting
Script & Storyboard
• http://generator.acmi.net.au/sites/default/files/ProductionResources4
_ScriptwritingStoryboards_1.pdf
• Group 1: Scriptwriter's workshop
• http://www.plotbot.com
• Group 2: Shooting Script
• http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/sparkly/shooting-script
• Group 3: Storyboard (DOP & Director) workshop
• http://generator.acmi.net.au/resources/scriptwriting-and-storyboards

13. Script guidelines
http://www.raindance.org/7-rules-for-
writing-short-films/
• 2. Keep the Practicalities of Writing in Mind (budget,
microcosm, restricted narrative)
• 3. Make It Visual (Show it, don't say it)
• 4. Find Single Moments (start from here)
• 5. Tell a Story (the 'bigger story' ie love, revenge, redemption,
destiny)
• 6. Engage the Reader (hook conflict in the first 30 sec - 1 min)
• 7. Beware of Cliches ( 'it was all a dream...')

14. Shooting Script
Composition, Framing, Angles &
Movement
• http://leighmediaas12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/composition-
continuity.html
• http://leighmediaas12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/camera-
angles.html
• http://leighmediaas12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/camera-
shots.html
• http://leighmediaas12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/camera-
movement.html
• Now go photograph your storyboard!

15. Task 3: Animatic
Put it all together with sound
• Record your dialogue
• Edit your storyboard images in time with your
dialogue - do you have enough shots or the right
ones to get across the drama? (Close ups?)
• Add in the remaining diegetic (foley, ambient) and
non-diegetic sound (score, soundtrack)
• Review - is the pacing right?

16. Practical assessment/skills
workshop next week
• Pre-learning next week: continuity (180 deg rule,
match on action), lighting, focus pulls
• Homework: complete all Recces, Auditions and
Casting, Production Schedule
• Workshop next week - I will assess your level of skill
and feedback how to improve

17. Pre-learning: Lighting &
Focus
• Split & Butterfly
• http://youtu.be/PzKNpejsdSs
• 3 Point Lighting (Key, Fill & Back)
• http://youtu.be/G8DYOeQFClg
• Depth of field (shallow focus & focus pulls)
• http://youtu.be/Fm5XNm7rPZ8