6 REASONS YOU SHOULD MAKE A “MICROSHORT”

Now a few months into representing my film, “Promenade”, in the national fest circuit, I found myself repeating something at every Q&A: you filmmakers should make a microshort. “Promenade”, a 4-minute drama about a goth-looking Prom Queen who wonders why she got the crown, was filmed over the course of one night, using resources that were readily available to us.

Filmmakers and fest producers will squabble over the exact definition: some say 1-2 minutes, others, up to 5. For our purposes, we’ll call a film less than 5 minutes long a microshort.

Let’s explore the reasons why your next (or first) film should be a microshort:

ABOVE: WATCH my video on this subject for more context and anecdotes

Longer Does NOT = Better

With attention spans waning after the rise of the YouTube generation, digital content purveyors might choose to skip your film just by looking at the timestamp on the thumbnail. This isn’t exactly a bad thing for narrative artists. While feature-length films hover round the same ~90 minute standard as it has for decades, short content has evolved to focus on important moments instead of drawn-out content.

Having trouble writing a story less than 20 pages? Here are a few tips:

• Start with assumptions about the main character:

Instead of filming your protagonist waking up, living her day and expressing large parts of her personality, let’s assume she is a normal human with a few distinctive features. Start her at a pivotal part of her story (i.e. she answers a ringing phone to find her dad has died) and kick-off the plot faster than in a feature film where we must know more.

• Limit your film to a scene or two:

An average-length scene in a feature (if you can average such a thing) is usually a conversation length, maybe 3-5 pages for a meaty dialogue between transitions: THAT is your whole microshort. Focus on how to start and end a story with only one or two scenes to work with.

• Capture a moment instead of a plot:

When you think of your favorite popcorn movies, they often include large storylines with many details, characters and obstacles that the protagonist will encounter. A microshort focuses on a more subtle, specific moment your character must react to. Find a piece where your character changes in a small way instead of an epic journey he or she will overcome.

Prime REEL Estate

As more filmmakers begin to crop up because of affordable filmmaking equipment, you have little time to impress those you want to work with. When needing to send a complete film to showcase your work, a 4-minute film will be a delight and relief to busy actors, producers or superiors.

PROTIP #1: When emailing a microshort to a superior you wish to impress (and they possibly don’t know who you are or if you are worth their time), announce that the film is less than 5-minutes long. This may prompt busy or distracted professionals to watch it right away since it is so concise and easy to knock out. Short film festivals may think so too…

The Festival Trick

One aspect that may play in your favor is the festival format. Festivals, big and small, will be choosing their selection to fit tightly into an evening. Larger festivals like Sundance will have several slots of previously specified time to fill. When you have a microshort, you may have a much better chance of your film being chosen as it is able to wiggle into place. If a timeslot has a few minutes left in its showcase, your micro will fit where a 20-minute classic short will not.

Shorter Shoot = Smaller Budget

The logic is sound here: a shorter film will take up less of your time and money. As explained above, microshorts often focus on more subtle moments: one or two characters, one or two locations, often mostly dialogue to carry a small plot. With such short material, you may even be able to wrap in one day, asking only 12 hours of your busy, talented cast and crew. You can minimize your resources when so few elements are important. Speaking of…

Focus On Creating Your Best

When the elements are so few and focused, you have the time and attention to narrow in on making the best version of the micro-script that you can. When long scripts are given the budget and green light, the bottom line is to make your day: the dialogue wasn’t quite right? No time to fix it. Camera movement wasn’t perfect? Too late, moving on. When producing your microshort, you have the patience and priority for details like perfecting a complicated shot, experimenting with cinematic lighting design or working with your actors to capture the exact delivery.

Start Small to End Big

Like we mentioned about developing some prime REEL estate, this microshort can be used a calling card to help your next big step. If you don’t know how to start expressing your vision for a feature film, make a 5-minute sample of what could be. Have a script that requires months of production, all-star cast and professional crew and feature-film expenses? Cut a slice from your feature screenplay, alter it to include a complete arch and produce something to shop for a larger product.

PROTIP #2: Don’t give away the ending. Like with longer films, you might be creating marketing materials and a trailer to promote your new micro. When traveling the festival circuit, you will need to think small, too, when advertising your small story. Cut a fleeting 30-second trailer to leave the audience hanging and wanting more.

WATCH THE FILM ABOVE! Learn more at JessPaul.net/Promenade.



If you‘re still learning your way around a camera or the director’s chair, a microshort may be the best way to try out your filmmaking chops. If you are a filmmaker who has tried and struggled with long material, it might not be your abilities, it may be your plan of action. Grab crew and cast for one day only and capture a moment the best you possibly can.

