Fully revised and updated practical and inspirational guide for students and independent film-makers, describing and explaining the whole process - from creating an original or adapted script, through producing, directing and editing, to finance and distribution.

Anyone can make a short film, right? Just grab some friends and your handheld and you can do it in a weekend or two before being accepted to a slew of film festivals, right? Wrong. Roberta Munroe screened short film submissions at Sundance for five years, and is an award-winning short filmmaker in her own right. So she knows a thing or two about how not to make a short film. From the first draft of your script to casting, production, editing, and distribution, this is your one-stop primer for breaking into the business. Featuring interviews with many of today's most talented writers, producers, and directors, as well as revealing stories (e.g., what to do when the skinhead crack addict next door begins screaming obscenities as soon as you call "action") from the sets of her own short films, Roberta walks you through the minefield of mistakes that an aspiring filmmaker can make--so that you don't have to make them yourself.

What goes into the making of Hollywood's greatest motion pictures? Join the authors as they examine recent screenplays on their perilous journey from script to screen.

• Accompanying DVD of thirty short films offers an instructive mini film festival • Shows beginners how to make meaningful films without fancy equipment • Great for film students and independent filmmakers Want to make an art film, a documentary, a video biography? Here’s how to create real movies using consumer digital video format—without spending a lot of money or time. Author Jim Piper has taught filmmaking for more than thirty years—and along with his technical expertise, he brings entertaining anecdotes and great examples. His descriptions of more than one hundred student films, illustrated with three hundred stills, offer inspiration for beginners, and the accompanying DVD showcases thirty examples that comprise an intriguing and instructive mini film festival. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

The advent of affordable filmmaking equipment and software, combined with the popularity of websites such as Youtube—which encourage the submission of user-created short films—add up to interest in making and viewing shorts being higher than ever. Experienced professionals are interviewed on all aspects of short film production process in this filmmakers' resource that covers screenwriting, casting, shooting formats, location scouting, soundtracks, computer effects, and how to get the final product distributed. Five award-winning short films from distributor Dazzle Films—including Being Bad and BAFTA-nominated Hotel Infinity—discussed as case studies in the book are featured on a bonus DVD, along with layouts for budget spreadsheets, release forms, contracts, and more.

Making a Winning Short is the first book to give hands-on instruction on how to write, direct, edit, and produce a fictional short in film or video. Edmond Levy guides the beginning filmmaker step-by-step through the stages of making a short: writing the script (from developing the idea to fine-tuning the final draft), launching production, casting, and working with the actors, working with the crew, directing the camera, editing, and other aspects of post-production. He devotes a separate chapter to Hi-8 video and gives a list of short-film festivals, both domestic and international.

Each year 8,000+ short films compete to fill 60 slots at the Sundance Film Festival. On an average day, 792 film and video projects vie for funding on Kickstarter. And every minute 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. In this competitive environment, a short filmmaker can no longer invest time, money, and dreams of glory in the theory that "if you build it, they will come." The challenge is making the right kind of short: one that will make a splash. Covering the nuts-and-bolts of production while stressing the importance of artistic expression, this invaluable handbook shows a first-time filmmaker how to make a buzzworthy little film that could launch a lucrative Hollywood career. Packed with over 75 photos and insider advice from dozens of high-profile professionals, including Sundance and Tribeca festival programmers and Academy Award(R) winners and nominees, Making It Big in Shorts puts the emphasis on making films shorter, faster, and cheaper.