I work in television advertising and to be honest 90 seconds is something of a luxury! Therefore there is no reason why your film should be that long. Indeed there are many commercials I could mention where 30 seconds seems excessive! Remember - be ruthless in the editing.
I've recently made viral adverts for distribution on the internet and you quickly realize that internet surfers have very short attention spans. Your idea has to grab them immediately and hopefully enthrall them enough so that they will pass the film onto their friends. Therefore my personal opinion is that the only criterion for a successful 90 second short is to be entertaining (don't try to be too clever or obscure). If you can move people into laughing, crying, even punching the wall in shear frustration at how bad your film is, then you've succeeded. There is nothing worse, especially in advertising, if your film provokes no response at all!
As DepicT! is a film competition, try to make a film, don't just tell a gag. Personally I admire those films that don't just rely on the 'surprise' ending to be successful but are entertaining the whole way through. Either they have interesting characters or dialogue or are shot or styled in a unique way. Pay attention to all aspects of the film. Don't just make a comedy sketch.
As many DepicT! filmmakers have pointed out already, once you have your idea, shooting it is the easy part. But what of the idea? If you've thought of something truly original, groundbreaking, hilariously funny or profoundly shocking - then congratulations (and my advice would be to turn it into a ten minute short or feature instead). Rather the 90 second short is an opportunity to experiment and sometimes this means not worrying about the idea at all! Just seize the opportunity to shoot whenever or wherever you can. For example, I filmed ‘Screen Kiss’ around a professional film shoot with only the vague idea that I wanted to make a behind-the-scenes 'mockumentary'. I simply briefed the actors on their characters at the beginning of the day and then got them to improvise dialogue during breaks in the filming. I developed the story as the day progressed and continued to construct the film in the editing. So the 'idea' for ‘Screen Kiss’ was probably the last element in the whole process (Although some might argue it should have been the first!).
So go forth and find an interesting context, grab a few talented actors and make the film up as you go along. There is nothing more organic or more fun. And for just 90 seconds, isn't going to break the bank or the spirit!
Oh. And if you are lucky enough to get short-listed, don't be afraid of a little marketing. Very few films have become successful through word of mouth alone. So remember to get all of your mates to vote for you and all of their friends as well. And if you can find a small multi-national company or medium sized country to endorse your film, then that can't do any harm either!
Just being short-listed for the Depict! '05 Award was a great way to meet fellow film-makers and producers. Winning the Orange DepicT! Audience Award put me on stage where I was able to pitch another project of mine, a documentary, to whoever might be watching. Afterwards, I met some producers from the BBC who gave me some advice for completing the project. A 'Tale Of Two Swimmers' has now been edited and I'm looking to secure a completion fund to get the film screened at festivals and/or broadcast this year. Any chance, Channel 4 and the Beeb?
‘Screen Kiss’ went on to become one of five films to win the CFX Short Film Award and a 35mm print. My short is now eligible to be shown at a number of other festivals and on the big screen, watch this space...
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