Find Your Film's Story: Use Your Voice

This is the second of four blogs to give you a few strategies that have helped me find the seed of a new project. Try them out! They might help you too.

GET REALLY, REALLY SPECIFIC

Many, many short films have been made—but not by you. Think about what it is about your specific experiences, identity, place in the world, life journey, interests, or outlook that you can grow into a character, story, or fictional world. The important thing is—what questions can you ask that no one else can?

DRAW FROM LIFE

Truth is more surprising than fiction, which can activate our storytelling instincts.

You want to find a true story you connect with, but you also want to have some distance. You need to be able to see how to shape the material so that it is compelling to viewers who do not have your personal connection to the source.

You also want to feel confident that you have permission to tell any true story. This is impossible to define and varies from situation to situation. Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider early on in your writing process.

If you find a true story that you think you can tell, consider asking your subject for an informational interview. An interview can help you to unearth the background information you will need to develop the character or characters, their journey, and/or the world in which the story would take place.

Sidenote: If you like making films and telling stories but don’t feel ready to move forward on any of your fictional ideas, you might consider creating a documentary instead of a fiction film. Shaping messy real life into a crafted nonfiction story requires the same skillset as telling a fiction story, which is why documentaries are often accepted as part of a filmmaking portfolio. 

Your artistic process is a deeply personal thing that you alone can develop. Mix and match the techniques suggested in these four blogs. Keep what works for you, but trust your feelings and intuition. Creating a personal process is part of your own personal overall film journey. 

If you are interested in working with Jesse Damazo on your film portfolio or need help with any part of your application process, contact Best Fit Education or email us at info@bestfitedu.com.