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How Not to Make a Short Film

Secrets from a Sundance Programmer

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How Not to Make a Short Film

By: Roberta Marie Munroe
Narrated by: Roberta Marie Munroe
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About this listen

 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. Direction & Production Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Screenwriting Entertainment Short Film

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Critic reviews

"Roberta Munroe is that rare person in the film world who can not only recognize an inspired, great film, but she can actually help you make one."—Mark Duplass, Sundance and SXSW award-winning filmmaker
"Roberta Munroe is brilliant. Her advice and insights on our project, The Tribe, from rough cut to completed film were instrumental and invaluable to its success. It is exciting to think that all filmmakers will have access to her incredible mind and experience through this book."—Tiffany Shlain, award-winning filmmaker
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This is a really great guide and insight into the challenges and opportunities of short film making.
There is so much knowledge inside this to take in, and it really helps you understand how important it is to see short film is as it’s own art form, not just short versions of feature films.

A must read for short film makers

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A good material overall . Well ,a bit over complicated at times ,for the entertainment I guess ,like the bitchy voice ,also maybe an attempt at entertainment. I actually got angry that the good material in this book was wasted on the bad naration. Anyway.. she wanted to show us how to keep costs down. Good book for the aspiring movie artist.

Good material and bad naration

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Perfect for film students and anyone looking to become a director or producer. Roberta Munroe gives her great insight from her experience as a short film maker and festival programmer

Great audio book for first time/new film makers.

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unlike a great amount of other books on the subject, the delight of this publication is that the author has no obvious agenda against or vitriol for the industry it concerns. roberta marie munroe not only clearly knows the ropes in terms of having made short films but also quite clearly wants to foster new talent & content from her position of working in the festival circuit, she also delivers the audiobook reading clearly, with animated (but not over the top) and warm confidence that never belittles, patronises or condescends. this piece has honestly helped me and made me look forward to tackling my current workload as a filmmaker.

informative, encouraging & welcoming

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Grateful to the author, the content and the effort. Well done! I think it will...

Marvelous

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