How to Write a Short Film

Summary

The video script offers a comprehensive guide on writing a short film, debunking common myths and emphasizing the importance of a strong dramatic narrative. It uses the short film 'Stutterer' as a case study to illustrate the process of building characters, establishing philosophical conflicts, and applying Dan Harmon's story circle for structuring a compelling story. The key takeaway is that regardless of length, a well-crafted narrative with relatable characters and a clear conflict is essential for a successful short film.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Short films are their own unique form and should not be approached with the same mindset as feature films.
• 🌟 A meaningful and dramatic narrative can be achieved in short films by focusing on fundamental story elements.
• 🚫 Debunking the myth that short films cannot be deeply meaningful due to their length.
• 📌 The importance of setup in storytelling, even when working with limited time or pages.
• 🎥 The misconception that impressive visuals or technical aspects can compensate for a weak story is clarified as incorrect.
• 🌐 The process of story creation involves starting with a simple idea and building upon it with character development and philosophical conflict.
• 👤 The main character's beliefs and desires form the core of the story, driving their actions and the narrative.
• 🔄 The story circle, a tool like Dan Harmon's, can be used effectively for structuring short films by focusing on the natural elements of a dramatic story.
• 💡 The climax of a story should challenge the character's beliefs and force them to confront their internal and external obstacles.
• 🎶 The ending of a short film should resonate with the audience by resolving the philosophical conflict and showing character growth.
• 📚 Analyzing existing successful short films can provide valuable insights into crafting a strong narrative drama.

Q & A

What is the main misconception about short films mentioned in the script?

The main misconception mentioned is that short films are too short to be deeply meaningful and dramatic. However, the script argues that short films can indeed be meaningful and dramatic if they focus on building them on fundamental story elements.

What are the three myths about writing short films debunked in the video?

The three myths debunked are: 1) Short films are too short to be deeply meaningful and dramatic, 2) There isn't enough time to set up the story in a short film, and 3) Stunning cinematography, witty dialog, and cool concepts can create a good short film even if the story isn't good.

What is the importance of setup in a short film's narrative?

Setup is necessary to a story even in a short film. It helps the audience understand what's going on, who the characters are, and why the action is happening. Without a quick establishment of these elements, the audience may disengage from the story.

What role does the story play in a short film despite its length?

The story is the core element of a short film. Audiences will grow bored quickly if there's no engaging story at the core, regardless of how visually appealing the film might be.

Can you explain the concept of 'philosophical conflict' as it relates to the main character, Greenwood?

The philosophical conflict refers to the internal struggle within Greenwood's beliefs about his stutter. He believes that his stutter will prevent him from connecting deeply with others and holds him back from forming meaningful relationships. This conflict drives the narrative and engages the audience with the character's journey.

What does Greenwood want more than anything else in the story?

Greenwood wants to be in a deep, intimate relationship with someone. This desire is what pushes the story forward and sets up the central conflict of the narrative.

How does the character of Ellie serve to oppose and challenge Greenwood's beliefs?

Ellie holds beliefs that oppose Greenwood's. She accepts herself for who she is and is willing to be open and honest. These beliefs are in direct conflict with Greenwood's, creating tension and driving the story towards resolution.

What is the significance of the narrative structure used in the script, and how does it contribute to the story's drama?

The narrative structure follows Dan Harmon's story circle, which breaks down the story into fundamental elements that create drama. This structure helps to focus on the character's journey, their desires, the challenges they face, and the transformation they undergo, making the story engaging and emotionally resonant.

How does the short film 'Stutterer' conclude, and what philosophical ideas does it confirm?

The short film concludes with Greenwood realizing that Ellie is deaf. This revelation shifts Greenwood's beliefs as he learns to accept himself and Ellie for who they are. The film confirms philosophical ideas of self-acceptance, honesty, and risk-taking as the keys to overcoming personal obstacles and forming meaningful connections.

What is the role of Greenwood's father in the story, and how does he contribute to the philosophical conflict?

Greenwood's father serves as a character who accepts him for who he is, representing a counterpoint to Greenwood's self-doubt. His acceptance adds to the philosophical conflict by showing Greenwood that he is capable of being loved and understood, which challenges his own negative beliefs about his stutter.

How does the script use the concept of 'unfamiliar situations' to challenge and develop the main character?

The script places Greenwood in unfamiliar situations, such as the prospect of meeting Ellie in person, to challenge his beliefs and force him to confront his fears. These situations are crucial for character development, as they push Greenwood to adapt, change, and ultimately grow.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Debunking Myths on Short Film Writing

This paragraph addresses common misconceptions about writing short films. It emphasizes that short films, despite their length, can be deeply meaningful and dramatic by focusing on fundamental story elements. The video aims to provide a clear understanding of crafting a strong dramatic narrative in a short film format. It also dispels the belief that short films don't require setup or that stunning visuals and concepts can compensate for a weak story.

05:01

🌟 Building a Strong Character and Conflict

The paragraph discusses the importance of establishing a strong main character and their beliefs to create a compelling story. It uses the example of a short film called 'Stutterer' to illustrate the process of developing a character with a philosophical conflict. The main character, Greenwood, who stutters, is used to demonstrate how a character's beliefs and desires can drive the narrative and engage the audience.

10:02

📌 Structuring the Narrative with Character Development

This section delves into the narrative structure of short films, emphasizing that they can follow the same fundamental story elements as feature films. The video uses Dan Harmon's story circle to structure the short film 'Stutterer', breaking down the story into four quarters and four points to create a dramatic arc. The paragraph explains how the main character Greenwood's journey from his comfort zone to facing an unfamiliar situation, adapting to it, and the consequences of his actions, can be effectively portrayed using this structure.

15:06

🎭 Analyzing the Storytelling Techniques in 'Stutterer'

The paragraph provides an analysis of the short film 'Stutterer', highlighting how the writer and director, Benjamin Cleary, effectively uses storytelling techniques to bring the character Greenwood's journey to life. It discusses the importance of establishing the main character's external problem, the development of the love interest Ellie, and the introduction of the father character to add depth to the philosophical conflict. The paragraph also explores how the film's scenes contribute to the emotional impact and the character's growth.

20:07

💡 Applying Fundamental Story Elements to Various Genres

In the concluding paragraph, the video reiterates the importance of understanding and applying the fundamental elements of story to create a strong narrative, regardless of the story's length or genre. It encourages writers to use the case study of 'Stutterer' as a framework for developing their own stories, emphasizing that a well-structured narrative with a clear philosophical conflict and character development can result in a powerful and resonant short film.

Keywords

💡Short films

Short films are a form of cinematic storytelling that is concise and often focuses on a single idea or theme. They are distinct from feature-length films due to their brevity and the specific challenges they present in terms of narrative structure and character development. In the video, the speaker aims to debunk myths about short films and provide guidance on how to write a strong dramatic narrative within this format.

💡Dramatic narrative

A dramatic narrative refers to a storytelling technique that engages the audience through conflict, character development, and emotional engagement. It is the backbone of most stories, including short films, and involves a character facing challenges or conflicts that they must overcome or learn from. The video emphasizes the importance of creating a strong dramatic narrative in short films to ensure they are meaningful and impactful.

💡Myths

Myths, in the context of the video, refer to common but misguided beliefs about writing short films. The speaker aims to debunk such myths, which include the ideas that short films cannot be deeply meaningful or dramatic due to their length, lack time for story setup, or that they rely on stunning visuals or concepts rather than a solid story.

💡Character development

Character development is the process by which a character in a story changes or grows, often in response to the challenges or conflicts they face. It is a crucial aspect of storytelling, including in short films, as it helps the audience connect with the characters and become invested in their journey. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding a character's beliefs and desires to create a compelling narrative.

💡Philosophical conflict

A philosophical conflict refers to a struggle within a character's beliefs or values, often clashing with the external world or other characters' beliefs. This type of conflict is central to creating a dramatic narrative, as it drives the character's actions and decisions. The video discusses how the main character's internal philosophical conflict about his stutter and self-acceptance is central to the story of 'Stutterer'.

💡Narrative structure

Narrative structure refers to the organization and sequence of events in a story, which helps to create a coherent and engaging narrative. It is particularly important in short films, where the limited time requires efficient storytelling. The video introduces Dan Harmon's story circle as a tool for structuring a short film narrative, emphasizing the fundamental elements of a dramatic story.

💡Zone of comfort

The zone of comfort refers to a state or situation where a character feels safe and is not challenged. In storytelling, characters often start in this zone before being pushed into unfamiliar situations that force them to grow or change. The video discusses how the main character of 'Stutterer' starts in his zone of comfort but is forced out of it by his desire for a deep relationship, leading to personal growth.

💡Unfamiliar situation

An unfamiliar situation is a scenario or context that a character is not used to and that challenges their status quo. It is a critical element in narrative structure as it pushes the character to adapt, grow, or change. In the video, the unfamiliar situation for Greenwood is the prospect of meeting Ellie in person, which forces him to confront his stutter and self-beliefs.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in a narrative context refers to how a character responds to and copes with the challenges or changes they encounter in the story. It is a key part of character development and is essential in driving the plot forward. The video discusses how Greenwood must adapt to the unfamiliar situation of meeting Ellie, which is central to the progression of the story in 'Stutterer'.

💡Catharsis

Catharsis is a term from ancient Greek drama that refers to the emotional release or purging of emotions, typically those of a tragic or conflicted nature. In the context of storytelling, it is the moment when the conflict is resolved, and the audience experiences relief or a sense of satisfaction. The video emphasizes the importance of catharsis in storytelling, particularly in short films, as it provides a satisfying conclusion to the character's journey.

💡External problem

An external problem is a challenge or obstacle that a character faces in the external world, as opposed to internal conflicts or struggles. It is a key element in storytelling as it creates tension and drives the plot. The video discusses how the main character's external problem, his stutter, is used to explore deeper philosophical beliefs and conflicts.

Highlights

Debunking myths about short film writing, emphasizing that short films can be deeply meaningful and dramatic.

The importance of setup in short films, even when working with limited pages, to ensure audience engagement.

The misconception that stunning cinematography or cool concepts can compensate for a weak story in a short film.

Using the short film 'Stutterer' as an example to illustrate a good writing process for creating a strong dramatic narrative.

The process of finding an idea for a short film, starting with a simple concept and building upon it.

Developing the main character by understanding their beliefs and the philosophical dilemmas they face.

The significance of the character's desire and beliefs in driving the narrative of a short film.

Introducing a love interest character that adds depth to the story and contributes to the philosophical conflict.

Structuring the story using Dan Harmon's story circle, focusing on the fundamental elements of a dramatic story.

Explaining the eight points of the story circle and how they apply to short film narrative structure.

Creating an unfamiliar situation for the character that challenges their deeply held beliefs.

The character's journey of adapting to new situations and the resulting internal conflict.

The importance of a character's actions being challenged and coming at a cost in a drama.

The climax of the story where the character's beliefs are tested and the potential for transformation.

The resolution of the story, where the character returns to a familiar situation, ideally changed by their experiences.

Analyzing the actual implementation of the story elements in 'Stutterer' and how the writer brings these elements together.

The impact of the character's external flaw and internal limiting beliefs on the narrative.

Transcripts

so you're trying to write a short film

there's a lot of bad information out

there about writing short films when

people want to write movies one of the

common pieces of advice is watch movies

but that doesn't really work with short

films short films are their own breed

they are written and made for all

different reasons many times it's for a

director or cinematographer to show off

their ability or maybe the short is

really just an ad for something and

sometimes the writers seemingly abandon

what they know about writing dramatic

narratives when they go to write a short

film in this video I want to change all

of that I want to give you a clear

understanding of how you can write a

strong dramatic narrative in a short

film let's begin first off I want to

debunk a few myths surrounding writing

short films myth 1 short films are too

short to be deeply meaningful and

dramatic this is completely wrong short

films can absolutely be meaningful and

dramatic if you focus on building them

on fundamental story elements myth 2

there isn't enough time to set up the

story many writers believe they have to

skip having any set up in their short

film

because they only have a few pages to

work with this is not true setup is

necessary to a story even if you start

right in the middle of the action the

audience is going to need to know what's

going on who people are and why the

action is happening if they don't learn

these things quickly they will disengage

from the story myth 3 stunning

cinematography woody dialog and cool

concepts will create a good short film

even if the story isn't good this is

absolutely wrong yet I see this in short

films all the time even in a short film

the story is still the core element

audiences will always grow bored quickly

if there's no story at the core even if

the film looks gorgeous

however rather than simply showing you

an example and explaining why that

example works I want to take a short

film that already exists and

reconstructed from the ground up

like you would be doing when writing

your short

the short film I'm going to use is

stutterer now I want to make it clear

that I did not make this film this short

film was written and directed by

Benjamin Cleary I am using this short

film to build an example of a good

process you can adopt to create a short

film that has a strong dramatic

narrative stutterer is linked below but

this might actually work better if

you've never seen it before also and I'm

only going to say this once this is not

the only way to build a story or a short

film take what's helpful leave what

isn't this isn't a formula this is an

examination of why stories work to help

you write your own story the writer may

not have used this exact method to build

this short film however this process is

one that has been extremely beneficial

to me and hopefully will be beneficial

to you as well let's begin with finding

an idea ideas can be all sorts of things

they can be a scene a character a line

of dialogue a concept or a philosophical

idea that you want to examine for this

short film let's start with a very

simple idea the story is about a man who

stutters this is a good place to start

we now have a concept we don't have our

story yet but we have the beginning of

an idea now we can move on to building

our main character and what they believe

just like a longer form story a short

film needs philosophical ethical or

moral dilemmas this is why we become

invested in characters it's not about

their ability to solve problems or the

fact that they are in danger it's about

what the characters believe and the

actions they take because of those

beliefs that engage us with the story

it's good to start by building out the

main character the person that your

story will revolve around there may be

many characters in your story but

usually there will be one character that

pushes the story forward more than

anyone else in this story our main

character is a man who stutters his name

is Greenwood Greenwood stutter is an

external problem but this isn't where

the conflict of the story is we need to

give Greenwood some

Lys what does he believe about his

stutter that holds him back in life we

need to answer this question so we can

begin to build strong story conflict but

this is hard to figure out without

knowing what the character once and why

they want it so let's talk about what

Greenwood wants Greenwood wants to be in

love okay this is a start but let's go

deeper than that

Greenwood wants a deep intimate

relationship with someone this is a

strong desire now that we know what

Greenwood once we can talk more about

what he believes what beliefs does

Greenwood hold that will stop him from

getting what he wants we have the

characters want and this major external

obstacle we can use these together to

help build out Greenwoods philosophical

beliefs and the philosophical conflict

Greenwood believes that his stutter will

stop him from connecting deeply with

others he feels disconnected from the

world and believes his stutter will

always hold him back he is wallowing in

self-pity so now we have our central

character and the central idea behind

the story these are the guiding ideas of

almost every great dramatic story a

character struggling with their own

beliefs as they come into conflict with

the world now that we have an

understanding of what the story is about

philosophically we can begin building

the other characters in the story okay

so this is a love story

Greenwood wants to find a deep intimate

relationship so he needs a love interest

now we bring in Ellie Ellie is green

with love interest but she can't just be

the love interest why because that's not

what the story is about the story falls

flat if Ellie is simply the love

interest because then she wouldn't be

adding to the philosophical conflict

she should hold beliefs that oppose

Greenwoods Ellie accepts herself for who

she is Ellie is willing to be open and

honest Ellie is not wallowing in

self-pity these are the beliefs that

Greenwood must accept

and now Greenwood and Ellie's beliefs

are in conflict if this is the case then

we need to see proof of Ellie's

acceptance of these ideas Ellie needs to

have an external problem just like

Greenwood but we don't know what it is

yet we'll come back to this now we have

two major characters but let's add one

more Greenwoods father Greenwood

shouldn't have a father in the story for

no reason this character should also add

to the philosophical conflict Greenwood

now has evidence of someone in his life

that accepts him for who he is this is

how the father character adds to the

philosophical conflict so now we have

our concept our philosophical conflict

and our characters now we need to think

about how we can structure a story in a

way that is dramatic interesting and

pressures our main character in the best

way possible let's look at a narrative

structure short films aren't any more

difficult to write than feature films

however some people get confused because

they try to apply structural formulas

and rules that only work with

feature-length screenplays too short

films as a storyteller and writer you

should be focusing on the fundamental

elements of how a story works and that's

why I want to structure this short film

using Dan Harmon's story circle the

story circle is a great tool because it

isn't constricted by a certain length of

time rather than existing to hit certain

beats on certain pages of a feature film

the story circle focuses on the

fundamental elements of the story the

story circle breaks down into four

quarters and four points which create a

dramatic story number one the character

is in a zone of comfort number two but

they want something number three they

enter an unfamiliar situation number

four they adapt to it number five they

get what they wanted number six they pay

a heavy price for it number seven they

return to their familiar situation

number eight having changed

I've talked extensively about the story

circle in my previous videos because I

believe it is the best structural tool

for the screenwriter

because it moves away from screenwriting

formulas and focuses on the innate

natural elements of a dramatic story for

an in-depth look at the different ways

the story circle can be helpful to a

screenwriter check out my video on story

structure linked below so we already

have the first two points on the story

circle we have a character Greenwood and

we know what he wants to be in a deep

intimate relationship and we also know

what holds him back his beliefs about

his stutter now let's look at point

three we need to place Greenwood into an

unfamiliar situation this is where Ellie

fits in the unfamiliar situation needs

to specifically challenge Greenwoods

beliefs

this short film uses the fact that

Greenwood and Ellie have been chatting

online for six months and now Ellie is

in London and wants to meet this is a

great unfamiliar situation for Greenwood

to get what he wants it will mean

confronting his deeply held beliefs this

is a fantastic dilemma what will

Greenwood do so now we moved to for

Greenwood must adapt to this new

situation now that we know who Greenwood

is we understand how he would react at

first he simply doesn't want to respond

he wants to go on the date yet he

doesn't want to reveal that he has a

stutter he wants connection but feels

completely constricted now let's move to

five the character gets what they want

Greenwood should decide to meet this is

what he wants no matter how scared he is

he does want this so he takes a chance

[Music]

by some chance still want to meet me I'd

love to meet you

however at 6:00 Greenwood will pay for

this one of the biggest important

elements of a good drama is that

characters action must be challenged

characters heading towards what they

want or getting what they want should

always come at a cost

this keeps the conflict heightened and

the story moving forward so Ellie will

agree to meet because this is who she is

she is one who has accepted herself and

is willing to take a chance however now

that Ellie has agreed to meet Greenwoods

walls are going to have to come down he

won't be able to hide now we go to seven

return to a familiar situation so this

is where a lot of people get caught up

they are confused as to what the return

is sometimes it can be a little will

return to a place sometimes it can be a

return to the balance before the

conflict began and that's what I want to

focus on here the return is bringing the

philosophical conflict to its breaking

point and reaching catharsis Greenwood

must go to meet Ellie this is the

biggest challenge to his beliefs

if this goes poorly he will retreat back

into his old beliefs however if it goes

well then he may become a changed person

if the goal is to push the drama as hard

as we can then it must seem like there's

no way this can go well and then when it

does go well the audience is relieved

and experiences catharsis not just

because a date went well but because the

philosophical ideas of self-acceptance

honesty and risk-taking are confirmed by

the story so now we need to build our

ending remember when we were building

the character of Ellie we never gave her

an external obstacle that she has

already conquered to show her

philosophical beliefs so let's do that

now when Greenwood goes to the date he

must realize that Ellie is someone who

has her own problems yet has accepted

herself and is willing to be honest and

because this is a love story and we want

the ending to resonate Ellie's external

problem should complement Greenwoods

external problem as if they were made to

be together

so if Greenwood can't speak then maybe

Ellie shouldn't be able to hear and this

is how this short film builds attending

Greenwood can't speak but he realizes

that Ellie is deaf and then at number 8

Greenwood has changed being honest and

taking a risk worked in his favor he

will accept Ellie for who she is and she

will do the same for him green woods

beliefs have radically shifted so now we

have the core of the story but this

isn't everything

we haven't actually written it out

figured out dialogue made stylistic

choices and so on but this is our

foundation everything that comes after

this point will be built on a strong

foundation because the core elements of

a dramatic story are here now was this

easier than what the story building

process is actually like yes of course

having the finished product and being

able to work backwards is always easier

when ideas come to us they are usually

messier than this and your story will go

through multiple drafts however I wanted

to do this so that you have a framework

that helps you get through the hard work

of building the core of your story now

that we have the core I want to do some

analysis on how Benjamin Cleary the

writer and director actually brings

these elements together hello that can

you hear me

so the first thing we see in here is a

man with a stutter struggling to speak

on the phone hi my name is Greenwood

thirty seconds into the short we know

who our main character is we know his

name and we know his major external

problem already from this we can assume

that his stutter is something that he

feels holds him back in life then we see

Greenwood practicing sign language this

further shows us that his stutter is a

major element in his life that he wants

to overcome it also becomes part of his

character and a bit of setup for the end

of the story when he finally meets Ellie

one minute into the short we see

Greenwood on hold with a company we can

see that Greenwood fears these

situations that many people would

consider easy and that his stutter seems

to be constantly on his mind thank you

for holding your call is important to us

now we go to the scene where Greenwood

messages back and forth with Ellie again

this isn't just because Greenwood needs

a love interest this accomplishes two

major things one it shows us that Ellie

and Greenwood have been in an online

relationship for six months and two it

shows us that Greenwood wants to be with

this girl in real life whether he is

consciously thinking about it or not in

the next scene we see the Greenwood is a

typographer which doesn't really add to

or take away from the core of the story

it's more of a stylistic choice then we

go to this snap judgment scene snap

judgment 1224 which happens a couple

more times over the course of the short

these sorts of moments are where you as

the writer begin to decide how you want

your story to feel moments like these

are character moments where we stop and

learn about Greenwood now we meet

Greenwoods father Greenwood tells an

interesting quote to his father the way

his father reacts after Greenwood

recites the quote tells us a lot about

who this man is

I like that one we see that he accepts

Greenwood he is not judging him or angry

with him for having a stutter he simply

accepts him and like I explained before

this is his philosophical role in the

story this also shows that it is not

enough that Greenwoods father accepts

Greenwood for who he is

Greenwood must learn to accept himself

this is also the first time we sit with

Greenwood as he says a full sentence

this scene helps us empathize and

understand how difficult it can be for

him to speak mmm

musics pleasure the human soul it

experiences from hunting now we enter

the unfamiliar situation Ellie asks to

meet in person let's talk about why this

moment works when Greenwood reads this

message he gets scared and we get scared

for him as the audience the fear and the

audience's mind isn't it's going to be

hard for him to speak on the date the

fear in the audience's mind is she won't

want to be with him after she realizes

that he has a stutter and those two are

very different things one is simply

about an external problem

the second is about what Greenwood and

the audience believe do you see the

difference that difference is everything

if you don't nail that no one will care

about your story

no one will care about simple external

obstacles they only care about how your

characters beliefs come into conflict in

the story so now we go to another scene

with green woods father talking on the

phone with a company from the beginning

[Music]

this adds to the shame that Greenwood

feels if he can't even operate as an

independent person then how can he

function in a relationship the internal

voice he uses to judge other people

exists because he judges himself

Greenwood decides to follow his current

beliefs he tries to find a way to skip

meeting with Ellie okay hey oh sorry

only getting back to you now amazing

that you're in London I'd love to meet

with you but the thing is my bloody

cousins are visiting and my but then

Greenwood makes a decision he decides to

meet with Ellie

he quickly writes a message and hit Send

this is his biggest move towards getting

what he wants eight minutes into the

short Greenwood tries to break up an

intense argument between a couple and

gets beaten up for it this shows us

another moment of how his stutter holds

him back in different situations

now Greenwood does one of his snap

judgments on himself and in this scene

he states the philosophical conflict

that has been at the center for the

entire story snap judgment 1226

reclusive typographer invisible to the

naked eye communication skills in an

infant Excel was in the art of self-pity

and then Ellie finally responds and is

still willing to meet with Greenwood

which is exactly what Greenwood wants

and also the scariest thing that could

happen

Greenwood prepares for the date this is

where the short film ties in a scene

where Greenwood gets beaten listen to

Greenwoods thoughts she feels like a

first date I know this is a cosmetic

surgery oh yes we had a little bit of

work on Greenwood is still trying to

cling on to his old beliefs he is still

trying to think up a convenient lie

rather than be honest this adds to the

conflict as Greenwood heads to the date

and then the climax

Ellie is deaf which isn't just a reveal

for the sake of being a reveal this

reveal has a major impact on the

philosophical console

in the story that's what makes the

reveal impactful Greenwoods external

problem isn't a problem at all he is

able to be honest with her about his

stutter she will accept him for who he

is and he will do the same for her in

every scene of this short film Greenwood

is dealing with his external flaw and

his internal limiting beliefs sometimes

that conflict feels big like trying to

intervene in the couple's argument

sometimes that conflict feels small like

Greenwood sitting by himself thinking

either way Greenwood is constantly being

pressed by what he believes and how

those beliefs shape his life this is a

fantastic short film it has strong

philosophical conflict good structure

and an ending that works perfectly while

this is a case study there's a lot of

elements that you can apply to stories

that are not in this genre when you look

back at the process we covered hopefully

you can see how these ideas can work

with all sorts of stories with all sorts

of lengths and genres and by

understanding those fundamental elements

of story you can write your short film

as a strong narrative drama hello I hope

you liked the video for an in-depth dive

at the different concepts I've covered

in this video I recommend you check out

my screenwriting playlist linked on the

screen now also hit that subscribe

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for watching

[Music]