Most people who want to make a film never start. Not because they lack ideas, but because nobody ever told them what actually happens, in what order, and how much of it they can skip.
This guide is written for people who have never made a film before. It assumes no equipment beyond a phone, no budget, and no prior knowledge. Every step is written in plain language, and every step tells you the smallest version you can get away with as well as the fuller version.
It is also written with disabled filmmakers in mind throughout. That is not a separate section at the end — access is part of how you choose a location, plan a shooting day, direct actors and finish a film. Where a step has an access consideration, it is in that step.
You can read this out of order
If you already have an idea, start at step 2. If you have already filmed something and got stuck, go straight to step 7. Nothing here depends on you having read the step before it.
The seven steps
How long does a short film take?
Honestly: less than you think, and longer than you hope. A simple three minute film made by one person can be shot in a weekend and edited in another. Give yourself about a month of evenings for a first film and you will not be far off.
The two stages people underestimate are writing and editing. The two people overestimate are equipment and filming. Time spent planning before the shoot buys back several times as much time afterwards.
What you actually need
- A camera. The phone in your pocket is genuinely good enough. Films shot on phones have won this festival.
- Sound. The one thing worth spending money on. See step 5.
- Somewhere to film. A room you already have access to counts.
- Editing software. Free, on every platform. See step 7.
- People. One other person makes everything easier. It does not have to be many.
A note on "good enough"
Every rule in this guide can be broken and has been, by films that went on to win awards. Treat all of it as a starting point rather than a standard you have to meet. A finished imperfect film beats a perfect unmade one, every time.