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Issue #2012 [2012 Complete Guide to Making Movies]

Five Reasons Why Short Films Are Still Essential
by Warren Pereira
I wrote and directed my first short film, Lacking Lewis, in early 2005. The supposed “final” cut, ready later that year, was awful. So I rewrote, re-shot, re-color corrected, re-edited, re-scored and re-sound mixed it more times than I care to admit.  By 2007, the film was better. It got into some festivals and even won a few awards. I was told that I was ready to make a feature and that any more time spent making short films would be a waste, but over the next four years, I made four more short films with the same meticulous work ethic as my first. The shorts garnered me multiple festival selections and awards, Oscar qualification, critical praise and even distribution. They connected me with amazingly talented artists whom I respect and who have taught me a lot. For anyone who thinks that making a short film is just an easily-ignored pit stop on the road to feature film stardom, I offer the following five reasons to make a short film.

My Golden Rules: Errol Morris
by Errol Morris
Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, Gates of Heaven, The Fog of War), who explored the potential of photography to reveal truth in his book Believing Is Seeing: Observations on the Mysteries of Photography, presents his five golden rules for discovering truth through cinema.

First-Time Tricks of the Trade
by Mark W. Travis
Being a first-time director is like jumping into the deep end of a pool. You may have prepared for this job by directing short films, attending workshops, watching other directors work and reading lots of books. All of that is good, but when you embark on directing your first feature, you’re still jumping into the deep end, where there’s no lifeguard on duty and no one to yank you out if you drop below the water line. But there are some tricks you can learn quickly that will work for you if you are willing to embrace them enthusiastically.