How I Saved My Short Film

The sequel to How I F**ed-Up My Short Film

In March 2020 I wrote a blog about everything I had done wrong in the planning and shooting of my short film Acceptance. This follow-up is about how I picked up the pieces and came out of it with an award-winning short.

At around 10:30pm on 20th February 2020 I headed to the pub to meet with some of the cast and crew who had just wrapped on Acceptance. We had been in the location, a local school hall, since 3pm and in seven hours we had:

• Dressed the location to create a US election night
• Jeremy (Director of Photography) had rigged the lighting with just one inexperienced assistant
• I had wasted time on a live feed to a projector which we eventually didn’t use
• Rehearsed with the cast (for the first time)
• Blocked the action
• Filmed five of the six lengthy set-ups I had planned, including just one full take of the 15-minute monologue that makes up the majority of the film
• Stolen a night-time exterior shot whilst the school caretaker was inside screaming blue-murder because we were supposed to be wrapped and gone by 10pm
• Struck the set-dressing and lights
• Got out