Why Short Films Still Matter for Building a Writing Career

This post was written by Dr. Bob Pondillo, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus—Media/Culture/Screenwriting.

We are meaning-making, pattern-seeking, storytelling creatures. If you take nothing else from this column, remember that. THAT is the key that unlocks a writer's world.

Storytelling and meaning-making are one of the human animal's evolved, innate abilities. It comes as standard equipment built right into our noggins. Think about that. How to tell and understand stories is hardwired in our brains, like language and walking! AND story infrastructures are found everywhere. Its frameworks are always resident in novels, newscasts, TV shows, movies, songs—and that scaffolding is constantly being reinforced in our media-drenched culture.

Clearly, we've evolved to learn our world and understand our place in it through stories.

That's why I used to tell my writing students, "If you can tell a joke, you already know the essential elements of any story, including screenplays." Simple, right? Right! Just not easy. But why isn't it easy?

Well, I sense the primary reason is that most newer writers haven't yet awakened to a story's hidden structures, methods, and conventions. Okay, so how does one awaken and gain access to such seemingly indiscernible structures? Oh, that's the easy part because they're not indiscernible. They're right there before us, always teaching and bolstering what you already know. So just pay attention and become a friggin' monkey!

Now I don't mean you need to swing from trees and eat bananas. I mean it in the sense of the old bromide, "Monkey see, monkey do."

Y'see, every good movie, TV show, series, novel, or joke is instructing you. Every time you read a book or watch a moving image, you're learning exactly how to build the story you have in your heart. So, pay attention as you read, study as you watch, and, like any smart monkey, copy THAT! Just don't throw any shit at your audience.

After you read a few books or web postings, or watch some screenwriting videos (which are everywhere), you'll start to see that screenwriting is like being a structural engineer. What you're really creating is a blueprint on how to shoot a movie. And within that blueprint is the soul of your story.

As you know, any building process requires many skilled craftspeople for assembly. And that assembly begins with a "master plan" of sketched layouts. There's a framing blueprint, one for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and so on. Well, in screenwriting, ALL instructions for "building" the movie are found on the same page. This way, actors, crew, and all necessary departments (like film, sound, and lighting) know where to look, what the notations mean, and what's required of each.

Over the years, this kind of writing has become a standardized way to "speak," a sort of shorthand for the various craftspeople who shoot, act in, and produce a film script. It becomes easier the more screenplays you read and start to understand the professional jargon.

So, after you read a few movie scripts and study films that "speak" to you, it's time to write. This is often the hardest part; sitting your butt in a chair and beginning to think. People hate to think, y'know? You can certainly see that everywhere, right? So, if you don't like to think and "visualize" the story in your heart, you may wish to reconsider if this work is for you.

Yes, it's a bitch. But let's say you're up for the slog. It's going to be a challenge, but it's doable. The first place to start is writing a short film.

"Shorts" run from a page or two to 30 pages. They are tough to write because concepts, themes, and character arcs don't have a lot of time to develop. I've written dozens of short films and produced six multi-award-winning short narratives, two that went to the Short Film Corner at Cannes, and one that was translated into Czech at a festival in Budapest. But, believe me, that still doesn't make me any kind of expert.

When you consider that only a handful of people at every film festival decide if one picture is "the best," it's really not that big a deal. Now don't get me wrong, if someone's passing out awards for my movie, I'll certainly take it! Such PR is very useful in marketing efforts and could make some viewers think my film is worth their time and attention. But, in all my efforts, and with dozens of awards, I've never "broken through." My advice is: keep going. Keep writing. Keep trying. Screw the awards.

After shorts, try writing feature-length screenplays. They run anywhere from 90 to 120 pages. I'd aim for about 100 pages, give or take. I've written eight full-length screenplays, and, again, have been recognized with several awards at some decent screenwriting contests. And, again, nothing happened. No movement. No interest from agents or the Hollywood tech bros.

Then came a turning point. A friend of mine read one of my scripts, thought it was good, and suggested I repurpose my film script to a novel. Why not? I had a bunch of decent stories, with good pacing, plot points, and relatable characters; all I had to do was rewrite them in novelized prose.

So...I did. It took me a year to convert every screenplay to a literary work. And I was surprised how much I enjoyed the rewrites. Usually, rewrites are hell, like picking up ideas with tweezers. But I saw each story with more focused detail, and could personally "direct" each character with the nuance I felt the tale needed.

Now I have six novels up on Amazon (with two more coming) AND have received dozens of five-star and four-star reviews from readers. Which means I now have actual data from real content consumers that show my work's proof of performance. I don't need a lit agent or Hollywood type to tell me, "Yeah, it's good, but you need some action on page 20," or "You need to put a dog in it." (Yep. These are the kind of notes I'd receive, no shit!)

I certainly feel a greater sense of control now. My work is "out there" and finally being enjoyed. That is my proof and my accomplishment. And I'm happy with it.

If Hollywood ever does come calling, I'm not going to turn them away. But I sense my Stoic nature "control what you can, and disregard the noise"—has served me well.

And it all started with writing short films. They were my early foundations. They gave me the confidence to move into features, and now novels. Hey, the only valid test of writing is writing. So, I followed my instincts, went along for the ride, and I guess the muses followed. I can't ask for anything more.

If you'd like to find out more about me, see bobpondillobooks.com or check my IMDb page.