I used to joke that if the first thing someone said about my film was they loved how it looked – that means they did NOT like the film.
And unfortunately, everything on YouTube back then seemed to be teaching how to make a film LOOK better, instead of actually BE better.
This all led to me making my own channel, and ultimately, my narrative filmmaking program WRAPPED in 30 Days.
Oh, by the way:
🔔 Only 2 days until the WRAPPED sale ends. 🔔
Since the big sale is almost over, I want to break down what problems I saw among other aspiring writer/directors that led me to build WRAPPED in the first place, and why I structured it the way I did.
Even if you’re not interested in joining, I think you’ll find it relatable, and the ideas may shape how you approach your future projects.
Sound Familiar?
You set out to make a short film. It’s a daunting project, but somehow (after spending way too much time and money on it) you succeed!
You finally show it to friends and family.
Here’s what they say:
- “There were some nice shots in there.”
- “Very interesting film.”
- “It’s just amazing that you finished it!”
Those are code-words for “I like you, but I HATE your film.”
This was my entire childhood showing my short films to family 😂
But I’m not alone, every filmmaker I know has heard these “compliments” at some point.
Instead, what if your short film got reactions like this?
- “I got sucked into the story!”
- “I was tearing up at the end.”
- “I just wanted it to keep going!”
And what if you could make a film like that for a fraction of what you thought it would cost?
And have it written and shot within a month?
And then make more films like that whenever you wanted to?
Well, good news. You definitely can.
And you don’t need a ton of free time, or tens of thousands of dollars to do it. In fact, I’ve made short films this way more times than I can count.
And here’s what people said about these 30-day films:
“OK, so how do I do it?”
By learning how to write a powerful story based on the resources you already have, you can create short films cheaply and quickly.
Unless your dad is Chris Nolan, this is the #1 skill that beginner filmmakers need, and unfortunately the one they seem to lack the most.
If you can write great stories that leverage what you already have, you have the power to:
- Make more short films
- Rapidly improve your skills
- Find your unique voice
- Build a portfolio & network from scratch
- Move on to making bigger and better films
“So it’s JUST about the story?”
No… It’s MOSTLY about the story.
It’s also about:
- Becoming a savvy producer
- Discovering and executing your vision as the director
- Finding a few excited people to help bring your film to life
Fortunately, WRAPPED in 30 Days will teach you how to do all of the above, step-by-step, with the most effective, experience-based, practical approach possible.
(And do it all in only a month 🙂)
“Write & shoot a whole film in a MONTH?”
Absolutely.
This project is only as intimidating as you can handle, because WRAPPED is designed to be scalable so that you challenge yourself and succeed, rather than burn out and quit.
Also, being forced to write and shoot a film within a month is a BLESSING, not a curse.
As Parkinson’s Law states, “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
This idea has been experimentally proven – the more time we have, the more time we waste. That’s why the most effective deadlines are aggressive but still manageable.
And after making shorts on many different timelines, I can assure you that 30 days is right in that Goldilocks zone of fast, but totally doable (even with work and other obligations).
Still sound too fast?
In my next YouTube video you’ll hear how someone teamed up with a few friends to create a short film in less than 1 WEEK that changed his life (while working a full-time job).
Not to mention the many students of WRAPPED who have successfully completed this 30 day challenge (for some of them, it was their first film EVER).
Using the course recommendations, I wrote a script within my limitations and got the whole thing wrapped in one shooting day.
I hadn’t made a short in 2 years before this course and it feels good to have finally completed something I’m happy with.
It’s a feeling I want to perpetuate.
-Paul Laurora
Going through your course has provided so much insight into how I now work. I especially loved your approach to writing.
It was both enlightening and frustrating, only because I wish I had known all this sooner.
-Ike Mauga
Ready to be next? This is the best time to join WRAPPED and take control of your filmmaking future.
If you’re just too busy, you can always enroll now to lock in the discount, then start your project later (but don’t wait too long 😉).
I hope you can join us, and I can’t wait to see what you make!
That’s it for this week.
Let’s make some movies.
-Kent