You Could Be Next: Making Short Films: A blog explaining the how-to’s of making short films, provided by the professionals.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death at 46 is a tragic loss for film lovers and the many people who knew him. But for young actors, and all artists really, his passing carries a particular poignancy. Hoffman spent his life chasing his craft, and that’s what made him great. He didn’t make a lot of money; he wasn’t always famous or on-trend; he never stopped studying and working on what he loved. His loss is one that should inspire us to keep chasing our dreams as well, to keep doing what we love even if it scares us, even if we’re not sure it will pay off.

Hoffman was a man who knew who he was. He was an artist through and through, and he cultivated an image of himself as an artist rather than a star. He’d been acting since he was 9 years old, but with few exceptions (like Twister), his early roles were in small independent films like Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski. In 1999, he grabbed more attention with Magnolia — which earned him his first Oscar nomination — but two years later

You Could Be Next: Making Short Films A blog explaining the how-to’s of making short films, provided by the professionals.

You Could Be Next: Making Short Films

August 19th, 2005

Posted by Alex Hoffman

For some time now I have been meaning to write a post about making short films. Over a year ago I made a film with my friend Brian Smolensky and we had a lot of fun making it. We showed it at film festivals from New York to Los Angeles (and won at some), but we also learned quite a bit along the way. When I was in high school I would make little movies with my friends for fun and never really thought much of them. Now, after having done this professionally, I can honestly say that there is not much difference between making a film on the cheap or spending thousands of dollars on it. Sure there are advantages to having money, but doing without forces you to be creative and work harder and smarter.

Why Make Short Films?

* It’s easy (at least compared to features) – You can get an idea, write it down in 15 minutes, shoot it in an afternoon and edit it that night if you want. The next day you can put it on

To start off, I wanted to show you the most recent addition to my “favorite” list of short films. I stumbled on it while doing some research on film festivals and was immediately caught in a trance. The film is called Hoffmann Actor, and it is a small gem that proves that great films can be made on a very low budget. With only a few resources available, the film comes out looking like a high-end production.

Based on the story “The Sandman” by E.T.A. Hoffman, Hoffmann Actor tells the simple story of an actor who is about to perform in front of an audience for the first time after being locked away for several years due to mental illness. Throughout the film we learn about his past through visuals and cinematography alone, as no word is spoken during its five minute runtime. However, what makes this film stick out from other shorts (and films in general) is its sound design, which is absolutely masterful! From beginning to end it keeps your attention by providing non-stop entertainment through both sound and picture; never overdoing it yet still managing to keep you engaged at all times.

The film was directed by Swiss filmmaker Pascal Flurin Naef who has been making films

I have taken a few screenwriting courses in my time, but I can honestly say that this class is by far the best. I have learned more from Chris than I ever have in any other class. It’s not just his knowledge and experience; it’s his passion for the craft and his positive attitude toward teaching. Definitely worth every penny!

The blog is a slew of interviews with short film makers, actors and directors. The blog is a journey through the world of short films, as told by the people who have been there, done that. Every time you read a new post, it will feel like watching the making of a new film.

The author has employed some very creative ways to make the posts interesting. One of them is using an interview format. Another one is to use images in their native context (rather than having to explain their relevance in words). And another one is to maintain consistency across posts by writing in first person, from the point of view of the interviewee.

Eve Hoffman

Eve Hoffman is an award-winning, SAG/AFTRA actress. She was born and raised in New York City. At the age of 8, she began her studies at The American Ballet Theatre where she studied for five years. While taking classes at ABT, Eve also studied acting with The Barrow Group and The Lee Strasberg Institute. She has appeared in several films and television shows such as “Gossip Girl”, “The Good Wife” and “Pan Am”. Eve recently won Best Actress at The Park City Film Music Festival for her role as Alice in the film, “The Wolf of Wall Street: Part II – Alice’s Adventure” (which can be seen on YouTube).

With a career spanning over forty years, actor and producer Dustin Hoffman has mastered the art of telling stories on film. Hoffman has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and has won two: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Rain Man (1988).

All of us at the We Own It Summit were fortunate to have time with Mr. Hoffman, who was not only incredibly insightful but also inspiring with his advice on storytelling: “If you’re going to tell people the truth, be funny or they’ll kill you.”