FLICKERLAB: A JOURNEY FROM SHORT TO FEATURE

In the world of screen production, the first feature can feel so creatively close, yet so practically far away. AFTRS partnered with Flickerfest to present FlickerLab and share expert knowledge on the multiple ways to approach the first feature film, including the must-dos and the no-goes. 

The vibrant room buzzed with ideas and enthusiasm from emerging filmmakers learning first-hand from a sensational group of panellists as they took them on a journey from shorts to feature. 

The day was divided into four sessions, considering the four pillars of screen production from pre-production to distribution. 

Darlene Johnson, Samuel Van Grinsven, David Michôd, Alice Englert, Peter Skinner, Jodi Matterson, Jamie Hilton, Mahveen Shahraki, Ulysses Oliver, Ronnie S. Riskalla and Jessica Ellicott shared their industry wisdom, offering valuable insights that spanned from scriptwriting nuances to production efficiencies, distribution strategies, and cutting-edge cross-platform methods. 

Here are some key takeaways: 

SESSION 1 – FROM IDEA TO PAGE 

The first session tackled the inception period, from a conceptual idea, story or emotion to script writing development.

Darlene Johnson and Samuel Van Grinsven highlighted the importance of starting with a solid concept that has well-defined characters and a clear conflict. Samuel suggested starting with a visual concept, while Darlene emphasised using family stories to inform her fictional characters.

First Character then Conflict 

First things first, always start with character and conflict. Production and stylistic choices will come in time.  

A bold narrative requires a clear understanding of character and conflict, informing all subsequent creative decisions. Narrative inception is the process of discovering your unique voice as a storyteller without worrying about creating polished outputs or high production values. This is especially important for first-time filmmakers, as the strength of the narrative and characters are the main factors that drive the audience’s engagement. These elements should be structurally visible and shine through. 

Committing to creating solid characters will also pay off for actors, enabling them to deliver rich performances with a storytelling-first approach.  

When production time comes around, embrace the limitations. Samuel mentioned one example from Sequin in a Blue Room. In his first feature, with a limited budget, he couldn’t afford to make wide shots, as those are expensive because of production design and lighting setup, so he made the creative decision to tell the story on medium and close-ups, this became a stylistic choice and defined the voice and experience of the film, making it more intimate for the audience.

Development Methodology 

The first step in perfecting your methodology is to understand how your creative brain works, do one thing at a time and don’t rush.   

Darlene suggested starting with a five-page outline without sequencing and based on character. From this document, start fleshing out backstories and relationships between characters, growing from five pages to 20 pages until you meet the story waiting to be told. Only then is the creative material ready to be introduced to a collaborator, either a script editor or a producer. 

Grounding the story in real places and relationships and exploring different genres to gain new perspectives can provide a wealth of inspiration and meaning to the story. 

When considering different genres to inform the development, ask yourself, what would be the horror version of this film? What could a thriller version of the film tell in terms of what information to conceal and what information to share? How could a comedic performance bring pause and moments of light reflection to an emotionally charged storyline? Mix and match the insights to collide genres and build something in tune with your sensibilities. 

Creative Collaboration 

Once you found the story and the method, it is time to find the right people to join you on the journey. Having a solid sense of methodology during development creates a safe creative environment for exploration and collaboration. It is vital to respect each contributor’s way of work and to approach the process as a playground to allow the film to blossom to its maximum potential.  

When finding your collaborators, consider different sensibilities and how you mutually tune in regarding taste, aesthetics, and values, or how they might complement and enrich your work, ensuring your emotional tonality aligns. 

Darlene explained the essential role of a script editor, highlighting practical insights and the process of “the note behind the note” to enhance creative collaboration. This involves asking questions about the feedback notes and identifying the friction point in the story that needs to be addressed. She stressed the importance of understanding what the script editor is reacting to, what is engaging, and what puts them off, treating them as the first audience. These conversations can lead to new ideas, scenes, or storylines. 

Long-term collaboration and genuine relationships allow us to call out on blind points, weaknesses and strengths; it is vital to find someone who adds to the process and output. 

SESSION 2 – THE DIRECTOR’S JOURNEY 

In Flickerlab’s second session, David Michôd, Alice Englert and Peter Skinner, shared their insights on the transformative journey from short films to feature productions. 

David, the creative force behind Animal Kingdom, recalled the experimental and collaborative environment at VCA when creating his short Crossbow, and how the space for creative exploration contributed to closing the gap between ambition and execution. It was through production and collaboration that he attuned his creative vision with the skillset to execute it.  

Advocating for making films for herself first, Alice emphasised that if you can craft a short film, a feature is within your reach, acknowledging that the years from short to feature can be challenging but ultimately rewarding.  

Peter highlighted the unique support and camaraderie found at AFTRS. He highlighted the constant progression from film to film, ways of keeping the passion alive, and surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals as vital in building a creative career.  

The three engaged in conversation, breaking down the main acts towards the first feature. 

The breakthrough short film 

It’s best to start building from the thing you already know how to do. Creating a short film is a great way to showcase the story and the skills of your crew while giving you a feel for the world and tone of the narrative. Don’t be afraid to be bold and start with limited resources. The key is to understand what can be achieved with what’s available. 

The common theme is to build momentum in one’s career and productions. While making a good film may not generate substantial revenue, it can attract the right audience and influential networks for the next steps in the credibility ladder.  

Any creative process will evoke strong feelings, more so with creative collaborations such as screen productions, it is important to honour these and take a step back enabling a safe creative space for the collaboration, considering what is reasonable. Alice emphasised it: “Don’t pay too much attention to the drama of feelings, be grateful for what you can do and the resources available – move the ego away.” 

Casting 

The three agreed on the importance of a deep understanding of the script and how that informs the casting decision to work with actors aligned with the story’s essence and tone. 

Alice shared her experience of casting Jennifer Connelly as Lucy in her film Bad Behaviour. She highlighted the need to balance commercial viability with the filmmaker’s vision and instincts. She also stressed how having the support of a well-known actor can significantly impact funding and production. 

It’s important to listen to others and consider their ideas, but it’s also crucial to stay focused and to do so, you need to have a thorough understanding of the story and characters.  

David shared a similar story about the film Animal Kingdom. Guy Pierce was the first actor who joined the project. For David, having the right actors on board was his most confident move. He believed that spending a lot of time explaining everything he knew and wanted the film to be to the actors was crucial. 

Commercial Viability 

The right actors might be the first sign of commercial viability, as mentioned by David and Alice. The director of Animal Kingdom continued to share that the first draft of his debut feature bore little resemblance to the final film and explained how the screening of his short Crossbow at Sundance was the critical turning point when he realised the feature would step from a dream to a tangible possibility. An article on the New York Times arts page referred to David and the other Australian filmmakers screening their films at Sundance as a creative movement, an accidental narrative that was built from their friendship and that they harnessed to build momentum to the next endeavours. Having a script that had been in the writing for years and that was ready to go at that time was essential. 

Having multiple films in development is a smart strategy to ensure at least one of them makes it to the big screen. With various projects in the works, there’s a better chance that something will get made. For Peter, understanding the business side of filmmaking became pivotal, leading to establishing Seymour Pictures to facilitate funding and collaboration.  

SESSION 3 – MAKING IT HAPPEN 

The third session focused on everything pragmatic and aligning the available resources to bring the creative vision to life. Producers Jodi Matterson, Jamie Hilton and Mahveen Shahraki advised emerging creatives to showcase skills through short films and stressed the importance of always keeping the audience in mind. 

Jamie encouraged learning about story and writing, focusing on reading numerous scripts to inform technical learning and the development of individual taste. Jodi encouraged aspiring filmmakers to approach potential mentors with practical ideas and clear expectations, either working as an assistant or seeking advice in a project under development, hands-on learning that is valuable to both. Mavi suggested using short films as proof of concept for feature endeavours, echoing panellists in the previous sessions regarding developing skills and finding one’s creative voice. 

Find your key creatives 

Creative collaboration is central to screen productions, and nurturing professional relationships with collaborators with shared sensibilities makes the long days on set that much more special. 

The progression in skills and outcome naturally improves from production to production, and often people gravitate towards each other to keep developing work. Partnerships play a pivotal role, with clear communication binding collaborators across continents. 

Jodi shared a story about the inception of Made Up Stories, the production company she co-founded with Bruna Papandrea. Jodi and Bruna had known each other for a long time when Jodi read The Dry and knew immediately that the story must be adapted to the screen, but with further investigation, she found out that Bruna, experienced in adaptations, had already purchased the rights. Up until this moment, Jodi had worked as an independent producer for years and approached Bruna to enable the production of the film. The ways of working, the taste and the deep understanding of the film industry were so complementary that they created Made Up Stories with Steve Hutensky, partnering across the Pacific Ocean, with Jodi in Sydney and Bruna and Steve in LA. 

The panellists mentioned how important it is to network and to approach people with talent and creative expression that speaks to you, emphasising this skill within their role as producers creates a conducive work environment. 

Believe in your talent 

Filmmaking thrives on shared experiences, mutual respect, and effective problem-solving, and it is thus essential to encourage a malleable approach to collaboration inspired by mutual belief and a shared vision. 

As a producer, it is vital to always give everybody enough attention, energy and resources. As a creative practitioner, whether you’re a producer, gaffer, or another role, you are constantly working towards building your credibility, and it’s important to remember that you contribute to the development of your creative collaborators as well. Producers play a crucial role in this journey, and working together can strengthen the journey, speaking to a mutual belief in talent and creative vision. 

Love what you do 

Creative careers and endeavours are not easy, but let’s face it: the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward. It can get overwhelming for producers to take on too many projects, which brings enormous responsibility. The three producers acknowledged how the responsibility of handling multiple projects comes together with the immense reward that it is to witness the transformation of lives and careers within the industry.  

Producers utilise their position as the intersection of business skills, interpersonal relationships and creative vision to shape the production. From finding joy in working with first-time directors and witnessing their blossoming careers, to juggling multiple businesses, they all acknowledged the love for the creative process and the sense of responsibility toward the crew as their daily source of inspiration. 

SESSION 4 – MARKET TO MARKET

CONQUER THE WORLD ON ALL PLATFORMS: DISTRIBUTION, FESTIVALS AND MULTI-PLATFORM DISTRIBUTION

Ulysses Oliver, Ronnie S. Riskalla, and Jessica Ellicott informed the audience about the intricacies of film distribution, festival engagement, and multi-platform strategies. They highlighted the importance of considering the audience early in the development process, with Ulysses saying that the journey from inception to distribution can take four to five years.  

With such a bold commitment of time and energy, ensuring the work lands with an engaged audience that will spread the word and bring more viewers to the work is vital. 

Audience First 

The balancing act between staying true to your vision, finding your audience and signing up with distributors can be a fine line. With an audience-first approach, you can circumvent distributor concerns by bringing a following with you and validating the demand. 

Ronnie discussed the seven-year journey of his feature, Streets of Colour, a film which explores racism and cultural identity. He shared the distribution challenges due to the film’s confrontational language and genre and advocated for staying true to life despite distributor concerns. He noted that his strong following on social media bore weight to the film zeitgeist, bringing validation into the conversation. 

Ulysses shared his experience with Birdeater, highlighting the unique journey of a film that thrived in festivals and theatres without a distributor, fostering a direct connection with the audience.  

With the theatrical market dwindling due to streaming, Jesse urged filmmakers to adopt global release strategies, considering niche subjects and researching the distributor’s target audiences before approaching them. 

Cultural and Social Zest 

Discover the emotional resonance of your unique vision through audience engagement on social media or first reactions with fellow creatives. According to Jesse, emotional response drives box office returns more than critical acclaim. The vibrancy of culture and social interactions is easily accessible to us through technology. You can leverage this power by either staying up to date with your areas of interest or by sharing your own content to find your audience. The key is to find a balance between your creative approach, a safe space for experimentation, and feedback from your audience. 

Engage with networking events and film festivals and champion the work of fellow filmmakers along the way. The process will illuminate the steps we mentioned in the three sessions above, from idea to production and distribution, enabling you to find new ways of telling stories, meet your collaborators and absorb different world views from peers developing work in the same medium. 

The panel ultimately underscored that the world presents us with endless possibilities, and it is in the intersection of our personal stories with other views of life that truly remarkable work emerges. Keep your worth and perspective in mind, and express your vision clearly to unleash its full potential. 

FlickerLab provided an opportunity to share essential tips and knowledge, transforming creative ideas into market-ready creations. The panellists urged aspiring filmmakers to focus on craft, tailor stories that explore diverse themes, be grateful for available resources, and enjoy the journey. 

The cinematic odyssey takes courage, commitment and a tight-knit crew of collaborators. FlickerLab felt like a room full of emerging creatives doing just that. 

Flickerfest will tour Australia throughout the year, starting in Perth from 29th February to 2nd March. Keep up to date here.