Boiling Idea for a Solid Short Film

Well, it's my second year acts as senior in my campus indie filmmaker community. It's not much actually, since there are thousand of filmmaker who really pour their heart, soul, and blood to filmmaking. And i'm kind of a half assed person. So, i'll write tips for another half-assed filmmaker. Here's the technique i really use to boil the ideas for a solid short film:

Personal  experience.

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag? Awesome. Pour your experience into a solid short film script. Dig into your past. What in your life that you hated the most, and you sure as hell wanting to change them. With fiery passion to the second chance, as half assed as you might be, you'll manage to finish the production and get the shits done. Because, it's really personal to you. It's your story. 

Is it interesting?

Yes your life suck. But is it worth it to waste other people time just to watch your short film? Because ultimately, you should know that your short films are supposed to be watched by other real people in the end of the day. So, before you jump to 'lets produce this film', ask yourself: are your story interesting? It is, if only it's relatable to other people. Your story only valuable if thousands or millions of people are experience the same pain as yours.

Be as local as possible.

You might think that disease and hunger in Africa is a damn good short film material. And it is. But remember, you're half assed. You won't find the budget to produce the scene or even flight to Africa to shoot the film. So let's be real: be as local as possible. Address the issue that only happening in your town, neighborhood, or family if possible. Or perhaps if you really want to address the issue in Africa, you can minimize it to semiotics and symbolism. My role model director is Abbas Kiarostami. And his "Two Solutions for One Problem" is impactful to my directing style. Since it talked of the global issue: war, potrayed by (might be Iran) children. He really do local to the big issue.

Keep it simple and stupid.

Consider your audience a troll. With their concept of intelligence, should they understand what you'll be talking in your film? I meet with so many indie filmmaker that overestimated their audience by providing the mindfucking oh-so-intelligent storyline. Let's face it: audience time are too valuable for your film. They have chores, homework, their own share of domestic problems. So tell me, why should they waste their time and their already exhausted brain power to watch your film? And this was the sole reason i could think of why the Korean Drama soaring up high. Because they treat their audience right.

You need reference.

Watch as much as short film. There's no merit in spending time to expand your reference. Maybe you'll find the role moder director that suited to your comfortable style. Being a good consumer of art makes you a better artist. And film is arguably an art form.

And here's the half-assed film i produced by using all of those concept in mind. It's  private though, so you won't find it in regular Youtube search. Because of reasons.