How I produced my first Narrative Short

It all started when our tutor told us to write a script in a day. You could feel the apprehension in the air, but we had no place to run to, so writing we did. Every key pressed felt like a commitment and the looming presence of the tutor in the corner of
the room made me question every word choice I made.

What am I doing here? I don’t belong in a place like this. I should go back to the marketing offices, the clients that are too afraid to try new things and the feeling of never being able to scratch that creative itch. The thoughts were loud and clear, and I was ready to get up and politely excuse myself to go have an anxiety attack on the restroom. But before I could escape, the tutor got up from their seat and proclaimed “We`ll start reading the scripts now”.

Panic filled my lungs and fearfully I glanced at my computer screen, ready to find an empty page. But, to my surprise, words filled the white space and a five page script awaited to be read.

Not going to lie, I was pretty satisfied with myself that day. I had written a script! However, that was only the beginning and for the next few weeks I would have a lot of firsts: first storyboard, first filming schedule, first time directing actors, first set
complications and first creative solution to said complication.

By the end of my shoot I was exhausted, but satisfied with my newly acquired experience. I was ready to help on my classmates’ shoots! Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that, regardless of having done it before, every shoot feels like your
first.

And here is where I find the lesson from all of this: when shooting a film you never really know what will come your way. You should never assume anything, because every production will have its difficulties and strengths. And you, as the person who is helping this project come to life, should be able to go with it. And most of all, you have to learn how to be comfortable with the idea that any film you make will always be (or feel like) your first.

And honestly? That’s the best feeling ever!

Lívia | MA FIlmmaking