Note From Tongal: “The Rise of the Proof of Concept Short Film" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
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What do Whiplash, The Babadook, Sin City, and District 9 have in common? Unknown to many, all these recognizable and highly successful films were made because they started out as proof of concept short films.
For the vast majority of the history of the film industry, feature films were generally funded through very specific avenues. Notably, a good example of how features were funded can be seen through Robert Evans’ involvement in the creation of Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Love Story (1970), and The Godfather (1972). Evans, then Head of Production for Paramount Pictures, helped with the distribution of the corresponding novels of the same name in the years before each features’ release. As a result of the novels’ success, Evans was then able to secure the funding for the features, building on the acclaim and buzz around each book, and releasing the films to both critical and commercial success. More on this can be seen in the documentary about Robert Evans, The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), which I recommend to any hopeful producers and directors if for nothing more than for a history lesson.
In the decades since, the climate of the industry has changed. While the creation of feature films based on popular novels is still very much in practice today (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Marvel films), the way films are funded has drastically changed, due in large part to proof of concept shorts.
At this point, it is important to note the differences between a proof of concept short film and a standard short film. Put simply, the distinction can be best observed in the following way:
-A standard short film has, in both the narrative and development sense, JUST a beginning, middle, and end.
-A proof of concept short film has a beginning, middle, end, AND an opportunity for narrative development in a larger, usually feature-length format.
With that in mind, I’ll be speaking to primarily narrative development here, though there’s no saying that the same methods of thinking can’t be applied to, say, documentary filmmaking.
As you set out to make a career in directing feature-length films, it’s important to confront the reality of the business. How do you direct your first feature film? The answer that everyone seems to have is: you must direct a feature film first.
Why a Proof of Concept Short?
Primarily, a proof of concept allows creatives (specifically the director) to give potential financiers a strong indicator of the visual and story possibilities of a feature-length film or episodic TV show. For example, though Damien Chazelle had already finished the script for Whiplash (2014) AND had even attached names like Jason Blum to the project, he found it difficult to get the film made. No one was interested in a “movie about a jazz drummer.” Ultimately, the decision was made to shoot a scene from the script as a short with the intention to give the financiers a taste of what they were buying. As a result, Whiplash the proof of concept short was created and went on to net the Short Film Jury Prize at Sundance in 2013. A year later, the feature-length version released to critical and commercial success.
This isn’t an entirely uncommon occurrence either; in 2005, Jennifer Kent released her entirely black and white horror short film Monster. Though the process of finding funding for the corresponding feature was much longer, the result was another 2014 release, The Babadook.
Another example can be seen through Robert Rodriguez’s process in making Sin City. Early in the development process for the film, the filmmaker created a proof of concept short for the film to convince Frank Miller, the author of the graphic novels of the same name, to give him the rights to the film.
In short (pun intended), though every filmmaker’s process will be different, a proof of concept film can showcase the potential of your idea in a way that other means of pitching could never come close to. This, in turn, can help you finance your first (always the most difficult) feature film.
Finally, a proof of concept short film can also lead to other career opportunities. Though your primary goal may be to fund your feature, it’s important to realize that a body of work that shows a filmmaker’s potential is invaluable. A strong piece of filmmaking displayed through a proof of concept short film can open many different doors and lead to directing other production work, from films to TV to commercials.
If you take away anything from this article, it should be this: approach your proof of concept short in a different way than you would a regular short film. From budgeting all the way to post-production, think of the proof of concept short as a way that allows you to practice for a larger project, whether that be a corresponding feature or a project of similar scope and breadth. You never know what’s going to come your way once that proof of concept film goes to market.
To wrap up, a proof of concept is a tool for growth in many aspects of a director’s career. The business of financing a feature is changing daily and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. For now, a proof of concept short film can serve as a viable path for financing the next step in your career. To show a producer or studio executive the potential of your project can breathe life into your film in a way that was previously unattainable. Further, it can even open doors for your career that you hadn’t considered yet. Knowing this, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t make your proof of concept short film.
Until then: Keep making things. Never give up. Focus. Fight for your dreams.
