Is it possible to make money with a short?

[Rick Lomb]

I always see ads where people ask for scripts for shorts and say any profits will be divided up, or some arrangement, but is it even possible for people to make money on shorts?

 

If so, how would you do so?

 

Thanks

Rick

[Matthew W. Phillips]

I always see ads where people ask for scripts for shorts and say any profits will be divided up, or some arrangement, but is it even possible for people to make money on shorts?

 

If so, how would you do so?

 

Thanks

Rick

 

I've never personally heard of anyone making money on shorts. I'm sure it's possible but scarce.

[Tom Jensen]

It's possible to lose money on a short.

[Matthew W. Phillips]

It's possible to lose money on a short.

 

It's pretty much a guarantee that you'll lose money on a short.

[Michael K Bergstrom]

It's possible, but mainly through contests. Expect to lose money. The shorts I have made money on were shot low budget with high production value. It's more common to use the shorts as either an exercise to try out new techniques or equipment, or to try to use it as a spring board into financing a bigger project such as a television pilot or feature through the venue of a film festival.

[Guest]

I always see ads where people ask for scripts for shorts and say any profits will be divided up, or some arrangement, but is it even possible for people to make money on shorts?

 

If so, how would you do so?

 

Thanks

Rick

 

No.

 

R,

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Shorts are generally a name-builder. And shooting them out to fests will build up your credit as a director if they win some awards, which can help later on. Of course, when/if you make it big, then you can monetize your shorts as a collection/retrospective, I suppose. But, as mentioned, I would think of a short as an investment in your own abilities.

[Brian Drysdale]

I know of two shorts that have, but that was quite a few years ago and they were real festival pleasers. One was around 25 mins long, so it was actually more of a one off TV drama anyway.

 

As everyone has said, best not build a business plan around making shorts, I suspect it's even more difficult to make any return on them these days than it ever was

[MJ Stubbs]

if you make one for an incredibly cheap amount of money, or sell it to a phone company,it is possible to make money from it.

 

Take this film for example

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalCity#p/u/6/AOEgn8y3yIg

 

 

I was given 5 kodak B&W disposables for free from an online group. The supermarket developed the negs,and scanned to a disc for $2.99 cdn. I used windows movie maker, and got the soundtrack online for free (It sounds awful, I know.)

Total investment- $2.99 Cdn.

 

I have been offered 5 dollars for every dvd I can make of it, so it is possible to make money from it.

But not a lot.