I took some notes on this a ways back off someone I consider to be a reliable source (Sam Borowski via Stage 32)
For Oscars: Most awarded shorts are 18 - 25 minutes in length. There is a 40-minute max.
For Festivals: They tend to like stuff in the 8 to 15-minute range... tho you can go up to 19:XX if it's really good (& the particular rules allow that).
Below this text is just my opinion:
What can you charge for them? What the market will bear I guess - tho I'd hazard that's close to $0. They seem to be more calling cards or for awards than anything. You could post them free on YouTube... perhaps Amazon as well but I have no real personal experience with that as yet (other than watching a short from an e-friend there once, I believe he made some $ amount from Amazon based on view count).
Shorts are rather unknown territory on a global level. American, tend to lean towards 15 minutes or less. In Australia, shorts can have a max running time of 59 minutes. But, page count and running times are two different things. One of my filmed shorts is 2 pages, running time is 6 minutes. So, the answer is, however long you feel is best for the story. If you get someone who's interested in your short, they'll let you know. It does seem to me that having a script that's as few pages as possible, and still a complete story, is most compatible for independent filmmakers.
There's no money in selling shorts. Generally, screenwriters get 2% - 5% of a film budget. With short films, there just isn't any money left for writers. People write and produce shorts for the love of a good story, and no other reason than that. Sometimes, long after a writer gains a good reputation and contacts, some money might be paid, but that's way off into the future.
So, this is mainly why there are many websites where you can upload your short for free, because the script is free. This site, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, has a whole section called, Free Short Scripts.
Most of what Lily stated is spot on. I have sold a short for as high as $1,000 and as little as $50. However, most have been free use. In the free use case, I always have the wannabe producer sign an agreement indicating that I still own the script and can sell it in the future. That one line has triggered all of the purchases.
Thanks for the reminder, David. It's true, exceptions everywhere. I think it all comes down to the kind of working relationship you have with a filmmaker/producer. Could you get some kind of money for writing scripts that are not features? Yes, it is possible. But, it's probably best to establish a working relationship first, and free shorts are definitely a viable way to do that.
I took some notes on this a ways back off someone I consider to be a reliable source (Sam Borowski via Stage 32)
For Oscars: Most awarded shorts are 18 - 25 minutes in length. There is a 40-minute max.
For Festivals: They tend to like stuff in the 8 to 15-minute range... tho you can go up to 19:XX if it's really good (& the particular rules allow that).
Below this text is just my opinion:
What can you charge for them? What the market will bear I guess - tho I'd hazard that's close to $0. They seem to be more calling cards or for awards than anything. You could post them free on YouTube... perhaps Amazon as well but I have no real personal experience with that as yet (other than watching a short from an e-friend there once, I believe he made some $ amount from Amazon based on view count).
Shorts are rather unknown territory on a global level. American, tend to lean towards 15 minutes or less. In Australia, shorts can have a max running time of 59 minutes. But, page count and running times are two different things. One of my filmed shorts is 2 pages, running time is 6 minutes. So, the answer is, however long you feel is best for the story. If you get someone who's interested in your short, they'll let you know. It does seem to me that having a script that's as few pages as possible, and still a complete story, is most compatible for independent filmmakers.
There's no money in selling shorts. Generally, screenwriters get 2% - 5% of a film budget. With short films, there just isn't any money left for writers. People write and produce shorts for the love of a good story, and no other reason than that. Sometimes, long after a writer gains a good reputation and contacts, some money might be paid, but that's way off into the future.
So, this is mainly why there are many websites where you can upload your short for free, because the script is free. This site, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, has a whole section called, Free Short Scripts.
Most of what Lily stated is spot on. I have sold a short for as high as $1,000 and as little as $50. However, most have been free use. In the free use case, I always have the wannabe producer sign an agreement indicating that I still own the script and can sell it in the future. That one line has triggered all of the purchases.
Thanks for the reminder, David. It's true, exceptions everywhere. I think it all comes down to the kind of working relationship you have with a filmmaker/producer. Could you get some kind of money for writing scripts that are not features? Yes, it is possible. But, it's probably best to establish a working relationship first, and free shorts are definitely a viable way to do that.