Procrastinator’s Tips for Making a Short Film at the Last Minute

We’ve all been struck with bouts of procrastination, especially with online learning making it easier than ever to put off assignments. Why do you work when you can close your computer, play a video game, and blissfully ignore all of your assignments? 

When I put off my short film assignment for various personal, medical, and procrastination-related reasons, I clearly didn’t quite realize the amount of work that had to go into creating a short film (despite taking film classes before), much less one that had to be mostly complete in less than a day for my professor’s evaluation. I ended up completing the film without a hitch, so I figured I would impart wisdom upon any students who find themselves struggling with last-minute short films, assignments, or anything of the like during this upcoming semester. 

Let’s set the scene: It’s 10 p.m. I’ve already tried filming the same shot multiple times on my camera with little to no success. It’s hard getting the camera at the angle I want and trying to import the files to my computer is getting complicated. So, I decided to stick with what I knew, and shot on my phone instead. When you’re doing a project last minute, it’s good to stick with the bare necessities and a simple way of doing things rather than straining yourself trying to overachieve. Focusing on what needs to be done, rather than what you want to do to add flair to the assignment. 

I also recommend making a list of what you need to do step-by-step. With my short film, I was working from nothing, so I made a list starting with what I had to do first: write the script. Once the script was done, all the pieces started to fall in place and it made shooting and editing so much easier. Next, I wrote down all the shots I wanted to get, and compiled footage from YouTube for the second half of my assignment. Then I could freely edit without any worries. 

One can imagine that staring at Adobe Premiere for extended periods of time isn’t the best for one’s mental or physical health. Before I went into fits of rage about the frustration of the editing program, I took some time to take breaks and step away from my computer. While you definitely want to get the work done as soon as possible when you’re working last-minute tasks, breaks can help ease your mind and help you get work done with less frustration. Thanks to taking short breaks, I didn’t throw my computer across the room and vow to never use Adobe Premiere as long as I lived.

Before even filming, I cleaned my workspace. Not only did this motivate me to film, as I was now working with an appropriate “set,” but it left me with less distractions and mess to worry about as I worked late into the night. The last thing I wanted to do at 3 a.m. was worry about all the clutter in my workspace. 

Finally, I just accepted that maybe this wasn’t my best work, and that’s okay. It’s important to remember that we all struggle, and sometimes, working on something last-minute can’t be avoided. You’re not any less of a valuable student or person for doing something last-minute: As long as you’re taking care of yourself above all else, that’s all that matters. But you have to admit, finishing work that you’ve been putting off way too long takes a load off, too.