Looking to craft an amazing short film? These story prompts will spark your creativity.
Struggling to find compelling short film concepts? Sometimes, a simple prompt can ignite your creative spark.
Our ideas come from various sources—news stories, books, TV shows, movies, personal experiences, fears, and more. A scene or moment in a film that wasn't fully explored can be a seed that grows into a full story. These inspirations might lead to screenplays, novels, short stories, or enrich the stories you're already writing.
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WRITING SHORT FILM SCRIPTS
Before diving into our 101 Short Film Prompts, let's cover some crucial aspects of writing short film scripts.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG CONCEPT
Creating a captivating short film is a rite of passage for any filmmaker. This journey through highs and lows teaches that making a short film requires more than just a few people, a boom mic, and a camera—you need a compelling concept.
Simple, dialogue-heavy films won't capture the audience's or industry's attention. Your story needs to engage viewers with a beginning, middle, and end, all within a short runtime of 40 minutes or less (ideally 5-20 minutes).
ECONOMIZE YOUR STORYTELLING
Short films should focus on concise, impactful stories.
Instead of showing a character's year-long struggle with alcoholism, focus on the last day of their 12-Step program.
Rather than depicting an entire WWII battle, center on a single soldier's experience.
Instead of a serial killer's spree, spotlight a single victim in their house, hearing a floorboard creak.
WATCH SHORT FILMS
Watch short films to understand the format. Here are 10 short films you can watch online right now. Also, try to read short film scripts if available.
101 STORY PROMPTS TO KICKSTART YOUR SHORT FILM
Someone watching a news report about a local serial killer hears a floorboard creak.
A young brother and sister survive after the apocalypse.
Someone reading a scary book hears a knock at the door.
An alcoholic struggles to decide between taking a drink or not.
Students in an elementary school dealing with surviving lunchtime.
Students in an elementary school dealing with surviving recess.
Teenagers surviving the school politics of lunchtime.
An addicted gambler sits at a table.
A day in the life of the first astronaut on Mars.
A day in the life of the first colony on Mars.
A man and a woman keep seeing each other during a night out with their respective friends.
The experience of a character invited to a graduation party of someone they don't know.
The first human clone awakens.
The lifespan of a dog.
The lifespan of a cat.
Dracula is in his coffin not being able to sleep and having to kill time until dusk.
An African-American child's walk to school in a dangerous urban neighborhood.
A character wakes up with a gun in their hand and blood all over them.
A day in the life of an astronaut living on the moon.
The first day of school for a new student as they struggle to make a friend.
The imaginary battle of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
The life of a handgun when it hits the streets.
The story of a pilot that sees a UFO in the skies.
A robot comes to life in an inventor's shop.
A person struggles to survive after being thrown from their car in an accident.
A remake of the original silent film The Great Train Robbery.
A day in the life of a puppy.
A German soldier trying to flee Nazi Germany.
A woman in a house is attacked by aliens.
A person is granted the wish to fly.
A person is granted the wish to be invisible.
A person makes a wish to be young again.
A man on his deathbed is taken on a road trip.
A woman spends a night with her newborn child, only to have to give it to adoptive parents.
A day in the life of a professional thief.
A day in the life of a homicide detective.
A day in the life of a teacher.
The new kid in the neighborhood struggles to make friends.
A slave struggles to escape its evil white pursuers.
A rock climber's solo ascent.
The day in the life of a professional gamer.
The world shown through the eyes of a drone.
A late-night call at a suicide prevention center.
The duel of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
The duel of two samurai.
A day in the life of a maid that works for a rich family.
A mother working three jobs in a single day and then coming home to kiss their child goodnight.
A day in the life of a truck driver.
An astronaut lands on a desert planet.
A day in the life of an angel on Earth.
Teacher by day, stripper by night.
A vampire decides to commit suicide by sunlight after one last night on the town.
A day in the life of a Vegas stripper.
It's revealed that a sad person has been preparing for a loved one's funeral.
It's revealed that a child's friend is actually imaginary.
A babysitter must save a child when a forest fire bombards the neighborhood.
Surfers are lost at sea after riptides pull them out.
A park ranger discovers a dead body.
A travel agent struggles to hold onto a job that has no contemporary meaning.
A house that is haunted.
An astronaut returns home but no one remembers who he is.
A day in the life of the last man on Earth.
A day in the life of the last woman on Earth.
A day in the life of the last dog on Earth.
When the WiFi goes down, neighborhood kids discover how to keep themselves entertained.
Four female kindergarten teachers and their hilarious lives after the bell rings.
An assassin sent back in time struggles with killing Baby Hitler.
An Uber ride gone wrong.
An Uber driver picks up a hitman.
The Angel of Death, in human form, visits its victims.
Two people are stuck in an elevator together.
Two people are stuck in the rubble of a fallen building and struggle to survive—it's a 9/11 tragic story.
An actor goes through a day of auditions and life in Los Angeles.
A character finds a magical item in an antique store.
A man contemplates suicide and finds an unexpected reason to live.
A man tries to become a superhero.
A day in the life of a fighter pilot told within the cockpit.
A man and woman fall in love over the course of thirty years of chance encounters.
A man wins the lottery and does good deeds with the money until it's all gone.
A serial killer stalking a victim.
A human clone escapes a research facility to find their double.
A man discovers their doppelganger.
A woman discovers their doppelganger.
A child discovers their doppelganger.
A carjacker accidentally steals a car full of rascal children.
A man returns to his hometown only to discover that no one remembers him.
A knight duals with another.
A woman wakes up to discover that everyone else on Earth has vanished.
A young Sherlock Holmes in middle school solves a mystery.
A child wanders off on their big wheel only to be found later that night by a truck driver.
A woman awakens on an island and realizes she is the only survivor of a plane crash.
Someone wakes up with the ability to hear everyone's thoughts.
Someone wakes up with the ability to touch anyone and see when they are going to die.
A cowboy encounters a UFO.
A sailor encounters a UFO.
A reunion between old high school friends goes sour when past issues emerge.
A man in an interrogation room confesses.
A man stuck in a thankless corporate job one day walks out and goes on a road trip.
One day, a woman finally decides to leave her abusive husband.
A coming-of-age tale about a middle school boy confronting bullies.
A first-time bank robber is forced to take hostages as he instantly regrets his choices.
By Sal Framondi,
CEO/Founder, OPPRIME.tv
Producer, Black Filmmakers Matter
The success of independent filmmakers hinges on effective distribution, and OPPRIME.tv offers a prime opportunity for filmmakers to present their work to a global audience. By partnering with OPPRIME.tv, independent filmmakers gain access to a dedicated platform that prioritizes the promotion and exposure of their films. This partnership allows filmmakers to reach a wider audience, generate significant revenue, establish crucial industry connections, build a strong reputation, and participate in social and cultural discourse. OPPRIME.tv empowers filmmakers by providing the means to share their unique stories, initiate important conversations, and leave a lasting impact on the filmmaking world. With OPPRIME.tv as their distribution partner, independent filmmakers can overcome distribution hurdles and seize opportunities for growth and success in the industry.
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