Filmmaker and Sundance Lab alum Joey Ally has made three short films. She talks about what she's learned about writing scripts, translating them to her crew, and how learning to attach everything to story has prepared her for her first feature.
Key Insights

  • Making short films allows you to learn the many aspects of filmmaking which can prepare you for larger projects and deepen your creative conversations.
  • A screenplay is a roadmap for what you’re going to see and hear; if you’re both writing and directing the short film, you can include more character direction, camera movement, and scene description.
  • When rewriting for budget, establish and communicate the essential scenes to tell your story. Pare everything back to these essential beats and make sure it fits your budget, then add a few extras if you have the money.
  • Always tie everything to story - that way whatever challenges arise, you can have a clearer view of the choices you need to make.
  • It can be tempting to try and rush your career. Allow yourself time to learn and build your skills, so that you can be the best version of yourself as a creator. 

Joey Ally
Filmmaker
Joey Ally is a writer, director, actor and musician. Her feature directorial debut, THE HATER, in which she also stars alongside Bruce Dern, Meredith Hagner, D'Angelo Lacy, Ali Larter, and Nora Dunn was recently released by Vertical Films in theaters and on V.O.D. Her short films have screened internationally including at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca, and BFI:London, and online with Vimeo Staff Pick Premieres and The New Yorker's "The Screening Room." Her feature films have been developed through the Sundance Institute's Screenwriters and Directors labs, Catalyst and the Creative Producing Summit. Joey is the 2019 recipient of the The Adrienne Shelly Foundation Women Filmmakers Grant x Sundance Institute, and an alum of the Williamstown Theater Festival Apprentice Program, American Film Institute Directing Workshop for Women, Tribeca/Chanel "Through Her Lens," AFI/Fox Directors Lab, and the Universal Pictures Directors Intensive. more...
Tags:Shorts

Join the Discussion

Keep Exploring

Event Recording

Inside Look at Programming Shorts for the Sundance Film Festival

Senior Programmer, Sundance Festival: Mike Plante
FREE

Inside Look at Programming Shorts for the Sundance Film Festival

Senior Programmer, Sundance Festival: Mike Plante
Sundance​ Institute​ ​Shorts P​rogrammer Mike Plante breaks down ​how he curates the Sundance Festival shorts and what​​ makes a successful film​.
FREE
Video

Making Short Films with Mariama Diallo (HAIR WOLF), Bernardo Britto (GLOVE) & more

With: Mike Plante and 4 more
$10

Making Short Films with Mariama Diallo (HAIR WOLF), Bernardo Britto (GLOVE) & more

With: Mike Plante, Mariama Diallo, Francisca Alegria, Anna Kerrigan and Bernardo Britto
Join Senior Short Film Programmer, Mike Plante and learn about the art and craft of making short films and strategizing for festival and distribution opportunities.
$10
Video

Challenges for First Time Directors with Christina Choe (NANCY) and more

With: Christina Choe and 3 more
FREE

Challenges for First Time Directors with Christina Choe (NANCY) and more

With: Christina Choe, Jeremiah Zagar, Silas Howard and Reinaldo Marcus Green
Emerging feature film directors share their mistakes and struggles along the way to creating their first fiction features.
FREE