Long Story Short: Short Filmmaking with Stephen Fingleton [Podcast]
Short films are often seen as a stepping stone to features, but they’re also an art form in their own right. In this conversation, BAFTA-nominated filmmaker and Director of Kinolime’s The Waif, Stephen Fingleton, shares hard-earned lessons from his journey: from writing and financing to navigating crews, working with actors, and finding the right path through festivals or online distribution. Whether you’re about to shoot your first short or refining your tenth, his insights cut through the noise with practical advice: feed your crew, cast carefully, focus on performance, and always know what you want your short to achieve.
Full Transcript: Kinolime Podcast Episode 18: Long Story Short: Short Filmmaking with Stephen Fingleton
Participants:
John Schramm - Head of Development, Kinolime
Stephen Fingleton - Director, The Waif (Kinolime Production), The Survivalist (2015), Driver (2009)
Stephen: Someone once said to me, after a day when everything went wrong, “I can’t believe you’re so relaxed about this.” And I told them: we’re all here, we’re having fun, and we’re trying to make something together. That mindset comes from separating my deep desire to make something great from the actual process of getting there. You have to accept the process and let go of the outcome. The outcome will come if you stay present.
Why Shorts Matter
John: Today is all about short films. We’re wrapping up the submission phase for our KinoLime Short Film Screenplay Competition, and I want to bring in someone who knows this world well. Stephen, you had a BAFTA-nominated short, and it even made the Academy Awards longlist, right?
Stephen: That’s right. Back then the Academy announced a final list of about ten films, and then five of those would become nominees. So you had to tune in on Oscar night to see if you’d made the cut.
How Long Should a Short Be?
John: Let’s start simple: how long should a short be?
Stephen: I’ve watched thousands of shorts while programming festivals. They can be anything from a single minute to 45 minutes. The real answer: the length should fit the story. Usually shorts deal with smaller stakes than features—sometimes life-and-death, but often compressed into a single episode or moment.
The shorts that make Academy lists often run around 20–25 minutes, partly because that gives more emotional resonance. But festivals love programming shorter films—ten minutes is often ideal because they can fit more into a schedule.
The key is not to write a “piece of a feature.” A short should stand alone: a beginning, middle, and end.
From Writing to Making
John: Were you writing features first, then shorts?
Stephen: My first screenplay, at 16, was a feature. But shorts are where I learned the ropes—practicalities, technicalities, collaboration. I did a screenwriting MA at the London College of Communication, and that course really emphasized shorts as a distinct art form.
Sometimes a premise feels better suited to 30–45 minutes, or even television. The danger comes when a film is stretched into the wrong length. Not everything should be Lawrence of Arabia.
Financing and Getting Started
John: Once you had your short written, how did you actually get it made?
Stephen: I started guerrilla-style at UCL Film Society. They had a camera; I wrote something just to have material to direct. Honestly, the idea of writing a short just to circulate wasn’t in my head—I wrote them to shoot.
Getting financing is very difficult. My short SLR, which made the Academy longlist, took seven years and about 15 failed applications before it finally got funded. The breakthrough came when the BFI wanted me to prove I could handle a higher-budget short before trusting me with a feature. They gave me about £40,000 (~$55,000). That was a turning point.
Sometimes it’s fine to make a section of your feature as a short—but make sure it works as its own film. More often, it’s better to create a “pilot” that conveys the tone and mechanics without being a direct excerpt.
Pre-Production Challenges
John: Once you had the greenlight, what challenges did you face in pre-production?
Stephen: My biggest issue: I had never been on a professional set. I didn’t know the rules. One early conflict was with camera crews—where exactly is the line between director and cinematographer? That can cause tension if it’s not clear.
Pre-production is about:
Finding the right collaborators.
Choosing locations.
Deciding on lenses, formats, and camera movement.
Balancing experience with enthusiasm.
Sometimes the best collaborator isn’t the most experienced but the most committed.
Production Lessons
Stephen: Early on, I got on terribly with crews. On my first feature, one crew member threatened to throw equipment at me if I spoke again. Later, an actor told me: “You need to start saying please and thank you to everyone on set—or you’ll have problems with your cast.” That was invaluable advice.
Respect is critical, especially on low budgets. People are giving up their time, often for little pay. Show gratitude. That attitude changes everything.
Also—feed your crew well. Hot meals, on time. Food issues cause more trouble than you’d expect. With shorts, you can even prep and freeze meals in advance.
Most importantly: if you’re directing, focus on the actors. No one else on set is responsible for performance. And in shorts, performance quality is often the biggest factor in festival success.
Working with Actors
John: Many filmmakers don’t have access to seasoned professionals when making shorts. Any advice?
Stephen:
Cast carefully. It’s time-consuming, but crucial. If you cast wrong, there’s only so much you can do.
Don’t rely on line readings. Early on, I gave line readings constantly—that was really a casting problem. Ideally, actors should bring better interpretations than you.
For amateurs: give them something physical to do. Shane Carruth recommended this—an orange to peel, blinds to adjust, a book to flip through. It distracts them from “acting” and makes them natural.
Al Pacino used this brilliantly in The Godfather, using oranges to dominate scenes physically.
Post-Production and Distribution
Stephen: In post, try to get a professional grade and sound mix. Many studios will help for free or cheaply, using shorts as training opportunities for junior staff. Always ask—you might be surprised.
After the film is done, you face a choice:
Festivals (expensive, often multi-year campaigns).
Online (Vimeo Staff Picks used to be a huge gateway for representation).
When I started, I mailed DVDs to 250 festivals, one by one. It was exhausting but gave me access to filmmakers and audiences. Today, costs are higher and impact less certain.
The danger with shorts: getting stuck in that world. Shorts are valuable, but ultimately the goal should be features. Some filmmakers stay in shorts too long. At some point, you have to move on.
Closing
John: Stephen, thank you so much for sharing your insight. A huge round of applause from all of us at KinoLime.
And to everyone at home: our Top 26 Short Screenplays are coming soon. You’ll be able to read, rate, and vote on your favorites. The winning script will receive $7,500 plus $500 in festival support—and we’ll help bring it to life.
Stephen, thank you again.
Outro: If you enjoyed this conversation, hit like, subscribe, and follow us across KinoLime’s platforms. We talk screenwriting, filmmaking, and industry news every week. Visit kinolime.com for the latest updates and videos.
