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Short-to-Feature Coaching 

Craft a compelling, stand-out short film that helps you get your feature made. 

When you create a short film with the goal of translating it into a funded feature, it requires more than just condensing a full-length plot. It demands crafting a powerful standalone piece that captures the core of your narrative, along with a distinct visual and stylistic language– all within a few minutes of screen time.
NB Mager wrote and directed the short film RUN AMOK, an Oscar-qualifying, award-winning, Vimeo Staff Pick.

Conceived from the outset as a proof-of-concept, the short laid the artistic and structural foundation for the feature version, which went on to premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition as a Grand Jury Prize nominee at the Sundance Film Festival.

Why make a proof-of-concept?

​A Powerful Career Calling Card
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  • Short films are often touted as a filmmaker's “calling card”. But when that calling card has a specific actionable next step, it becomes all the more effective.
  • As a standalone piece, shorts can get industry exposure at film festivals and online platforms like Vimeo, Omeleto, etc. 
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An Effective Way to Involve Established Cast and Crew
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  • Crystalize your vision to potential collaborators– from established actors, to talented producers and crew– to get them on board. 
  • As a self-contained pitch, it can help in finding investors for your feature. 
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A Catalyzing Creative Tool 
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  • Working on the script for a short forces you to hone your story’s essence: what it’s really about, its central theme, why you’re telling this story. 
  • Directing the short is an opportunity to find your feature’s visual and stylistic language within a smaller, more low-stakes framework– which can pay dividends when it comes time to scale up. 

Coaching Offerings

Through creative consultation on development and script feedback, NB works with writer-directors (or a writer/director team) to help them create compelling proof-of-concept shorts.

The Short-to-Feature Diagnostic:

​Includes: 
  • A Pre-Session Read: A comprehensive reading of your feature screenplay or detailed treatment/outline/summary.
  • 60 min Meeting: A video meeting to help to identify the strongest story sections for a short, with suggested scenes and core thematic/ story engine.
  • Investment: $300

Short Screenplay Coaching: 

​For filmmakers who've done the Short-to-Feature Diagnostic. 
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Includes: 
  • Pre-Session Read: Reading your short screenplay. 
  • Written Feedback: Notes with feedback on plot, cinematic structure, character development, tone and style.
  • 45 min Meeting: A video meeting to talk through feedback. 
  • Investment: $200

Short Film Pre-Production Coaching:

​For filmmakers who've done the Short-to-Feature Diagnostic, and Short Screenplay Coverage. 
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Includes: 
  • Script Polish: Additional read and feedback on the short script, providing notes with the objective of reaching a final draft.
  • Pre-Production Materials: Review of lookbooks/ visual decks in prep for the short film production to provide feedback on intended style/ tone. 
  • 60 min Meeting: A video meeting to talk through feedback. 
  • Investment: $200

Short Film Post-Production Coaching:

For filmmakers have a work-in-progress cut of their short film. 
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Includes:
  • Pre-Session Viewing: Screening your in-progress cut.
  • Written Feedback: Notes with feedback on the edit, with specific time-code notes, as well as general structure.
  • 60 min Meeting: A video meeting to talk through feedback. 
  • Investment: $200
To Schedule a Coaching Session
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