The first phase of short filmmaking is the development phase. This is where the idea for the film is conceived, and the team develop the idea into a narrative that can be produced on film. The development phase involves:

• brainstorming ideas inspired by a stimulus or developing a core message that the director wants to communicate to the audience
• assigning roles and responsibilities amongst the team
• knowing your limitations such as budget, access to equipment and locations
• developing a pitch or outline
• creating moodboards for stylistic choices
• writing the script or screenplay .

In this phase you will also start a logbook to document your progress. Visit Activity – making a logbook to download a template.