Friend and fellow Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle member Jeff York of The Establishing Shot invited me to join him on his "Page 2 Screen" podcast on the International Screenwriters' Association network.  You may remember our epic love fest for the 20th anniversary of L.A. Confidential last fall.  Together at The Century Bar of the Landmark Century Centre Cinema after a screening of A Fantastic Woman, Jeff and I critiqued the ten short films nominated for the 90th Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short.  Both categories of contenders boasted impressive range and buried treasure.  Enjoy our reviews and discussion!

The 2018’s Oscar-nominated shorts have a lot of lessons for writers.  Since 2012, the AMPAS has been releasing their Oscar-nominated Animated and Live Action Shorts nationwide in theaters to an enthusiastic public. For screenwriters, these mini-films offer a number of invaluable storytelling lessons. Because of time constraints, every moment is crucial. Characters must be established immediately. And narrative arcs are often completed in a matter of minutes. More and more, shorts are also a way for the budding screenwriter to produce an actual film. And under Academy rules, student shorts can compete against studio entries. The long and short of it is that these films are a must-see for movie fans and scripters. 

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