By Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri

In 2021, I made a proof of concept trailer for my feature screenplay, Mo’allem (The Teacher). Today, I’ll be talking through the process of creating it and what I learned along the way.

Know what it’s for

Have a clear reason why you’re creating this. Is it for your reel? To query managers with? To get funding?

Every creative choice should be made with this goal in mind. The last thing you want to do is finish the product, then ask yourself: now what?

Find the best format

Most proof-of-concept projects are in the form of a short film or a single scene.

I took a slightly unconventional approach and made a full-blown trailer. I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all approach – it was simply a matter of form following function. I wanted to show the highlights of the film and capture the breadth of the two vastly different locations of Los Angeles and the Middle East.

Another big reason for this is a bit more crass: attention spans are getting shorter by the day. Even to get someone to watch an 8- or 10-minute short seems like a challenge in this digital age. I wanted to have something that was quick, teasing, and under three minutes. That said, you should do what you think works best for you. After all, Whiplash got made based on a single test scene…

Know where to put the money

Filmmaking is expensive. A decent short can cost anywhere from $5,000 to well over $25,000.

I won’t go over how to budget, as there are plenty of excellent blogs and videos on this topic, but here’s what I will tell you: if you’re on a tight budget, have a list of things that you absolutely need in order to tell your story well. If your story takes place in the 1950s and you know that you’ll want vintage anamorphic lenses, then be ready to sacrifice in other places (actually, they might end up blowing your entire budget).

When it comes to writing the screenplay for your proof of concept, you should give yourself permission to be a little more auteur-esque.

Invest in the right project

Creating a proof of concept is an investment. If you’re going to invest this much money, make sure it’s on a script that’s already gathered some momentum and validation. It wasn’t until Mo’allem scored an 8 on The BlackList that I finally gave myself permission to invest a significant chunk of my life savings into making the proof of concept.

Have a clear vision…

Write the script for your proof of concept and treat it like a script. Have your colleagues review it. See what emotions the script invokes. Ask where people got bored. Ask where they were confused. Then, re-write it endlessly.

When it comes to writing the screenplay for your proof of concept, you should give yourself permission to be a little more auteur-esque. If you’re directing, you should be incredibly deliberate with your shots, musical cues, acting beats, and the like.

…but be ready to sacrifice shots

Filmmaking is an inherently unpredictable craft. Things will go wrong on your shoot.

Let me repeat that: things will go wrong on your shoot. The shot won’t always look exactly the way it was in your head. Take a deep breath, you tortured artist. It’s going to be okay…

Be clear on which shots you absolutely need in order to have a functioning film, and which shots are the “bonus” ones.

Then, do another pass and trim even more shots. Your cinematographer will guide you through this process.

Let me tell y’all something: with a union cinematographer it’s a whole other ball game.

Find a good crew…

I’d directed shorts before, but I knew this had to be on a completely different level to really hold some weight.

When my colleague Brent Barbano agreed to take on the project, I knew I was in good hands, but also that I needed to, as the kids say, get my sh*t together.

Let me tell y’all something: with a union cinematographer it’s a whole other ball game. Brent made me go from amateur to pro at lightning speed. Working with a true master of the craft is a seriously magical experience. He’d read my mind and helped make the shots look even better than they were in my head.

Find the right cinematographer for your project. It shouldn’t just be someone who has a decent reel – they should have the right stuff for your specific project.

Give them direction, give them the tools they need, then get the hell out of their way.

…and be good to them

This is a small thing, but it’s an important one to me: be good to your crew. There are certain things I don’t skimp on when it comes to running a film set, the biggest of which is food. Chances are, your friends are going into this at a deeply discounted rate. The least you can do is ask them what snacks they want on set.

In short

Creating my proof-of-concept trailer was by far the best investment I’ve made for my own growth as a writer and director. It got me more reads than scoring an 8 on The BlackList, making the AFF finals, or anything else.

But – making a proof of concept is a massive investment that will take several months of planning, so make sure you’ve got a clear vision as you go into pre-production.

Best of luck! I’m rooting for you.

Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri

Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri is an LA-based writer and director who writes musically-driven family dramas inspired by his mixed upbringing. You can follow him on the wonderfully wild world of Screenwriting Twitter at @nerrisnassiri, and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Get killer articles in your inbox.
Subscribe to Screenwriting Intelligence.

How to make a proof of concept trailer