Features might get all the glitzy attention, but short films are the backbone of the cinematic world. From Martin Scorsese (“The Big Shave,” 1967) to Wes Anderson (“Bottle Rocket,” 1994) to ...

The prevailing wisdom is this: don’t do it. “It’s insane,” they’ll say. “A waste of money and time and resources,” they’ll whisper. Don’t make that short film. Don’t go to film festivals. Don’t pour ...

So here it is — the Raindance Seven guide to making a truly, spectacularly terrible short film and how to avoid it.

From George Lucas’ “Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB” and Wes Anderson’s “Bottle Rocket,” to Ava DuVernay’s “Saturday Night Life” and Christopher Nolan’s “Doodlebug,” some of our most successful, ...