Short films fascinate me. I love making shorts. I love watching shorts. And I especially love making and watching them when I take breaks from writing. So long as I avoid the Youtube rabbit hole, these films direct my attention elsewhere for long enough to help me look with fresh eyes at what I’m making. The more engaged I am by the short, the more productive I am when I return to work.

So here is a weekend short film Rx, tailored, of course, to a variety of writing and other situations. Take as needed.

1). Oktapodi (2 mins 25 secs)

Take when working on short story, especially when you have no idea what happens next.

Take also when in need of optimal pacing in real-life situations. For example, if you are telling stories to groups of people in social settings, and it isn’t going well, identify a private location. Pull up Oktapodi on nearest accessible device. Watch. Note how to add complexity to a short story arc in a short time. Return to people. Adjust story-telling pace. Repeat as needed.

In emergencies, talk about and share Oktapodi itself.

2).  Fallen Art (6 mins)

Take when trying to feel a nameless horror and then channel that feeling into your work or your day. Results vary.

If taken when writing, side effects may include a thematic marriage of the sublime and the repugnant in your project.

Take also on weekdays. If, for example, today seems like a nameless-horror kind of Friday, then today is a day on which to watch this film.

3).  We Can’t Live Without Cosmos (15 mins 26 secs)

Take when you have 15 minutes that will go uninterrupted by texts, calls, and the rest of the world.

Side effects may include sobs, snot, wet face, and desire to see old friends immediately or make new ones.

4).  Nuit Blanche (4 mins 41 secs)

Take when in need of transcendence in under five minutes.

Watch every year.