What kind of low budget DV film could be made for $10,000-$15,000?

S

Steve33825

Member
Im an aspiring filmmaker/screenwriter in NYC, i have plenty of unique high concept material but its all out of budget range. Yes I've tried the "traditional" route into the business & played every rule by the book you could think of. The traditional way nowadays never works because REGARDLESS of whether your script is perfect or not, it will NOT get considered because a) you're not solicited or b) your's simply gets lost in the shuffle. It's like trying to win the lotto. So now I'm going the indie digital-video route. I'm able to afford about $10,000-$15,000 but I'm not just how much of an "interesting" movie could be made with that... unless I remake "Blair Witch Project" with a better script, camera, and ending. So I guess that means no:

Too many locales, firearms, public places, night exteriors, moving vehicles, heavy make up, SFX, animals, specific music, extras, or children...

Ok so, without copying low budget stuff thats been done before, how does one make a low budget flick interesting without ANY (not even one) of those elements? It's like all there's left to make is a movie about your uncle taking a poop for 90 minutes (what other concept will not include special effects, stunts, guns, or any company logos in shots to avoid getting your a** sued?).

I have to admit I do feel a bit discouraged and maybe I just need a boost, some advice/insight. But I feel like all the low budget stuff has been done already, please correct me if I am wrong but that's how I feel.

I've written a conspiracy detective/crime thriller, a hurricane katrina-related story, an underground horror flick, a futuristic political action thriller, among several other varying genres. I can write almost any genre, I am capable of writing a fantastic story, but the problem is they all involve some of or all of the things listed above. And taking those things out takes A LOT away from them.

This reminds me of when I was in high school. I went to a performing arts high school, they had this "stage"play writing class, and all the plays they ended up selecting SUCKED big time because they were all asinine comedic garbage, it was as if the writers lived in MTV-land, that's how bad it was. Nothing was EVER serious or exciting or unique. I was able to write some good material for them that didn't involve SFX but the problem was they couldnt do it because it involved more than one set or the actors wouldn't be facing the audience (hence I'm only good at screenwriting and writing stuff for the screen so that I don't have to worry about whether my characters are facing the damn audience or not, I've got a friggin camera there).

Sorry if I'm going on and on here I'm just a bit upset and discouraged. Any advice?
 
Very few locations. Small cast. Killer script and of course good film makers.

Half the shorts in the fests on this site look better than much of the direct to dvd crap that's released so I don't think budget has to be an achilles heel.

I'm thinking about dropping 10 to 15k on my own project next year and I'll have the whole film done in my head before 'take 1'.
 
ok step one is think positive if you dont think something is possible then there is no way you will be able to do it.

The best low budget indie flicks imo are character driven dramas or comedys, Think about your life or someone in your families life try and pick out an event of some sort and write a story about it.

Also dont underestimate what you can accomplish with a 10-15k budget, you should be able to use some propguns and things like that if you want action scenes, and horror films could definately be done if you are creative enough.

Really you can pull off pretty much pull off any genre on a low budget like you have, you just have to be smart and creative with how you write your story and use your money.

and dont worry not every low budget idea has been done not even close.

The key is the screenplay has to have few characters and few locations other then that anything is game really.

Good Luck and remember it is very very doable you just have to believe you can do it.
 
Sounds like b.s., but it's true: be true to yourself (the story that's in you). Write and film that. It's more a question of what NOT to do. DON'T try to do what the studios do; you will NEVER succeed with that approach. They have better writers, better actors, better D.P.'s, more money, etc. As an independent, you must have an independent vision. (That's what made BLAIR WITCH succeed.) Find that and write and shoot that. DO NOT do your version of THE MATRIX or STAR WARS or RESERVOIR DOGS. Then apply what YaBoyTopher said above.
 
Very little can go a long way depending on where you are and how many favors you can get. Hang around the community theaters near you to try and find actors who would be happy to work for free. Just make sure that you have enough food on set to keep everybody happy, because you probably won't be paying anyone. Try and strike a deal with the local pizza parlor, because they might give you a deal on the food for a thank you or spot in your movie.

As far as equipment goes you'll need to be frugal. I wouldn't recommend using anything below a DVX100 or XL2. 24p is a must in my opinion. The audience might not know why your film looks more like a real movie than their home videos, but they will notice the difference.

Lighting will be tough, and you definitely need to find a decent DP, if you aren't one yourself. You probably won't be able to afford top of the line lighting equipment so you probably have to go to home depot.

Do not skimp on the microphone. Get a good shot gun (500 or so) and a good pole.

You'll need PAs as well to help with lighting and getting food, etc. Try and find people who are passionate about your project, so that they'll hang around for the duration.
 
agcohn said:
Try and find people who are passionate about your project, so that they'll hang around for the duration.
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One important point - to me anyhow - is that you need to remember that no one is going to be as passionate about this project as you are, and its not realistic to expect them to be. This is your dream - not theirs - and its part of your job to make it theirs as well...

Getting people to believe in something like this is definitely one of the toughest things you'll have to deal with. Don't be surprised or dejected is some of your crew drops out partway through the shoot, it happens...just keep going.
 
Luis Caffesse said:
One important point - to me anyhow - is that you need to remember that no one is going to be as passionate about this project as you are, and its not realistic to expect them to be. This is your dream - not theirs - and its part of your job to make it theirs as well...

Getting people to believe in something like this is definitely one of the toughest things you'll have to deal with. Don't be surprised or dejected is some of your crew drops out partway through the shoot, it happens...just keep going.
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Well, it helps to keep them well fed, and treat them nicely. A lot of wannabe directors treat their volunteers like crap, and it makes no sense to me. If you're not paying them anything, you don't have the right to treat them badly. If you let them voice their opinions, and treat them with respect, they will hang around.

Respect is not demanded. It is earned.
 
Couldn't agree more - I was just saying that even with good food and good treatment (which is a given), many people will lose interest in a project that is not theirs. I've seen it happen to many indie features that start with a crew of 20 people, and wind up with about 4 or 5 in the last week(end) of filmming.
 
Steve33825 said:
Im an aspiring filmmaker/screenwriter in NYC, i have plenty of unique high concept material but its all out of budget range. Yes I've tried the "traditional" route into the business & played every rule by the book you could think of. The traditional way nowadays never works because REGARDLESS of whether your script is perfect or not, it will NOT get considered because a) you're not solicited or b) your's simply gets lost in the shuffle. It's like trying to win the lotto. So now I'm going the indie digital-video route. I'm able to afford about $10,000-$15,000 but I'm not just how much of an "interesting" movie could be made with that... unless I remake "Blair Witch Project" with a better script, camera, and ending. So I guess that means no:

Too many locales, firearms, public places, night exteriors, moving vehicles, heavy make up, SFX, animals, specific music, extras, or children...

Ok so, without copying low budget stuff thats been done before, how does one make a low budget flick interesting without ANY (not even one) of those elements? It's like all there's left to make is a movie about your uncle taking a poop for 90 minutes (what other concept will not include special effects, stunts, guns, or any company logos in shots to avoid getting your a** sued?).

I have to admit I do feel a bit discouraged and maybe I just need a boost, some advice/insight. But I feel like all the low budget stuff has been done already, please correct me if I am wrong but that's how I feel.

I've written a conspiracy detective/crime thriller, a hurricane katrina-related story, an underground horror flick, a futuristic political action thriller, among several other varying genres. I can write almost any genre, I am capable of writing a fantastic story, but the problem is they all involve some of or all of the things listed above. And taking those things out takes A LOT away from them.

This reminds me of when I was in high school. I went to a performing arts high school, they had this "stage"play writing class, and all the plays they ended up selecting SUCKED big time because they were all asinine comedic garbage, it was as if the writers lived in MTV-land, that's how bad it was. Nothing was EVER serious or exciting or unique. I was able to write some good material for them that didn't involve SFX but the problem was they couldnt do it because it involved more than one set or the actors wouldn't be facing the audience (hence I'm only good at screenwriting and writing stuff for the screen so that I don't have to worry about whether my characters are facing the damn audience or not, I've got a friggin camera there).

Sorry if I'm going on and on here I'm just a bit upset and discouraged. Any advice?
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Steve,

The sensible bet would be for you to make a horror feature.

As the industry dictates, you don't need a *named* actor. You don't need lots of locations. And you don't need lots of special and expensive CGI.

Horror is IMO the number 1 break-thru route for most filmmakers. Heck, there's even a few on these boards who've done the same thing and have stuff on Netflix and in Blockbusters.

EJ
 
Let me just interject my experience...

We went against all of the conventional wisdom in the making of our romantic ghost story 'Afterlife'. Quite a large cast of speaking roles, not to mention extras. A story that covers a number of months in time. Main characters who are wealthy. A large number of locations that included a hospital, a bar/nightclub, a country club (party scene), and a cemetery -- and hell. Special effects (the ghost). Car interiors at night with conversation. And we managed to get it shot and edited for a total well within the budget range you've mentioned.

Of course, we're in North Carolina -- costs to shoot in NYC would be much higher, I'd expect. Still, I think you can do quite a good story on $10,000-$15,000.

Are you looking for something you would write the script for? Or are you interested in producing a script someone else has written?

Main suggestion -- think outside the box. I just wrapped shooting on a rather unique suspense/drama feature (which I wrote) called 'Tangled Web'. The unique aspect centers around the fact that the entire story is seen from the POV of several 'webcams'. A cast of 7 characters. 3 'locations', all of which were actually in the same house. Violence. GUNFIRE! Shot the whole movie in just TWO DAYS on a budget of just over $1000. The whole 'webcam' approach is what made this possible.

Mind you, the conventional wisdom is there for a reason -- generally speaking, it IS cheaper to make a movie if it has a small cast, minimal locations, no special effects, etc. BUT that being said, it IS possible to make a GOOD movie that doesn't conform to those strict rules, and still do it within the budget figures you presented.

If you want to talk more about this, PM me. Good luck!
 
A question occurs to me....

Are you planning to write and produce this movie yourself? I see you have experience as a writer, but have you ever produced a feature before? If not, you would be very wise to get someone with some experience to produce your project. My #1 Rule is "Always hire the best, most talented, most experienced person you can afford for every job." If you want your finished movie to stand a chance of getting distribution, then you don't want to use an inexperienced producer -- namely, yourself.

Write the script. Then find a producer who can turn it into a quality finished feature within the $15,000 budget you have available. Finance the project yourself. That's your best chance for success.

Good luck!

David W. Richardson
Writer / Producer / Director
Chapel Grove Films
www.chapelgrovefilms.com
 
chapelgrovefilms said:
you would be very wise to get someone with some experience to produce your project. My #1 Rule is "Always hire the best, most talented, most experienced person you can afford for every job."
Click to expand...

David is absolutely right. 10k will get you a decent DP, soundperson, makeup artists etc. If they're worth the money they'll already come with their own equipments so you won't have to rent. Pick a position that you want to do within the film, give 100% on that, and the film will be that much better.
 
Yeah, whoever said horror was the way to do it was right. Either that or a character driven drama, but then name talent becomes more of a necessity. Just remember, small cast and next to no locations. It's much easier to shoot in 1 place for 20 days and find a few actors and actresses than it is to shoot in 33 places in 30 days with over 40 actors/extras.
 
It's true that gory or terrifying horror movies have the easiest time getting distribution, even without 'name' talent. I personally just don't want to make that kind of movie. What I do is try to develop story ideas that tread close enough to that border to (hopefully) pique the interest of a segment of the horror movie fan base -- suspense/thrillers, ghost stories, etc. But yes, overt horror sells.

Case in point -- a little horror movie made in the Atlanta area recently, called 'The Signal'. It sold to a distributor (Sony, I think) for $2 million. Not a bad chunk of change! :)
 
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