Best story to write for cheap indie?

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

Veteran
What are components, ideas, things to consider, genre to write for producing an inexpensive indie? Finished my first feature screenplay, a supernatural thriller, but now I am thinking I will write a couple of screenplays that could potentially be produced cheap--whether I consider self-production or in terms of marketing the screenplay to an indie prodco.

I got into screenwriting thinking wow, write a few great screenplays, get an agent, sell one for $300,000, do that every five years, nice supplemental income. The reality is hitting me, from multiple sources of information, that the chances of selling a feature screenplay are slim to non, and if sold, the chances are then 1 in 10 the screenplay will ever actually be produced into a movie. That is disheartening to say the least, :crybaby: as I continue on my 5th draft of my feature and continue writing my second feature.

So, now I am thinking of exploring the notion of indie producing one of my screenplays, one that I probably have yet to write. Because it would have to be a great screenplay, movie worthy as an independent film like you rent at blockbluster on their Indep Films shelf. But I would want the screenplay to be able to be produced very low budget (less than $250,000). Like the movie "Once", or "Open Water".

I would appreciate any ideas from writers here to help me double check my brainstorming checklist of what to do or not do as I daydream a new story up to fulfill this quest. Or for that matter, any ideas if even unrelated to the script, from preproduction to postproduction.
~Randall Oelerich :dankk2:
 
$250K is not really a low budget! hahaha My last movie was shot for about 10% of that!

there are posts around that will talk about this info. there's one now in the business section about making a movie for $250K, so take a look over there.
 
I would like to keep a feature under $100,000 but I know hiring a director, DP, DS, LP (anybody need to buy a vowel, haha) the budget goes up; unless they really believe in the story and each other so as to agree to back end points. Then I guess shell out good money for an entertainment attorney to reall craft a good contract so everybody wins when the film makes money. If the director and DP had a feature film credit with a demo reel, I think it would be easier to get some investors on board to raise the budget-- local dentists bored and looking to put some money into the arts, film boards, grants, etc. In some ways that seems easier than getting HW execs to buy and produce one's screenplay even if its great.

jls4 said:
$250K is not really a low budget! hahaha My last movie was shot for about 10% of that! ...
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If you plan on spending most of your film's budget on hiring a director, DP, DS, LP etc. etc. etc. to work on your film, then you may not have much left over for a lot of extra stuff. Therefore, your plot should come easily. Just make something that does not require a lot of special effects, expensive locations, copyrighted music licenses and such. Those things will end up costing you a lot of money and it appears that you want to spend most of it on the crew (p.s. I hope that the cast is getting paid too if you are making a film for over $100,000) so your film's plot should be as simple as possible.

If you plan on using many locations, whether they are interior scenes or exterior sences, you will have to consider permits....they might be required when shooting in some locations and on certain properties owned by individuals or organizatioons. Permits can cost money depending on where you make the film and that will decrease the money put toward your film's budget.

Points to consider for your plot:

*No Pyrotechnics
*No monsters with extraordinary features
*No characters with special powers. Don't try to make X-men or Fantastic Four
*No Beatles or Elvis Presley (NO Previously recorded music) songs that are "must-haves" for a scene. They are NOT must-haves.
*No A-list SAG Actors (Scratch Johnny Depp off of your list and go with a non-union actor with several good credits to his or her name)

From what you have mentioned, you have the ability to create a feature length screenplay, so the one(s) that you write with the intention of producing them yourself will probably have a beginning, middle and an end. That's about all that you need. Just make it interesting.

Supernatural Thriller huh? That's an already interesting genre, so you could write a script that includes related elements, just without a whole lot of special effects stuff and you will do just fine.

The Silence of the Lambs was a thriller, Fight Club is considered a thriller and Psycho(one of the most talked about films EVER!) was a thriller.

Watch some of your favorite films and write down what their most simplistic elements were and use it as a reference when crafting your screenplay.
 
The financing part of the film business is the toughest. Write a great script about people...about emotions...about interesting people in a simple story. Write the script that will connect with everyone. Set it in a unique place (not Hollywood or NY) with a budget so low you can finance it yourself. Look at Napoleon Dynamite, Rocky, Breakfast Club, Office Space, Lars and the Real Girl, Station Agent, etc...films with minimal locations and nothing you can't get for free. What does everyone in the world want? Love, security, employment, friendship, etc. Write about these simple things that people want and it will connect with the audience. Think big in terms of emotion, but small in terms of locations and story. Shoot it yourself. Direct it yourself. Buy a camera and a few lights and practice, practice, practice. You will spend more time trying to raise money than on making the film. If you write a great script then you have a shot at every actor/actress on the planet. What can't most actors/actresses find? Great scripts. They will jump at the chance if you write something great. Go for it!
 
If you want a good example of a supernatural thriller that can be done on a budget, go to Netflix and rent 'The Haunting'. NOT the 1999 remake, but the original 1963 version with Julie Harris. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057129/)

This is a classic example of a single-location (mostly), small cast scary movie whose effects are visual and aural, rather than 'special'. It uses story, characters, lighting, sounds and camera angles to bring out the scares, rather than expensive effects.

And it doesn't hurt to get creative and think outside the box. Our feature 'Tangled Web' was written specifically to be shot FAST. The entire movie is seen from the POV of webcams attached to the computers of the main characters, which eliminates camera and lighting breakdowns and setups. This enabled us to shoot FAST -- the whole movie was shot in just 3 days! Maybe you can come up with a unique new angle that can be shot with a minimum of fuss and time.

Good luck!
 
"Adrenaline" -- similar concept.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0950682/
I ready about this movie in HD magazine last year I think; Anyhow, the entire movie is shot in one take, real time, thus filmed in just a couple of hours. A feature film. They used hard drives attached to HD digital cameras, fluid action, continuous takes.

chapelgrovefilms said:
... The entire movie is seen from the POV of webcams attached to the computers of the main characters, which eliminates camera and lighting breakdowns and setups. This enabled us to shoot FAST -- the whole movie was shot in just 3 days! Maybe you can come up with a unique new angle that can be shot with a minimum of fuss and time.
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Well said, thank you. Yes, I think of some of the best films that I like, and they do not need to involve high concept action scenes or aliens. Sometimes stories of simple people in simple lives in simple locations, that then go on to explore universal themes of love, heartbreak, security, life, etc., with of course conflict and resolution. I'd like to come up with a drama story to write like that, something to round out my first screenplay (supernatural thriller) and my second I am working on now (adventure/action monster horror).

Kess said:
...Write a great script about people...about emotions...about interesting people in a simple story. Write the script that will connect with everyone. Set it in a unique place (not Hollywood or NY) with a budget so low you can finance it yourself. Look at Napoleon Dynamite, Rocky, Breakfast Club, Office Space, Lars and the Real Girl, Station Agent, etc...films with minimal locations and nothing you can't get for free. What does everyone in the world want? Love, security, employment, friendship, etc. Write about these simple things that people want and it will connect with the audience. Think big in terms of emotion, but small in terms of locations and story. Shoot it yourself. Direct it yourself. Buy a camera and a few lights and practice, practice, practice. You will spend more time trying to raise money than on making the film. If you write a great script then you have a shot at every actor/actress on the planet. What can't most actors/actresses find? Great scripts. They will jump at the chance if you write something great. Go for it!
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I think that many of us get caught up in trying to write what we think Hollywood wants to buy...big films..or whatever the latest trend is...instead of writing something that we have a connection to...a passion for...something that will hold our interest long enough to finish it and continue rewriting it until we get it right. I've stopped writing for them and started writing scripts I have a passion to write. It makes it so much easier and enjoyable.
 
Randall_Oelerich said:
So, now I am thinking of exploring the notion of indie producing one of my screenplays, one that I probably have yet to write. Because it would have to be a great screenplay, movie worthy as an independent film like you rent at blockbluster on their Indep Films shelf. But I would want the screenplay to be able to be produced very low budget (less than $250,000). Like the movie "Once", or "Open Water".
Click to expand...

PM me, tell me what your budget is and I'll tell you what to do. No promises but I'll tell you the quickest and cheapest way to make it happen.

-Nate
 
Drama's and Horror's are often shot on a shoe-string budget. Reason being they both often don't require stars or major explosions and crowd shots.

Drama is probably the cheapests as its normally talking heads...

Horror is often a bunch of kids stuck somewhere, and the genre embraces no-name actors which is a big plus. Besides, from the dist. pov, horror is hotter IMO.

Horror would be the most logical and $$$ sense IMO.

EJ
 
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