Do you think it's possible to shoot an AMAZING feature for under $10,000?

[Jawa Ex Machina]

If I had to, I would happily make a film that cost... umm... was made for... um... well, I would SPEND only $800 on a film and work on it for a year even if the film would lose $1000 in the end. Why? Because for me, the cast and the crew it might become a stepping stone to gigs that actually pay something. And as I've already said, when I get paid, the rest of the people get paid. If I don't get paid, no one will (on this budget level when I'm the one funding the project). It's a joint effort and I don't consider them to be slaves of mine. When it comes to "values" etc. I'd said that everyone who contributes to film, me included, is equal. The chain is as strong as it's weakest link, you know. So I don't see any problems not paying people front end when making a film for peanuts. And oh, they get something in return for their services even though they might never see a dime: experience. And of course, if I someday get a bigger gig, I'll definitely hire at least some of the people who worked on the film that got me the gig.

Why is making a feature film for low-to-no budget so different from making a short film for low-to-no budget? No one explodes if someone makes a short film for under 1k, never pays anyone including the guy himself, even though the short film will never make any kind of profit so nobody who worked on the short will get any kind of compensation before or after the film is made. That's acceptable, it seems, maybe because shorts are generally calling cards to get a feature film going. But what makes it so different from making a feature film and not paying anyone?

No one's saying it's impossible to make a $10,000 feature film. It CAN be done, because people do it all the time.

But the quality of $10,000 feature films are by nature not AMAZING (which was the OT) and the amount of effort and money spent on them are worth much more than that amount. Your own bills need to be covered as well, and unless you live and eat for free that money has to come from somewhere.

 

[Jawa Ex Machina]

I think if we got a handful of DVXUsers in the L.A. area together, we could make an amazing movie.

When and where?

You guys should get Joe Dono to sponsor you with equipment.

 

[Jawa Ex Machina]

I wasn't even arguing that. Of course a feature film can be done for 10k. AMAZING feature film can be made for 10k, but it requires a lot of donations of materials, services etc. I think we all agree on those.

No it requires a lot more than equipment, screenplay, cast, crew and donations to make a film.

 

[tmnt]

Does anyone know where I can find a smiley face running in circles?

 

[Barry_Green]

Does anyone know where I can find a smiley face running in circles?

 

[Barry_Green]

No one's saying it's impossible to make a $10,000 feature film. It CAN be done, because people do it all the time.

But the quality of $10,000 feature films are by nature not AMAZING (which was the OT) and the amount of effort and money spent on them are worth much more than that amount. Your own bills need to be covered as well, and unless you live and eat for free that money has to come from somewhere.

Agreed, except for the part about people making "feature films" on $10k -- people make "feature-length films", yes, but true headliner features? The kind that headline at a theater? I haven't seen many.

But that's beyond the point. Those who think it's possible -- please just go and do it and show everyone. Get some DVXUsers together in LA, and do something awesome.
Those who think it's not possible, please stop telling those who think it is that they can't do what they're going to do anyway.

Those who want to just sit here and argue about it? Is that really helping anything? It seems like the phrase "easier to curse the darkness than it is to just light a candle" springs to mind...

 

[Kholi]

I think if we got a handful of DVXUsers in the L.A. area together, we could make an amazing movie.

Our production happened in LA, and the crew pretty much consisted of DVXusers: Matty_G (DP), Geoff_R (AD/AC), Teresa Decher (Producer), Myself (town idiot)

Also had some other user stop by to help, like Jack Daniel Stanley and Tim Hyten, Curugon (Sam Balcomb)

My post audio guy is also a DVXuser, although he doesn't post a lot here.

In fact, the only reason Superseeds could happen was BECAUSE of DVXuser. It goes back to what was said earlier: it takes a certain group of people with an idea that they know they can execute.

 

[Kholi]

No one's saying it's impossible to make a $10,000 feature film. It CAN be done, because people do it all the time.

But the quality of $10,000 feature films are by nature not AMAZING (which was the OT) and the amount of effort and money spent on them are worth much more than that amount. Your own bills need to be covered as well, and unless you live and eat for free that money has to come from somewhere.

Going in circles, but, there are features films with MUCH more money that look, feel, sound like they could've been done for thousands less.

No joke about covering your own bills, I'm looking for work now so that I can afford to manage post production workflow between everyone.

 

[Gary Huff]

If you have an amazing script (the starting point after all) for this $10k feature...well, it's going to be a lot of work and frustration getting it to the screen.

However, raising a proper budget for a feature-length film is also hard work, and it can be done (if your script truly is amazing)...so why would you not go to the hard work/effort/frustration of getting more investors so that you have a proper budget to pay for people, location fees, permits, insurance, ect. and do it right?

 

[Kholi]

If you have an amazing script (the starting point after all) for this $10k feature...well, it's going to be a lot of work and frustration getting it to the screen.

However, raising a proper budget for a feature-length film is also hard work, and it can be done (if your script truly is amazing)...so why would you not go to the hard work/effort/frustration of getting more investors so that you have a proper budget to pay for people, location fees, permits, insurance, ect. and do it right?

The common reason is that it takes longer to raise "the right" amount of funds for a feature. We're talking years. Then, it takes another heap of months to set it up, etc. There are also way too many people seeking out the same amount of funding as each other.

The odds are equally as rough, like you said, for both scenarios... but, one of them you can truly control if you can just raise the 10 - 30K. Some people just don't want to wait anymore. And, "right" is just another subjective term. If what feels right is raising money, then cool. If what feels right is getting your hands dirty, that's also cool.

Some people will spend the rest of their lives waiting for other people to fund their project and it'll probably never happen. Some people will go out and make 10K features and they'll probably never go anywhere.

Both are fine, just have to decide which way you want to play (and not meaning YOU but someone faced with these choices.)

 

[vcassel]

Our production happened in LA, and the crew pretty much consisted of DVXusers: Matty_G (DP), Geoff_R (AD/AC), Teresa Decher (Producer), Myself (town idiot)

Also had some other user stop by to help, like Jack Daniel Stanley and Tim Hyten, Curugon (Sam Balcomb)

My post audio guy is also a DVXuser, although he doesn't post a lot here.

In fact, the only reason Superseeds could happen was BECAUSE of DVXuser. It goes back to what was said earlier: it takes a certain group of people with an idea that they know they can execute.

I'd like to get in on that next time. In fact, I'm finishing up story development this month on my first attempt at writing a low budget feature (I've previously written features with no attempt at budget constraint). I'm dedicating all of next month to the first and second drafts at 6 pages a day. Maybe I'll post it here and see who wants to attempt to help me take a crack at it. It's funny because I was thinking, before this thread existed, that $10,000 could do it, though it's still too early to say. Three principle parts, three supporting, and a handful of locations in L.A. between North Hollywood, Hollywood, and Downtown. I'm hoping to see most of the money go towards cast, crew, location, and food, but as someone else has just recently mentioned, raising just $10,000 is a hell of a lot of work on its own.

 

[Kholi]

I'd like to get in on that next time. In fact, I'm finishing up story development this month on my first attempt at writing a low budget feature (I've previously written features with no attempt at budget constraint). I'm dedicating all of next month to the first and second drafts at 6 pages a day. Maybe I'll post it here and see who wants to attempt to help me take a crack at it. It's funny because I was thinking, before this thread existed, that $10,000 could do it, though it's still too early to say. Three principle parts, three supporting, and a handful of locations in L.A. between North Hollywood, Hollywood, and Downtown. I'm hoping to see most of the money go towards cast, crew, location, and food, but as someone else has just recently mentioned, raising just $10,000 is a hell of a lot of work on its own.

Well, yeah, raising 10K is hard as well. But, let's change the perspective: Raising 10K is not as hard as raising 100K. Between just building the capital yourself by changing spending habits, picking up extra jobs, selling off things you don't need (check all three for me) you can raise 10K in a month or two.

If you haven't been over to the User FIlms section, now's the best time to start scouring around. There are so many feature film projects going on in the sub forum that most of the User Community have no idea about. And, the majority are micro budget pictures. Some more ambitious than others, all putting in the effort to try and DO instead of talk about it. It's gotta be the most inspirational hub on the net that I've found.

Networking with likeminds on user is a good thing as well. A lot of us just want to work on cool stuff and grow with each other, so you can pick up an audio guy with some decent gear, a DP from the Cinematography area (Ryan Patrick O'Hara shoots... but you can't have Matty_G... he's my DP!) and more. That's part of the DVXuser benefits package.


I'm not sure who mentioned the Nolan thing earlier on, about how Memento seemed to be crafted around a micro budget. Over the next two month break I'll have from post production, I'm back on writing myself another micro budget feature just in case. Never know what'll happen, but I don't want to wait around to get into the next project. I plan on using the knowledge gathered from this crazy experience on the following, starting with a script that's already twice what Superseeds was judging by the ten page outline.

Shoot it up!

 

[vcassel]

If you haven't been over to the User FIlms section, now's the best time to start scouring around. There are so many feature film projects going on in the sub forum that most of the User Community have no idea about. And, the majority are micro budget pictures. Some more ambitious than others, all putting in the effort to try and DO instead of talk about it. It's gotta be the most inspirational hub on the net that I've found.

Thanks for this. I never ventured around there, but I'll give it a check out now.

 

[Brian_Rice]

If I had to, I would happily make a film that cost... umm... was made for... um... well, I would SPEND only $800 on a film and work on it for a year even if the film would lose $1000 in the end. Why? Because for me, the cast and the crew it might become a stepping stone to gigs that actually pay something.

But...Why would that be anyone's primary reason? Wouldn't *making the film* be the reason that you spent a year of your life working on something? Again, I think too many people see art as a means to an end, even if that end is making bigger and better art. Artists should be making things to make the *thing*, not making the thing for what doors it might open. That's what business ladders are for.

 

[Kholi]

Thanks for this. I never ventured around there, but I'll give it a check out now.

This is KIND of tragic. That means you haven't heard of Faith Granger and her one-woman mission to produce a Period Piece on a dime. And, how she succeeded and is now self-distributing slash four-walling her feature by taking around a DCP to different theaters.

Did you ever read Adam (Taormina's) two epic threads on shooting his first feature film for 250K (which became 500K by the end of it all) with well known actors? It was pretty dramatic and informative, lots of what to do and what NOT to do.

I'm beginning to think that forums like that need to go at the top of User! >:]

 

[Brian_Rice]

How can you deduct those post-sale payments (a.k.a. deferred expenses) from earnings for tax purposes, and not deduct them from a "how much it cost to make the film" purpose? All of this is basic accounting 101.

I'm just... dumbfounded.

I need to go engage in some reality based discussions.

I give up.

Really.

I know you said you give up, but I totally disagree. What you're talking about is tax accounting 101, not reality.

Here we have a basic math equation:

If Joe Smith shoots Walter Doe dead with a 12 gauge shotgun, how much did it cost Joe to kill Walter?

Shotgun + Bullets = Answer.

Joe Smith ended up getting life in prison and 20K in court fees, but the original answer stays the same.

Shotgun + Bullets = Walter Doe dead (or, film finished)

Whatever happens after that has nothing whatsoever to do with Walter Doe being dead or your 10K film being finished.

 

[vcassel]

This is KIND of tragic. That means you haven't heard of Faith Granger and her one-woman mission to produce a Period Piece on a dime. And, how she succeeded and is now self-distributing slash four-walling her feature by taking around a DCP to different theaters.

Is she the one who did the sort of 'greaser' flick here in L.A.? If yes, then yeah, I read through that thread on a lark after searching for something else. I though it was awesome, but I stopped reading when the thread went way off tangent with the whole sexism thing.

Did you ever read Adam (Taormina's) two epic threads on shooting his first feature film for 250K (which became 500K by the end of it all) with well known actors? It was pretty dramatic and informative, lots of what to do and what NOT to do.

I'm beginning to think that forums like that need to go at the top of User! >:]

No, but I'll make sure to give it a search today. I must admit that I'm very stringent with my online time. I have a short list of accomplishments I need to get done everyday in order to avoid inherent 'woe is me' isms. Today that includes story development, studying, drawing, writing some music, and getting a bit of photography done.

 

[Kholi]

Is she the one who did the sort of 'greaser' flick here in L.A.? If yes, then yeah, I read through that thread on a lark after searching for something else. I though it was awesome, but I stopped reading when the thread went way off tangent with the whole sexism thing.

It's true that the threads can go off course or even descend into back-patting and unnecessary updates, which makes it hard to find real information. It got back on course, I believe, and she's now updating from the business side of things and how her trek is going.

No, but I'll make sure to give it a search today. I must admit that I'm very stringent with my online time. I have a short list of accomplishments I need to get done everyday in order to avoid inherent 'woe is me' isms. Today that includes story development, studying, drawing, writing some music, and getting a bit of photography done.

Indeed. I'd definitely suggest to people following THIS thread, if you haven't visited the User Films section at all then you need to go there and spend some time looking at what others of this community are doing with their micro budgets. That could answer a lot of questions, could raise some, could spark someone to just do it like it did for us.

Well, MONSTERS was really my tipping point, but User Films section helped as well!

 

[Brian_Rice]

This is KIND of tragic.

Speaking of kind of tragic (and this is waaaaaay OT), but how in the hell did Rainfall not get grabbed up to shoot Felicia Day's new Dragon Age: Redemption series?

Seems like it would have been a match made in indie love shack.

 

[Kholi]

Speaking of kind of tragic (and this is waaaaaay OT), but how in the hell did Rainfall not get grabbed up to shoot Felicia Day's new Dragon Age: Redemption series?

Seems like it would have been a match made in indie love shack.

Can't talk about that in public. LOL. Sorry~! But! Thanks, if that was a compliment. Haha.

But, rest assured, Rainfall's got some stuff going on in the Video Game world. Thanks to your other thread I'm circling some video game fan film stuff once more. Going to resurrect a project I had building right before we got into Superseeds.