Microbudget Success Stories?

shutterspeedfilms

shutterspeedfilms

Well-known member
We're all familiar with the success stories behind the Primers, Blair Witches, Paranormal States, etc. (yes, I know we're talking raw production budgets) of the indie world.

What are some other recent successes that you're aware of?
 
How are you defining success? Paranormal Activity was a succes before it became a $100 mil hit. It sold to paramount originally for $300K. Not a bad haul in and of itself for the budget.

Greg Bayne is pretty successful in my book.
 
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Mark Harris said:
How are you defining success? Paranormal Activity was a succes before it became a $100 mil hit. It sold to paramount originally for $300K. Not a bad haul in and of itself for the budget.

Greg Bayne is pretty successful in my book.
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I guess I'm asking about any microbudget feature that recoups at least 25% or more of its production budget.
 
shutterspeedfilms said:
I guess I'm asking about any microbudget feature that recoups at least 25% or more of its production budget.
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What's microbudget to you? 100K or less or 50K or less?

Sounds like Faith has recouped at least 25% of her budget. It depends on what you see as success, like Mark said, though.

Breaking even and going to the next picture is success to me.
 
For the purposes of this thread, let's say microbudget is $100k or less. And when I use the term "success," I'm speaking in terms of investor success. I use 25% because I would think that would be the minimum return considered worthwhile for such a highly speculative investment vehicle.
 
shutterspeedfilms said:
For the purposes of this thread, let's say microbudget is $100k or less. And when I use the term "success," I'm speaking in terms of investor success. I use 25% because I would think that would be the minimum return considered worthwhile for such a highly speculative investment vehicle.
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Yeah, I wouldn't know then. If I invested 50K into something and only got 25% of it back, it wouldn't be successful for me. Couldn't tell ya what micro budget features have done that.
 
Kholi said:
What's microbudget to you? 100K or less or 50K or less?

Sounds like Faith has recouped at least 25% of her budget. It depends on what you see as success, like Mark said, though.

Breaking even and going to the next picture is success to me.
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Only 25%? If she's sold that many, and only recouped 25% then she may have spent too much.

Step Off fits the definition presented.

-M
 
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If all 1000 DVD's I have sell, (30% sold so far) "Class of "91" will recoup the production budget plus about 80% - after payment # 2 is made from the faith based satellite network who purchased the rights. First payment was made at time of agreement, 2nd payment after 2 years. The payment will conveniently arrive the first year my daughter goes to college.
 
My film was a sub 100k project made over a long span of time. April 07 to May 08 was writing, then shooting till late 09, then post in 2010 with release on DVD in US August 24. It has since then expanded to over a dozen foreign countries with more on the way.

It has made more than double its budget back with sales continuing strong since last August, very unusual for a movie of this scale. Marketing continues from my arm chair at home where we've amassed over 200,000 fans on Facebook and continue to build a growing fan base not just there but online via twitter, our websites, etc.

I would totally call that a success story, and I don't say this to tout my own horn either. LOTS of friends and family put in their dues to make this project possible and I couldn't be more grateful. It was almost a one man band behind the scenes but in front of the camera and at home where the support really mattered I had it in spades. God is good!

Check it out :) http://www.standingfirmmovie.com

Shot on the Canon XHA1 with Letus Extreme. Who says adapters can't get the job done! :P

PS: In the amount we've gotten back please remember NYS taxes (ugh!), the cost of dubs (which we provide to our US distributor), a credit card to payback, and many other things. So that double the budget back isn't just straight cash...there are ALWAYS things to pay for and pay back.
 
I guess I would only define a movie a financial success if it made it possible for me to make more. If I shoot a film for $50K (Tiny Furnitures alleged budget) and only make back maybe $100K at the most ($380K domestica gross) then is it really a success? I guess it is if I was the only filmmaker, but that wasn't the case. And the time to recoup that money is generally YEARS (2-5 in general).

So, I guess my point is that there are different levels of success. For some, finishing a picture all the way through edit is a big success in that regard. But if I make a $50K feature and it takes me 5 years to break even, how is that sustainable?
 
Very few filmmakers just make movies. This is true across the board in my experience with many doing other things (even if that keeps them involved in movies) while they make movies. I have friends who distribute others movies, or do graphics/web work, visual effects, own other business not related to filmmaking, etc. Almost nobody you'll find that's even successful is living strictly off their movies and anybody I've found that is that I'm friends with, they have many under their belt already with X sales per year each...so they had to start by doing what I said and wait until their catalog was big enough to stop or slow down.
 
It's like the gamblers you meet at McCarran airport who are going home after their time in Vegas. "I didn't lose any more than I brought with me."
"
 
Just watched Catfish last night. I read the original production budget was $30k and it went on to gross more than $300k. I guess that would be a good example.
 
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