Shooting a low-budget feature under $50,000 can be challenging. Start lowering the number and even more compromises begin, the lower you go the more difficult things can get. But make no mistake, it can be done. Obviously the compromises can make things more stressful, but needs can be met. You can go higher than $50,000 even up to $100,000 or so. Still the compromises would be there, but how many and how severe would depend on many factors. There are some things you should have in mind next time you go making another film.
Marketing: Wait huh? What does that have to do with filmmaking? Actually it's half the battle. Making a film is all well and good if you just want to sit around with your family to watch it. If you want to sell it, you have more to worry about than simply finishing it. Finishing a film is a great accmplishment and if you've done it already, my hat comes off to you (if I wore hats...but I don't). But your battle is half over, now you have to sell the film. You can self-distribute and that's fine but I still believe that making a story you know might not be marketable is like shooting yourself in the foot. I would rather not make a film at all if I wasn't at least confident it could be sold. Can low-budget films be sold and make big profit? Dang skippy! The past 5 years has certainly proved that, in the Christian and secular film world. It's never a sure thing, but coming up with a story that has the potential to be sold and have interest to the public is very important. Keep this in mind when developing your story and your overall scheme. Don't waste the time (and other peoples time, especially if your dealing with lots of volunteers and donations that might not come around a second time <--read that again), money, and all the other headaches that come with completing a film if you don't have at least some sort of idea on how you might pitch it to someone. See our Networking Articles for information on how to find those people.
Story: What you choose for your story will determine how much money you'll need, people, resources, what format you shoot on and what aspect ratio, and on and on it goes. If you choose an epic battle between two countries, $5,000 might be cutting it a little short. If you know your money is capped at a certain point, find out if the story you have in mind is doable within your constrictions. This sounds like common sense but folks seem to forget.
Locations: This ties into your story but it's still a totally separate topic. What kind of story you pick will determine where you need to set it. Is it a period piece? That can make things really difficult for wardrobe and production design. It could also make getting those locations more difficult as you can't just choose any old place. If your working on a low-budget, your choices might not be many. Doesn't mean you can't get great locations and do a period film on a low-budget, but make sure you take the time to find it. Don't leave yourself in a pinch where a bank account wont do you any good. Odds are whatever locations you choose, you'll have to deal with lots of other people. Houses that currently have people living in it, restaurants that are in business, roads that are still in use that you can't shut down. Lots of things will most likely be out of your control, or in your control for a short amount of time. Plan accordingly!
Don't settle for the bottom of the barrel, but make decisions based on what you might have and keep reality in check. Also choose a location that fits the kind of story you want to tell from a cinematic viewpoint. Does your film require a lot more visual storytelling? Does the location you have fit that? Is it interesting enough to look at for a long time if the audience is required to be there a lot? What kind of natural light does it allow and when during the day? For those of you working with minimal lights, this might be sink or swim for you. Does it fit the aspect ratio you want to use to tell that visual story? Shoot outside as often as your story will allow, and pick beautiful locations. A nice summer day will look brilliant, nothing better than that huge yellow orb in the sky lighting your scene for you. Some things I've shot outside without a single flag, scrim, or bounce card to speak of have given me some of my best footage (All the images on the right were from using natural light, not a single lighting element was used). Especially cloudy days where you end up having a nice soft light on everything, take advantage.
Talent: The often debated and most commented on topic in Christian films, the acting. It's rare that the acting is good, and unfortunately with a really low-budget you probably wont have access to great actors. If you do, then great use them. If not, then there are some things you can do to make sure you have the best possible result. One piece of advice, pick the best candidate. Don't pick your friend because he's your best buddy in the whole world. Pick him because he is your best option. Also try and pick those who's real life personalities are similar to those they have to play. That will make their transition a little easier if they aren't as outgoing as others. Often the people who aren't embarrassed to do certain things in public, wont be embarrassed to do it in front of a camera. Them being comfortable might be the most important element. Even if they are unsure or have a lot to learn, the fact they are comfortable and willing to be patient is a huge factor. Also if your working with more inexperienced talent, factor in more time on set to get things right. Make sure you know exactly what you want, and your willing to do as many takes as it takes (no pun) to get things right.
Equipment: Another big factor in your budget, just how much stuff do you own already? How much are you able to borrow? If your like me, nobody near you has the equipment needed to shoot a film. There isn't a single rental place within a good distance, and prices are high. I'm a firm believer in owning what you use, but only up to a certain point. If you properly plan ahead, and you know that you'll need your camera for 30 days, rental might be a good option. It's personal preference, and you'll need to do some number crunching. The same thing applies to anything you might rent/buy/borrow. Also being on a lower budget means working with equipment that might not be the best. One thing I'll say is no matter what level of equipment your able to get your hands on, make sure you can use it to its full potential before you dive into shooting. Do tests, especially with Cameras and Sound equipment. Odds are whatever locations someone is crazy enough to give you, they'll be ok with just you and a friend doing some camera and sound tests there for a few hours. Don't be dumb, ask and go for it. In the end it's worth it. Less guessing equals less stress. Other options might mean waiting to shoot the film until you have a budget to give it justice. Sometimes that hurts, but consider it.
Low-Budget Film Examples:
Flywheel – Sherwood Pictures first feature film, and a low-budget film in every aspect. Shot for $20,000 in DV on an XL1s with a 35mm Adapter (that didn't help the image at all), with Home Depot lights, volunteers for everything, and the result was a great film. The story was fantastic, and after more than 200,000 units sold...who can argue?
Smuggler's Ransom – Brandon Rice & Daniel Noa make a 50 minute Action Film, shot in 4 days, with professional actors (Anthony Tyler Quinn in the lead), donated locations, and a $5,000 budget. The result was a film that not only found distribution and sold several thousand copies, but stands as one of the few Christian action films out there...let alone a good one.
When you ask someone to be in a low-budget film whether it be cast/crew, the only person who has control of whether or not its a nightmare is you. How well you plan, how well you manage, how well you direct people and communicate, etc. You are the ringleader, keep the peace and get the job done. It also warrants you probably wearing a few hats. I've had the pleasure (cough) of wearing 5 or more hats or even more on a really bad day. Two man crews, one man crew (yours truly), and all that fun stuff. Plan the best you can and do the best you can with what you have. That is one thing that I love about lower budget films, it intrigues me to see people doing something of quality with so little. You can reach a quality level far above the rest of your competition, the key is knowing what quality is. If you have an eye for quality, you'll be able to direct the boat down the proper stream to get there. There will be problems and compromises, but if the end result in the framing of the camera is good, then you've accomplished your mission.
If I'm going to do something, I better make sure I do it the best I can do. I want to make sure that whatever happens to whatever it may be (in this case a film), I can look at myself in the mirror in the morning and be content I did what I could. I'm sick of hearing “I can't,” “There is no way,” or “That isn't possible.” Figure it out. Make your film look bigger than it is, and more expensive than it is. Your biggest job on a film, especially a low-budget film, is problem solving...so start getting better at it.
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Kyle Prohaska
kyle@praisepictures.com
CEO, Praise Pictures
http://www.praisepictures.com
