GUEST COLUMN: Low-Budget Films: 10 Shooting Tips to Make Your Mark
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Low-Budget Films: 10 Shooting Tips to Make Your Mark
by Jean Hartley
Low-budget films don't mean bad films. Many cult films were shot for little money, and that hasn't stopped them from becoming classics. We live in a time where anyone can pick up a camera, make a movie, and make a big name out of it. If you're confident and you have something to say to the world - go for it. The tips below will help you organize the process and succeed.
1. Write the script with the expectation that the story will be of interest to a large audience.
Of course, you're making an independent film and are free to make what you think is right. But what's the point in grueling work (and making a film is grueling work) if only your friends and family will see the result? Any independent film is an attempt to arouse maximum interest from professionals and the public. Not taking the audience into account is the approach of an amateur.
The script is the foundation of the project. Your film is unlikely to have famous actors, fancy sets and spectacular special effects. The only thing in this situation that determines the success or failure of the film is the story and how it is told. Until you have a clear understanding of what your story is about and why it can emotionally grab the audience, there's no point in moving forward.
2. Match your script to your financial and production capabilities.
This is not to impoverish the story. Think about how you can creatively get out of a sticky situation and find a workaround. It might even improve the story. Most cult horror movies and thrillers were inexpensive to produce. Remember Psycho: the skeleton in the climactic scene may look ridiculous by today's standards, but the scene works. Even a modern teenager who has seen a lot of blockbusters will be tickled by this scene - because the suspense outweighs the special effects.
Knowing the laws of drama also helps. It's a story that can touch the hearts of millions, even if it's set in your kitchen, bedroom, and entryway.
3. Feel free to ask for help and ask for money.
Funding sources do not have to be limited to your piggy bank and credit banks. Make inquiries - maybe some organizations will be interested in seeing your project see the light of day.
Viral videos are also a great way to get people interested in investing in your project. Upload trailers, presentations and interviews with project participants to YouTube. The more interesting your work is, the more traffic and automatically the better your chances to find an investor.
4. Be careful about your budget.
Usually the production budget is distributed as follows:
10% - pre-production
60% - production
15% - post-production
15% - distribution
However, any project makes adjustments to this scheme. Maybe you think that you necessarily need a "star" in the film, and spend the money on her fee. Maybe, conversely, save on actors and invest in the purchase of more professional equipment. The case is yours, you are an independent filmmaker. This means that the decisions are yours alone to make. You will also have to take on the execution of most of them.)
5. Decide on the desired video quality.
Don't rely on professional equipment. If you tell a good story convincingly, no one will pay attention to whether it's a used MiniDV camera, a camera, or a new HD camera.
For the beginner who wants to make a statement, an ordinary amateur camcorder is fine as long as it has manual focus and white balance modes. This will give you more opportunities as an operator. If you expect to interest your project distributors, remember that they care about picture quality. In this case, it is wise to invest in a camera with high resolution.
6. Invest in an external microphone.
The built-in microphones do not produce perfect sound, which makes the recording seem amateurish. And in the post-production stage, background noise will be difficult to remove. So it is better to include the purchase of the microphone in the budget in advance. It is not necessary to buy the most expensive ones, you are not recording a music album.
7. Explore all the capabilities of the camera and microphone in advance.
You can practice filming the simplest scenarios. This will save time on the set - both for you and the people who will be subordinate to you.
8. Select objects (filming locations) according to your capabilities.
The filming of low-budget projects, as a rule, is limited by the director's place of residence, and even a simple trip out of town with the whole group will greatly increase the cost of production.
The solution to the problem is again in simplicity. Don't chase after spectacular objects. It is better to shoot a good, dramatically calibrated story in an apartment / at a friends' or relatives' dacha, than a rambling and superficial one - but on the grounds of an abandoned factory.
9. Don't recruit more actors than you need to.
Better they will be few, but with talent. Of course, you can use friends and relatives as actors, who will certainly agree to participate in the project for free, but it is advisable not to save money in this matter. Bad acting kills the viewing experience.
Offer roles to students of specialized universities - for sure they will be glad to help you. Even big media actors often star for free in independent projects for the sake of art and in the hope that the film will shoot. So the opportunities are there - don't turn them down in advance.
10. Set up a shooting schedule based on the calculation of objects and the capabilities of the team members.
Plan to shoot all the scenes at once in one object, and only then move on. Most films are shot this way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jean Hartley is a history tutor and works as an essay writer in her spare time. If you are a student and need the professional assistance, Jean advices you the best paper writing service
