5 Rules For Effective Low Budget Filmmaking
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- Опубликовано: 3 июн 2024
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In this video I’ll go over 5 tips which I think will enhance the strength of your filmmaking without breaking the bank, and give your low budget films a fighting chance at gaining recognition and launching your career.
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0:00 Introduction
1:01 1. Play To Your Stengths
3:20 2. DIY Cinematic Principles
4:28 Sponsored Message
5:22 3. Create A Look (And Stick To It)
7:10 4. Small Scope Stories
8:09 5. Nail The Basics
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Low Budget Watch List:
Clerks (1994)
Slacker (1990)
Primer (2004)
Pi (1998)
Following (1998)
Relics (2017)
El Mariachi (1992)
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
Tangerine (2015)
Edit: this is just a list of every film referenced in the video above.
this could be a watchmojo video.
So I have to watch primer twice?
@@coopersavva2689 without Wikipedia's help, ofcourse. 😄
Thank you
@@coopersavva2689 we all did
"Planning is your friend" -- that's some solid creative advice, applicable to *every* creative field!
5P... proper planning prevents poor performance... (that is the G-rated version...LOL) cheers! planning is never wasted!
Number one is to make a list of locations that are available to me, then write a simple story around them. Then cast. Then find camera gear and crew.
Another good thing to remember when getting into shorts is the sound. I see so many shorts that are shot and cast beautifully, but for whatever reason they put no money into a good boom op and the sound is so jarring between each cut. Definitely don't slack when it comes to hiring to a sound guy!
1000% agree. I learned this the hard way
Yep! People will squint a grainy footage, they WILL NOT bend closer to hissy, static sound. I think audio gear goes above camera gear on a no budget movie
being an audio engineer, I happily approve this message.
Yes!!
"Grainy cinematography" can be explained as "artistic", but grainy sound is just lazy. Your sound department budget (assuming that you even have a budget) should be as much as your camera department... unless you're hiring Matthew Libatique.
The only problem I find with a lot of movies in this regard is a lot of them can be pretty same-y. Like I live small scale character drama based stories, but there’s only so many times I can see something set in a small town about a dysfunctional family shot on handheld digital before I start seeing the similarities haha. I guess it’s the polar opposite of how so many major blockbusters are so cliche 😂
The vast majority of all art is samey, whatever the budget level. We - humans at this point in history - consume so much story all the time, that almost any setting or set-up feels familiar and easily contextualised. Gay romantic comedy set in a zombified post-apocalypse? That's probably out next year. Gritty social drama about addiction, but with superheros? Haven't I seen that before? I don't even care what the "set-up" is, I'm just interested in the scenes, in character dynamics, in suspense and surprise - and those can be created on any budget level, in any milieu, by a good storyteller.
There is a reason these films - El Mariachi, Clerks, Primer, Slacker - stood out from the ocean of similarly budgeted films. They were original.
Worked in a cinema 6yrs and every June we had student screenings. They had resources from rich uni and they were max a couple of shorts that didn't bored me. Most of them are cheap copy of each other sometimes with bad sound while they have access to professional mics. There was a clear lack of commitment and imagination.
Well, that's not the story of any of the movies featured here, except maybe tangerine. Simple doesn't always mean unoriginal
A lot of that is what gets into film festivals. There was a festival cliche that became apparent def in the 90's and 2000's.
But neither Primer or Clerks is a standard movie like that and I think that’s what matters. Most people getting into a no budget project take the things they have and don’t make a creative jump to perceive a more interesting movie. “I have a house - I’ll
make a family drama” - it is cliche and its probably why you won’t ever see that movie because there’s millions of versions of that movie out there. Primer was like - “I have a garage and a storage lock-up. I’m going to make a time travel movie.” And that’s why it’s still spoken about. It did something that most other filmmakers on that sort of budget wouldn’t dare to even conceive.
You just nailed it! After being mainly a VFX guy for more than 30 years I try to make my own movies simple and intimate. with minimal crew and gear. Great video!
Sometimes I can't tell if a production looks cheep because the camera is static, or the acting is monotone. I'm sure I've seen proscenium framing or flat accents in mainstream productions. Maybe bad acting is emphasized by bad acoustics, and wide shots are called out by flat lighting.
Although I agree that for every successful film of this type there is indeed some failures, but I think the same can be said about big-budget films falling into the same trap. There are too many to mention, but I think that movies made on small budgets shouldn't be put down too much and they also should be discussed more often; especially in film schools. In fact, the "independent movie" trend should also come back and should be discussed often. Too many boring remakes and/or reboots. Movies need to be original. #BRINGBACKINDIEFILMS
Great thing to keep in mind before shooting your first feature. It won't be easy but the least you can do is minimize the chances of it being a total fucking disaster.
Lol! That should be every filmmakers mantra!
I'm a low-budget filmmaker and I occasionally watch stuff like this as a reminder/inspiration. Just wanted you to know that you helped me come up with an idea that will allow me to fix the film I just shot without re-shoots.
Thank you very much for making this easy to understand yet completely necessary guide. Very helpful and motivating to see other filmmakers low (and no) budget films to get inspired by how small you can get without becoming boring.
I just gotta keep telling myself, make it smaller make it smaller, you can save the big set pieces for a future film.
Another great and helpful video! Your channel has quickly become one of my preferred sources of information on filmmaking. Keep up the good work! Greetings from Germany :)
watching this again after about a year of absorbing a ton of information, brilliant use of brevity and fantastic points.
I appreciate these videos! Thank you so much
Here's a different take on it.
I was lucky enough to direct my first short film with a Red Scarlet and Skypanels. My crew were mostly unexperienced, my cast were experienced, but i wouldn't say great actors, even though they were perfect on the audition. I'd give the film a 5/10, it went on some festivals, but it's nothing spectacular.
Now 3 years later, i have decided to make my truly first film, which i've written, and i'll be the director and the DOP on. The cast will be top quality (one of the best actors in my country) and my crew are with more technical experience than me, way more.
And after getting that out of the way, let me give you my take on it:
Ask yourself why are you making films, do you want money, do you want recognition, are you just doing it for fun, out of boredom, or what is it.
After that, ask yourself what kind of films would you like to make if you had infinite money.
See i myself have realised that i'm making films, because that's how i get some sort of joy, no matter the hardship of the process or stress involved. And now i've come to the point in which i'll be funding my own movie, without caring about producers, studios and all that crap, simply because i've managed to get connections through my years of working (do that, btw, i'm getting a 12 500$ gear for free - 3 day shoot, simply because of the trust i've build and most of the times people in the industry support each other).
The stories that intrigue me are not set in the "realistic world", nor in the complete "abstract", but these are the movies/stories that i enjoy and i'd like to make, regardless profit or whatever. And i'm always trying to overachieve, that's just the person i am, and if you are the same way, don't fall short because people overlook your ideas as "too ambitious", specially if you don't care about making money out of it or whatever.
Most importantly I think that in the end you should not be ashamed from yourself, because you've settled for something, instead of striving beyond your reach.
But that just implies for the naive ones.
How do you handle the tough job of being director and dp at the same time?
@@LycanVisuals Maybe that's why it was nothing spectacular. Someone should have focused more on an experienced crew than a pretty camera that I GUARANTEE wasn't efficiently utilized.
@@maxsdad538 Most independent filmmakers I figure in the beginning where most of the hats because of a severe lack of funds. Would you say it's a little better to focus in on one area starting out? For me, I'm a very visual person so most of my interest is in cinematography to see if I can handle it.
Usually your first couple of beginner films is gonna be crap, I don’t care if it was shot on Alexa, red or film. There’s a reason why top A list actors get paid top dollar, you can point your cellphone at their performance and the audience can get sucked in but that is only one piece of the puzzle. Story is #1, acting #2 sound/design #3 lighting/cinematography#4 marketing #5 editor #6 location/set design #7 camera #8. Most beginners make the mistake of buying expensive cameras and rigging it up but all that money could go to #1 through #7. Check the end credits of your favourite movies to see why.
Congratulations for 200k
Awesome video & tips, thanks.
A excellent video. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
thanks for the nod to the 5D2... it may be old, but it is still a beast! i use mine for mostly stills, but the occasional video... and i was one of the first owners, preordering and taking delivery on dec 5, 2008.... cheers!
This is one of my favorite channels
Loving the content bru
It would be great to do a video on funding, if you don't have one already. You sort of cover it in your 3 tier budget videos, but I'd love an overview of how young directors get funding together for first projects. (Ideally including cinema outside USA, and focusing on movies made recently.) Thanks for your videos ☺️
I agree! New Filmmaker and new RUclipsr! Staying low budget definitely keeps your focus on the story and audience! I hire contractors to help me shoot my films. I am a one band man!
Thank you for sharing 💯.
Gray, your knowledge has inspired me an I'd like to thank you for sharing, I also wish the best for you. Thank you.
Always well-thought out and explained, thanks! Reigning in an overabundance of ideas is paramount to any good, tight story.
Yes, keep it simple - even a grand and epic idea should always be told through a small story.
I think you need a couple of things to succeed; and one of them is someone on your production crew that knows when something looks right or wrong, Andy you may also need someone that knows when something sounds right or wrong… with these two people you could manage very ambitious special effects that are being honed in by the person that knows when something looks right or wrong and also the soundtrack has to be acceptable, which is mediated by the person that knows when something sounds right or wrong ( ? )
Still good to hear!
As a professional Sound Mixer I would do Pro Bono work, but everytime I ask for basic necessities like: Crafty with Coffee, they sometimes laugh at me...not understanding I have a pro audio setup, state of the art wireless, and Industry standard microphones. If other words, you need to feed your cast and crew, don't ever ask me to brown bag your passion project. I just gave you $1100 free audio work. FFS
I brew great coffee. Drop by.
awesome tips thanks
It makes a lot of sense
Cheers!
My first is going to be shot during Christmas time. Because of that, no one wants to commit. So, I'm changing the script to one room, one person, one day. This is very helpful. Thanks.
Thanks for putting the list on screen at the beginning that way, if the list is self explanatory, I don't have to wade through the entire vid and waste time. Small details like that help alot.
I totally agree with the rules!!!
Excellent points! How about adding another point, "find a good story about how a character changes?" Also, add music in a consistent style that adds coherence to the film.
So helpful! Cheers!
I'm working on an uber-low budget sci-fi flick so knowing how to do stuff on a budget is very nice for me.
Was the thumbnail designed to intentionally read "Film King" instead of filmmaking? Its brilliant and as always a helpful and informative video!
Thanks for this, I'm currently working on my first film (a short film) for a film contest and this was super helpful! I was always worrying that I didn't have the right stuff or it would look like shit because I don't have the right camera, but after watching this, I now know exactly what I'm going to do, and I even tested it and black and white is definitely what I'm gonna go for. But thanks a bunch for these tips!
Edit: It's finished. It's terrible. I didn't even get to direct it. No black and white, the actors suck. And the worst part is that it was directed by a professional, which makes it worse that it turned out so bad.
If you shoot anything at night (interior or exterior) in black and white - try using red lights instead of white ones. A friend of mine made a horror feature in black and white and his DOP did just that - it gave Eraserhead-like contrast. It worked very well!
@@Paul.McGhie oh wow that’s actually interesting thx! I was probs just gonna use a regular white light for it
@@LonzosSprayPainting Np - definitely worth experimenting with 👍
Anywhere I can see the finished short film? What do you think made it so bad?
My 5 Rules:
1. Use a smartphone.
2. Pay no one.
3. Trespass if necessary for location shots.
4. Use a friend's (or your parents') car for any car scenes.
5. Always shoot quickly before getting caught.
;-P
Genius
in Summer I will make a short film with my friends. There are not the best actors of all time. But they try to and I think that matters. And my money will flow into props and editing. The rest is all free luckily. So I think that is a real real real low cost film. Let's see what is coming at me... Definitely better than my last short film on my RUclips channel. lol
Saving this video for when you make something like br 2049 or avatar(some big budget studio project)
Great video!
Great Knowledge IDC Team . Director and Cinematographer Azlan Arain khan.
Useful informations..thanks
Very nice and encouraging presentation. I might add that I have found it very educational to watch people on RUclips talk about the problems they spot in what are often low budget independent films. Sometimes these are disasters hardly worth going over (I'm thinking of "After Last Season" and anything by Neil Breen), but others seem more like the kind of accidentally entertaining mess I could have ended up creating because I do not have a sufficient grasp of certain details of film making.
Love y’all video
Yes..thanks
3:38 --> I nearly lost it in my cubical while watching this clip. Luckily everyone is working from home... Great Video!
Ok...getting ready for my first feature. It has basically 3 locations (90% of it is at 1 spot in the woods). I have 4 actors (2 with onscreen speaking roles, 1 with an onscreen but non speaking role [think a sadistic Silent Bob], I'll do another off camera speaking role and a voice actress who will do 3 off screen speaking roles.) We'll use as much natural lighting as we can possibly use. The passage of time during the days will actually work to our advantage. I have an Excel spreadsheet of all the shots I want and feel I need to get (it's about 140) for a 79 minute film. Practically no SFX. A camera and sound team with 2 good RED cameras. I'm thinking since only 1 actor does 80% of the on screen dialogue, we could probably go with one LAV mic. The film schedule calls for it to be shot in 6 days (so that's about 11 pages a day) but with most of it happening in one spot and not having to move a bunch of equipment around, the cast and crew think it's doable. I've planned all the close up shots that need to take place in one specific area, planned all the "moving" shots (there's really 1), and already cast my 2 key "on screen" actors. A very nice gentleman in the town where we plan to shoot is allowing us the use of his house for the final scene location and we're staying at my fishing cabin where we can sleep, rehearse, eat and hang out after shooting. We're planning Zoom calls to begin read throughs, I've gotten most of the props already as well. Can anyone think of anything I'm missing or haven't thought of? Thanks!
I got an ad for film school on this vid, but I’ve never got one simmaler before 😳
Everyone who is interested in independent filmmaking should see Breathless by Godard as well as Robert Altman and Mike Leigh’s films. These have a real improvised style. When it comes to building a script and directing your actors this improvised sense might inspire you toward a more natural way to go about it.
Great video
Really helpful, i mean it’s like what i thought
Love your videos man! I think it's your voice. Haha.
gracias, esto es muy útil, me encantó
All of this and more have been spelled out in a myriad of "DV rebel" books quarter century ago. DV was the first cheap format with a half-decent quality. Sure, Robert Rodriguez shot El Mariachi for $7K, but most of this money was spent on film stock and processing, he was lucky to have the location, the actors, the cars, the music, and the camera either free or very cheap. But he had to pay $7K for film stock!
A lot of good points about story telling and script. Then, there are conflicting remarks about choice of color vs B&W. Also, I expected to see proper framing, proper exposure and proper camera angles in the "Nailed Basics". Thanks otherwise!
It was poetry!
Very good.
Great content! :))
As a filmmaker and camera nerd I’ve definitely figured out the most cost effective ways of getting good yet inexpensive camera, lighting and sound equipment, allowing you to focus on the actors, locations, feeding everyone, etc. I was (and still am) gear obsessed but my wisdom has triumphed over materialism. Inexpensive cameras are so good now and great looking vintage glass is so cheap that there’s no excuse on that end with budget.
Hey Steve sorry to bother you but could i have some camera recommendations and perhaps glass recommendations
@@finnsharp6138 what’s your budget
@@Cinnovations a few thousand
@@finnsharp6138 what would you like in the entirety of your kit? Obviously I’ll recommend camera and lens, but I’d like to know what else you need.
@@Cinnovations a monitor but I’m mostly concerned with camera and lense quality
Where do you get the audios of the cinematographers or filming crew?
Ignore No4 if you want to stand out to people you want to fund you. If you find ways to make smaller budgets appear larger on screen through clever planning and set ups, producers will have a much easier time funding your projects.
for the love of God buy a tripod, I understand you imagined having complex system of track dollys and a crane , I don't need a dynamic shaky cam shot of 2 people standing still
Non Cohesive doesn't necessarily mean amateurish. Check out Natural Born Killers. There's no reason a no budget feature couldn't be shot in that style. Short ends, re-cans, black and white, colour, various digital formats, Super 8mm, 16mm, 35mm - whatever you can get your hands on. So long as the content is suitable for that particular approach.
Noob question: who's the most responsible on a film, on set specifically, for the overall look of the lighting? The DP or the gaffer? Is it the DP/Director who articulate what they're looking for and the gaffer then does his best to make that happen?
Best for the Director & DOP to determine the overall look of the film in pre production.
The Director will provide visual references, and a mood board. He or she will give those documents to the DOP. The DOP will then provide feedback to the Director, and in a positive way, go back and forth to really determine what the look will more specifically be.
Once the pre production is complete, the DOP will sit down with the Gaffer, and discuss the look of the film. A good Gaffer will provide thoughts on specific lighting fixtures, and various lighting considerations to successfully create that look.
The Director doesn't usually communicate wirh the Gaffer.
Gaffer works under the DP.
It's definitely supposed to be the DOPs expertise, but for indie film it depends on the crew. Depending on your team, your producer, director, or gaffer might be more experienced / daring when it comes to lighting set ups. Always good to get feedback from everyone involved.
There is no gaffer on this kind of budget.
great thumbnail
First thing I ask if the pay is low is if I can read the script. If I'm not getting paid, then the story needs to be good.
Good content. What is your fav low budget film?
200,000 subscribers 😵💫
bravo
Nice
Wooo!
Never mentioned anything about sound recording and background score
Basics like what exactly?
#6 Good Audio
Nothing experimental, nothing fancy, nothing crazy... David Lynch, shooting "Erasherhead": "Hold my beer."
I recommend seeing the trailer of NO BUDGET NO SCRIPT NO PERMISSION. That shows you how to make a feature with $0!!!
Amazon has become my best friends when buying props
💯- also you can always return the props with the return time limit which claws your budget back for post film stuff like festival entry fees.
can you please include more examples of women film makers
See, you don’t need special effect to make an interesting movie. Because their too depressing and expensive. All it needs is a strong character to make it work.
GOOD
"Brother's friend who does Tik tok videos got me"😂😂
I still whole heartedly disagree with the budget advice and "don't take risks."
Sure if you have no concept of any basics at all in movie making, I agree, learn those first.
But taking risks drives me to be creative freely.
As for the budget, I agree, don't go too crazy to where you literally can't afford it.
Don't get into debt.
But I believe you should still write the story as big as you wish.
Just when you're done writing, YOU make the decision to adjust for your budget. Don't limit your mind.
Your mind can and will help you problem solve for what you can't afford.
You're more creative than what someone else expects of you.
Make your story as big as you want. Only you know what's possible for your movie.
If you're not good yet with calculating your budget. Team up with someone you trust who's good at it and compromise.
You'll come up with low-budget, yet creative, solutions for scenes you can't afford on a high budget.
To keep the money part simple. Just don't put your self in debt.
You can still find cheap, yet creative, ways for big scenes.
You got this. Don't limit yourself.
actors/characters are probably the highest priority you should consider before you make a film
I will not tolerate the slander against my brothers friend who makes tik toks. Lol
Im making a movie too. Wish me luck
Did you finish it?
@@masterjunky863 YES! Front page on my channel.
Kiff video
So I got $20...
shittyrigs letsssgoooo 🙌
The first point summarises what's mostly wrong with contemporary art, mainly cinema and photography (in photography this even has its own name, "G.A.S.", Gear Acquisition Syndrome), people focus more on what they can use to express something than on to what to express, what to say! It's like buying a Montblanc pen made of gold and diamonds, and pure sepia ink, and extremely exotic and expensive paper to then say... nothing... because most of modern art expressions have no message, or if there is some it's so vague, bland and cheap that it's almost meaningless altogether...
You should've made this years ago, so I could make a way more decent high school film😂
I would suspect that film success is like Tik Tok success ; who would have thought mass appeal was in that piece of "bleep"
Thank you for suggesting to not cast TikTok stars as actors... All my roles are being taken by influencers :/ Us actors appreciate that more than u know!
That must suck! Filmmaker is in the position where they need an audience and the influencer brings that audience but isn’t an actor so the performance sucks. Can an actor grow an audience on tiktok to better their chances and get leverage going into a project?
@@Paul.McGhie Yes, sadly this is what managers and agents are saying to non-"name" actors. Instead of working on craft and creating your own projects and trying to be in as many Pro or Amateur projects to strengthen relationships and experience... they want us to focus on our social media. It's like, ugh, i didn't come to Hollywood to do social media and appeal to teenagers (the bulk of social media users).
I feel for you guys. It's already hard enough finding roles out there, now you have to compete with social media personalities with the clout. It not any easier but I quickly found I greatly prefer being behind the camera.
@@LycanVisuals Exactly right. And yes, I've been fortunate to transition to behind-the-camera work when I'm not acting. So i'll just stay the course and grind it out
"Influencers" have an automatic viewer draw. If you have 100 followers and some Tic Tac star has 40,000, THAT'S why they'll get cast.
I think shooting in limited locations is regurgitated bad advice. The story dictates the locations. Don't handicap yourself just because of someone's advice. Make sure the locations add value to the story. Shoot smart and necessary.
I've just started this video and I must let you know pal, I have no more than 10 dollars. Welp :(
Me and the homies will be making a short film for like $10
Memes are susususususus
“Get a free grade from a good colorist” is sad advice. Why not also say “get a free score/foley/costumes/SFX/etc. from a good composer/sound designer/stylist/animator/etc.” ? You’re basically saying you don’t value this part of the craft the same way. Why not get free lighting from a good DP? Valuing craft means valuing that work and paying for it even if you can find someone desperate enough to do it for free
I disagree that you only can value people by giving them Money.
'I' Made a Feature with pretty professionel actors and people who normaly make their money with their Craft. I didn't paied them for their work, but I took them all into the process and WE made this movie together.
So I never gave them the Feeling that i was taking Advantage of them, but we tried to make a good movie together. And in my opinion we suceeded.
And If they all wanted to have money for their work I wouldn't be able to afford it. And that would have been sad.
@@JohannesBuc yes to everything you just said. I mean that by suggesting specifically getting the grade for free implies that it falls into the category of skills that people think aren’t worth paying for (undervalued) cause they can sort of do it themselves. This is true of a lot of photoshop, editing, design, etc. Then there are a tonne of things people don’t want to pay for because it’s the work of artists who are passionate about their craft so they should work for exposure. No one ever says, “try to get your plumbing for free” and it’s insulting to start with the assumption for other craft
@@likelovehahawow yeah, sure. I totally agree with your point, that it's problematic to say that one Craft is worth less and you don't need to pay for it.
And in general I don't wanted to say you shouldn't pay the people you work with. But I wanted to say that in my opinion respect and value doesn't come from the money you pay.
Money is just something we all need to stay alive, and Artist also need to eat and sleep, so they also need Money.
But sometimes a Projekt is worth more, and you decide that you will do it even If there is no money in it.
And I know the Problem, that some people taking Advantage of that. And I hope I never was or will be such a Person.
When I haven’t been able to pay for colourists or composers, I often do a skill swap with them. Give them footage for their showreel or make a music video to accompany a song. I don’t think you should ask for stuff for free, but let them know there are ways you can help them out too.