How to Create a Low Budget Movie
Decide whether or not you really want to make a movie., Get an idea for a movie., If you have a plan, write a screenplay., Have a vision. , Make a shot list and draw or create storyboards., Make a shooting schedule and budget., Get your actors and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide whether or not you really want to make a movie.
Understand that this is a costly, time-consuming venture that will leave little time for hanging out with your friends and having fun.
Then again, if you're making a low-budget movie, what better way to do it than to do it by hanging out with your mates, being the center of attention and having fun? -
Step 2: Get an idea for a movie.
It doesn't even have to be truly original
- it could be a loose remake or spoof.
You could always use a book as inspiration
- anything created before 1900 is public domain and you can just use that.
If you want something cohesive, have an idea first.
If you don't really care, just make stuff up as you go along (David Lynch did this for Inland Empire
- you decide how good that was). , It doesn't have to be perfect and you don't have to follow it 100%.
It just gives you a great outline to start with.
If you want, you can just write the scenes and have the actors improvise their lines. ,, This helps you to know what shots you want to have in the movie before going out to shoot them.
Storyboards don't have to be drawn by an artist, either.
You can draw stick figures, take pictures of action figures, use storyboarding software like Storyboard Quick or whatever you think works best.
Again, this just gives you a basic outline of what you need to shoot and what will be in each shot. , Figure out how much money you can spend on this film of yours and figure out the best ways to spend it.
Remember, you'll need something to record sound on, a simple lighting kit, and a camera.
Anything beyond that and it might be too complicated.
You'll also need props, food for your cast and crew, transportation for some of them, and you might even have to pay for locations.
A schedule helps everyone, too, because they'll know when they need to be with you and where you'll be. , This allows your actors to get a real feel for the scene before they go out and waste time, tape, and/or film.
This way they can learn the lines together or, if you're allowing them to improvise, they can start now and generate ideas for lines they'd like to use. , And by crew, we mean a group of people who may or may not really know what they're doing.
If you're really serious, put an ad in the paper and find a few guys who went to film school who know a little about lighting, recording sound or working a camera.
As a director, you'll be able to get closer to what you want from people who have even the slightest idea as to what they're doing.
Or, if you want a more hands-on approach and want to learn more about the various aspects of film making, ask some of your friends to hold mics or positions lights with you.
That way you'll both learn and you just might appreciate it more. , Are you in school? See if the school owns a camera.
Buddy up to the technology teacher.
Do you know someone who owns a hardware store? They can get you lights and maybe some props.
Tell them you're making a movie and they might give you a discount.
Need a location badly but you think you might need to pay for it? Explain that you're making a movie and most people will give you stuff.
People love movies and they want to be a part of one.
Just tell people that you're making a movie and it'll open up doors you didn't know existed. , Making a film is more than picking up a camera and filming something.
There is a whole legal side that must be taken care of in pre-production before filming starts.
You must get a film permit from whatever city you are filming in.
If you do not have a permit and the cops show up your production will be shut down.
You also need to purchase insurance for your production.
If you do not have insurance and something goes wrong you can be held liable and sued for injury or damaged property. , It's that simple. ,, Be nice to everyone and try to explain to them what you want without making them feel stupid.
You're supposed to be having fun, right? So let everyone else have fun, too.
Remember to watch your footage as often as possible.
You don't want to lose a shot because it was too dark and not be able to go back and redo it because you only had the location for one day.
When you are shooting don't forget about the sound.
Film in areas where there is not a lot of street noise.
Street noise will make it hard to hear your dialogue.
Don't lose your cool and never forget that you're supposed to be having fun.
You aren't getting paid, so don't treat it like your job.
Remember to make note of takes and use a clapboard.
There's a lot to know, but you can duck and dive through a lot of it.
Just have fun. , If your goal is to have this film is to get a distribution deal or even enter it into a festival there is a list of SAG rules you must follow and paperwork you must fill out.
If you don't you'll basically end up with a home video you can do absolutely nothing with. , Most programs are easy to learn and will allow you to sync sound and music with almost no trouble.
And don't rush it.
Editing takes time.Its good to use a good software like particle illusion or an FX product like Fx vision lab studios (all though these cost money ,100-200 pounds) ,, If you're stuck, make a few versions and show people.
They've probably seen a lot of movies, too, and will tell what works and what doesn't. , Bask in the glory of knowing that you are now an independent filmmaker.
People will love you a little bit more now. , It only leaves your pocket to take shots, change the battery or swap out cards.
Forget about cellphone cameras, the sensors in them are about the size of a full stop and the frame rates generally suck. , That perfect shot will only happen once, and when it's gone you can't ask for a second take. , A decent microphone with windshield, the back half of a cheap fishing pole and a mini-disc recorder is ideal.
This will all fit in a messenger bag and leave room for everything else, plus you get to strut around like Jack Bauer. , Take spare batteries and spare cards.
For that matter, take another camera. , Hopping on a bus? Point the camera out the window and let the vehicle track for you.
Might be better on a train, though, they're not as bumpy. , Mount the camera on a gorilla clamp or bulldog clamp on the frame of a bicycle.
Have the actors (or at least one of them) carry the sound kit in his/her pocket and leave it running, or strap it to the bike so it's out of frame.
Pointing the camera forward while you ride is also another great method of capturing stock footage. , -
Step 3: If you have a plan
-
Step 4: write a screenplay.
-
Step 5: Have a vision.
-
Step 6: Make a shot list and draw or create storyboards.
-
Step 7: Make a shooting schedule and budget.
-
Step 8: Get your actors and rehearse well.
-
Step 9: Hire a crew.
-
Step 10: Get as much stuff as you can for free.
-
Step 11: Take care of legal issues.
-
Step 12: Be organized.
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Step 13: Stay true to your vision.
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Step 14: Start shooting.
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Step 15: Remember to follow workers rules.
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Step 16: Learn how to use editing software.
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Step 17: Create Movie Credits
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Step 18: you can use a video title creation system like Video tagger
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Step 19: Show your friends along the way.
-
Step 20: Burn the film onto a DVD and have everyone you know come over to your house and watch it.
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Step 21: Pocket a high definition (720p minimum) compact digital camera.
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Step 22: Be aware of everything around you.
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Step 23: If you're shooting at an event
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Step 24: take a sound kit with you.
-
Step 25: There's no such thing as "not enough film" with digital cameras.
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Step 26: Cutscenes and stock footage are pretty simple using the above prep.
-
Step 27: Tracking walking actors is easy.
-
Step 28: Clapperboards on a budget: Fasten two pieces of wood together with gaffer tape.
Detailed Guide
Understand that this is a costly, time-consuming venture that will leave little time for hanging out with your friends and having fun.
Then again, if you're making a low-budget movie, what better way to do it than to do it by hanging out with your mates, being the center of attention and having fun?
It doesn't even have to be truly original
- it could be a loose remake or spoof.
You could always use a book as inspiration
- anything created before 1900 is public domain and you can just use that.
If you want something cohesive, have an idea first.
If you don't really care, just make stuff up as you go along (David Lynch did this for Inland Empire
- you decide how good that was). , It doesn't have to be perfect and you don't have to follow it 100%.
It just gives you a great outline to start with.
If you want, you can just write the scenes and have the actors improvise their lines. ,, This helps you to know what shots you want to have in the movie before going out to shoot them.
Storyboards don't have to be drawn by an artist, either.
You can draw stick figures, take pictures of action figures, use storyboarding software like Storyboard Quick or whatever you think works best.
Again, this just gives you a basic outline of what you need to shoot and what will be in each shot. , Figure out how much money you can spend on this film of yours and figure out the best ways to spend it.
Remember, you'll need something to record sound on, a simple lighting kit, and a camera.
Anything beyond that and it might be too complicated.
You'll also need props, food for your cast and crew, transportation for some of them, and you might even have to pay for locations.
A schedule helps everyone, too, because they'll know when they need to be with you and where you'll be. , This allows your actors to get a real feel for the scene before they go out and waste time, tape, and/or film.
This way they can learn the lines together or, if you're allowing them to improvise, they can start now and generate ideas for lines they'd like to use. , And by crew, we mean a group of people who may or may not really know what they're doing.
If you're really serious, put an ad in the paper and find a few guys who went to film school who know a little about lighting, recording sound or working a camera.
As a director, you'll be able to get closer to what you want from people who have even the slightest idea as to what they're doing.
Or, if you want a more hands-on approach and want to learn more about the various aspects of film making, ask some of your friends to hold mics or positions lights with you.
That way you'll both learn and you just might appreciate it more. , Are you in school? See if the school owns a camera.
Buddy up to the technology teacher.
Do you know someone who owns a hardware store? They can get you lights and maybe some props.
Tell them you're making a movie and they might give you a discount.
Need a location badly but you think you might need to pay for it? Explain that you're making a movie and most people will give you stuff.
People love movies and they want to be a part of one.
Just tell people that you're making a movie and it'll open up doors you didn't know existed. , Making a film is more than picking up a camera and filming something.
There is a whole legal side that must be taken care of in pre-production before filming starts.
You must get a film permit from whatever city you are filming in.
If you do not have a permit and the cops show up your production will be shut down.
You also need to purchase insurance for your production.
If you do not have insurance and something goes wrong you can be held liable and sued for injury or damaged property. , It's that simple. ,, Be nice to everyone and try to explain to them what you want without making them feel stupid.
You're supposed to be having fun, right? So let everyone else have fun, too.
Remember to watch your footage as often as possible.
You don't want to lose a shot because it was too dark and not be able to go back and redo it because you only had the location for one day.
When you are shooting don't forget about the sound.
Film in areas where there is not a lot of street noise.
Street noise will make it hard to hear your dialogue.
Don't lose your cool and never forget that you're supposed to be having fun.
You aren't getting paid, so don't treat it like your job.
Remember to make note of takes and use a clapboard.
There's a lot to know, but you can duck and dive through a lot of it.
Just have fun. , If your goal is to have this film is to get a distribution deal or even enter it into a festival there is a list of SAG rules you must follow and paperwork you must fill out.
If you don't you'll basically end up with a home video you can do absolutely nothing with. , Most programs are easy to learn and will allow you to sync sound and music with almost no trouble.
And don't rush it.
Editing takes time.Its good to use a good software like particle illusion or an FX product like Fx vision lab studios (all though these cost money ,100-200 pounds) ,, If you're stuck, make a few versions and show people.
They've probably seen a lot of movies, too, and will tell what works and what doesn't. , Bask in the glory of knowing that you are now an independent filmmaker.
People will love you a little bit more now. , It only leaves your pocket to take shots, change the battery or swap out cards.
Forget about cellphone cameras, the sensors in them are about the size of a full stop and the frame rates generally suck. , That perfect shot will only happen once, and when it's gone you can't ask for a second take. , A decent microphone with windshield, the back half of a cheap fishing pole and a mini-disc recorder is ideal.
This will all fit in a messenger bag and leave room for everything else, plus you get to strut around like Jack Bauer. , Take spare batteries and spare cards.
For that matter, take another camera. , Hopping on a bus? Point the camera out the window and let the vehicle track for you.
Might be better on a train, though, they're not as bumpy. , Mount the camera on a gorilla clamp or bulldog clamp on the frame of a bicycle.
Have the actors (or at least one of them) carry the sound kit in his/her pocket and leave it running, or strap it to the bike so it's out of frame.
Pointing the camera forward while you ride is also another great method of capturing stock footage. ,
About the Author
Amber Cole
Enthusiastic about teaching lifestyle techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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