5 tips for making mega films and video content on a budget
The ultimate low budget film, The Blair Witch Project made 414,333% return at the box office.
We make films. You could say we’re filmmakers; but what does that mean? It means we produce, we direct, we edit, we shoot, we organise catering, we do castings… and a lot of the time we do it on a low budget, and that’s not out of choice.
So we thought we’d give back to the filmmaking community, by offering up some tips on how to work with a low budget, and how to manage the client’s expectations.
1. Manage Client expectation, make sure they know they’re getting a bargain.
This perfectly explains the need to manage client expectations.
The client has set the budget, they know they haven’t given you enough money, but you need to make sure they know what they’re getting. Explain to them you’re pulling in favors, cutting corners, and doing everything in your power to produce a high-quality video on their budget.
They have to know you’re writing, producing, directing, shooting, editing and grading the film yourself. The more you let them know how you’re helping them the less push back you’ll get when it’s taking an extra few days to edit.
Be prepared to tell them NO! or “There’s no budget left for that”.
2. Be realistic with production expense.
We’ve worked with people in the past who have come unstuck because they don’t take into account the most basic of costs or the most simple of elements of a production, whilst trying to fork out 10% of the budget on an inessential prop or practical effect.
You need to make a list of everything you need to get the core of the video made.
Camera, Lights, Crew, Locations, Talent, Transport, Insurance, and even Catering (an army marches on its stomach, especially ones working for free).
So when I work on a production I make sure I’ve covered all of these essentials in my budget before I start thinking about adding a flame bar, or an animatronic horse jumping over a rainbow.
Also, you’ve probably racked up a ton of favours in your time (let’s be honest every aspiring director or filmmaker has done the odd freebie to get that credit). Call those favours in, and get on the hunt for young filmmakers who want some experience.
Things like public liability insurance can normally be recouped on other jobs, but you need it. So make sure you’ve got it.
3. Keep the crew to a minimum, and make sure they’re happy
Now calling in those favours is a great way to get hold of cheap or even free crew, but you’re still on a low budget, so you need to keep the crew to a minimum. You’ve got to transport and feed people with little or no money, so just have essential people on set. I always like to have a gaffer/spark, 1st AD and a runner. The rest I take on myself.
Sometimes you can’t get anyone to help. Let’s be honest, no one really wants to work a Sunday in the middle of nowhere for a free Tesco sandwich and a few cheap coffees.
4. Plan everything and prepare
If you want any production to go smoothly you need to prepare for every eventuality, have contingency plans and be ready to make last minute changes because of an unforeseen circumstance (like traffic on the M25).
When working on a low budget, this planning and preparation is doubly, no, triply important. You need to have a contingency for every single shot. Every scene needs 4 possible locations, every shoot day needs to be planned out perfectly. But be prepared to cancel everything; you’re always going to come across instances where things just don’t work out, like the Actor you got in to play the lead double booking you with his niece’s 3rd birthday or some other bullshit excuse for not working a Sunday for free.
When you’re directing/producing/lighting and making coffees on a low budget production shoot you need to know everything, have your answer for every question and pre-solve every problem before the cameras roll.
Every shoot is different, so I can’t tell you how to plan your shoot, but I can tell you to make sure you start a budget spreadsheet, a shot list, a crew list and an equipment list with the name of who’s supplying, picking up and dropping off each piece.
5. Nail it
You’ve done the hard work…now forget about the last 3 weeks (or 3 days) of no sleep and countless emails begging for favours and make the best video you’ve ever made.
Fulfil client expectation, create a masterpiece and get the credit you deserve. Then tell everyone it cost £50,000 to make and never accept another low budget video production again.
Sometimes that low budget shoot can come good, sometimes you hit the nerve. The Blair Witch Project, for instance, had a budget of 60,000 USD and made 248.6 million USD at the box office; that’s a 414,333% return on investment! Right, where did we put that camcorder…