Any advice on filming first micro-budget short film?
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- Creativity flourishes when we lack resources. What camera, what resolution, lens or software are you using, none of that matters. Focus on building a great story, not a big story, but one that is profound within its own reality. A great story is the biggest asset you can possibly have, and it cost nothing.
- Ok Estrella strap in because this is a question I feel I can answer with some authority!I've made six micro budget shorts over the past four years with budgets ranging from around £100 to £3k. Here are my top tips if you're trying to be creative on a budget!- The first thing I would suggest is to write a script with what you already have access to. Got a friend who works in a cafe? Bingo. Maybe it's a church hall? Hallelujah! Or even your own apartment/house? Just be aware that it will get pulled apart (!) and put back together :) - you've been warned! If you already have access to a location, you can write around it's problems and make it work for you :)- This feeds into the next point which is to think about what you can access or get/borrow for free. Got a friend with a van? Boom. What about a set of DJ decks or a Santa outfit? Disco! How about that strange rock collection your aunt has in her shed - maybe it's haunted?! Any and anything can come in useful if you don't have to pay for it!- Think small scale. A short film is a short story, not a long one. Don't try to squeeze too much into the narrative. The classic short story has a setup and a reversal. There is no third act. Or at least not in the traditional sense!- Which is why I would suggest having 2-3 characters max. Have them all in the same space (or two spaces if you can do it) talking about something. Make the audience think it's going one way and then switch it around and surprise them. Less characters = less actors = less people to feed.- You should also try to keep the crew numbers low for the same reason. Director, producer (if you have someone), camera/DOP and sound. After that you're just adding more costs but you're getting something back for it each time. For example an Art Dept person or Stylist will add a layer of class to proceedings but only if you can afford to pay for the art or the styling. A 1st Assistant Director will manage the time/schedule on the shoot and keep you on track and a Gaffer will manage the lighting in collaboration with the DOP - giving them more time to discuss shots with you...- Also with considering is crew who already have their own kit. Ideally a DOP with a camera and a sound op with a mic/recorder setup. DO NOT leave the sound to the last minute. It's just as important to have good audio as good visuals, perhaps more important. People will watch a bad image but they won't listen to bad audio.- Paying people. Ok this is a contentious issue but here are my two cents on it. If you're making a micro budget short, you can't pay folk. That's why it's micro budget. You will see lots of folk online saying how dare you ask me to work on your personal project for free. Well buster, we all have to start somewhere and if someone has no credits to their name, how are they going to get paid work? Find collaborators who are on your level and build a team over time. You will find that the right people will jump at the chance to work together. If they are difficult from day one, that's usually a sign that it's going to be like that moving forward. Something I have found - which you can do further down the line - is make commercial projects and pay people there and then ask a favour of them to work on your personal projects. Not everyone wants to get involved but it's more of a trade that way. Especially if they have tons of expensive gear you would have to pay to rent otherwise!- Use the money you do have wisely. Making a horror? Spend the money on the creepy effects to sell the big finale. Making a comedy and NEED that animal onesie? Get it! But make it worth the cost by utilising it correctly in the film itself. Put the money front and centre.- HOWEVER your first and last thing to think about with budget are catering and transport!! You have to make sure people can get to the shoot safely and you gotta feed people well. In fact, if you only have money for ONE thing, it should be good food! A well fed crew will work an extra hour if they have full stomaches but they will dash if they're hungry. You know you would ;) Go big on snacks and keep everyone hydrated. A Sound Op can get tired holding that boom pole all day so make sure he's got plenty of fuel!- This is getting into the weeds a bit but try and think about the post production ahead of time. Who is going to edit? What will the edit look like? Do you have enough coverage of each line on the shoot? Music, sound design, graphics, film festivals, etc. Lots to think about. Plus where does the film live afterwards? YouTube? Vimeo? Or somewhere else? You made it for a reason so it needs to get seen!Finally, here are a few shorts that are good examples of doing something small (each in their own way) or with a limited budget.Cubicle - https://vimeo.com/508311119Smear - https://vimeo.com/222402030Fragile Package - https://vimeo.com/535613533Best Man - https://vimeo.com/483306825Masterpiece - https://vimeo.com/229687375Bad News - https://vimeo.com/195598028Roofing - https://vimeo.com/317093521And because I'm feeling self indulgent, here are three of my lower budget shorts, from lowest budget (£100) to highest (re: £100 to £400).90 Minutes - https://vimeo.com/346365471Kill For A Slice - https://vimeo.com/370144275Influencers Anonymous - https://vimeo.com/357597651Hope this helps - feel like I could write about this for days. Shout if you have any questions. Happy to advise!Good luck!
- Plan meticulously. You’ll save a lot of money and time if you plan everything out in advance (although be prepared to be flexible on those plans on the actual shooting days).
- These two post might be useful for you:https://noamkroll.com/3-unconventional-formulas-for-producing-a-micro-budget-feature-filmhttps://noamkroll.com/no-budget-cinematography-guide-cameras-lighting-production-workflow-more
- Hey Estrella! Various things, from using your surroundings, locations that are available to you, any equipment you have access to, help from peers, food / merchandise as payment, and so on. Many ways to get people in too!
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