Making short films on a budget

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Admin under film, filmmaking, independent film, Tips, Video

One of my favourite budget filmmaking reference books is Producer to Producer by Margaret Ryan (Michael Wiese Productions). It is an extensive tome, not really handbag material, but covers all the areas of low budget filmmaking to help you make good quality short films.

However having worked on several small indie films and having made 1 short film already (What did you do in the war Grandad? selected for a festival in Santa Monica in May 2016) and being halfway through my second short film, I thought I would share some of the tips I’ve learnt, so far.

Improvise, improvise, improvise.

Mum drops Lucy at Grandad’s – a scene from budget indie film What did you do in the war Grandad?

Obviously, with any low/no budget film, money is always an issue. Thinking creatively, is the best way to deal with this. For instance, if you’re shooting in bright sunlight and need to defuse the light so it is softer, but you don’t have a large enough diffuser, visit Wilko, buy some of their basic white shower curtains and create a frame for them from garden canes and duct tape. Living near Southall can be an ideal way to source not just unusual items for props, but material to make a green screen. I visited several material emporiums to look at their offerings and took material samples so I could get the right shade and then matched it to images on my phone. It worked a treat.Don’t have a proper boom pole? Use an extendable painters’ pole and tape the mic on the end. Visit your local markets, thrift and bargain basement shops for odds and ends.
Ebay is your friend

Lucy looking at Grandad’s medals in What did you do in the war Grandad? I sourced the medals from ebay.

For more specific props Ebay is an ideal source, even though you have to pay for them. I purchased 3 WW2 medals for my first short film, as I’d been unable to borrow them from contacts.
Facebook is also your friend

For local locations and also finding crew/actors that you may not be able to source elsewhere, Facebook is also a good source. Post in local groups and on your own feed.
Be prepared to multitask

Low or no budget filmmaking means that you get to play several parts during a shoot: playing a body double, holding the boom if you don’t have a separate sound person or the painter’s pole that has a foam head on it that gives the actor an eye-line, making props, location sourcing, catering etc
Be brazen and blag & if you can’t blag, borrow

The adage ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ is as valid in low budget filming as it is in any other situation. Looking to film in an unusual location? Chat up the owner/caretaker, plead poverty and talk about how good the film is going to be. This is how I’ve got 3 of my locations so far 🙂 Need a prop or equipment, but the money’s running low? Ask, plead poverty & again, talk about how good the film is going to be and give then a credit.

Meeting the Lancaster at RAF Hendon – a scene from budget indie What did you do in the war Grandad?
Be Prepared

Similar to the point about being prepared to multitask, being prepared. Think about everything that MIGHT be needed: scissors, duct tape, bungee straps (you’d be surprised what you can use those for), see through recycle bags or black bin bags (more often than not it will rain and you need to be able to keep stuff dry, umbrella/s (I have in the past had to use my photography umbrellas to protect my equipment on a shoot, not the best thing), pens, pencils, clipboards (my script clipboard makes a star appearance in my second short film), sharp knives or multitools, first aid kit, water, hot drinks, bum bag to keep stuff in that you need all the time: mobile phone, keys etc etc. Even then you’ll probably find you haven’t got what you need.
Top tip: a pair of nail clippers works well as an emergency pairs of scissors or even a temporary screw driver if you have one with a file on it.