Lessons for the No-Budget Feature

Hi bro! Man, please... I need spanish subtitles in this chanel... Pleaaaaaaaaase.
Saludos desde Argentina!
Excelent Chanel... Excelent!

"Let your limitations guide you" includes script writing. Big budget film makers start with a script, knowing they have the whole world to scout for locations and swarms of acting hopefuls wanting to be in a big budget movie. A micro-budget film maker has to go the opposite route: First, scout to see what locations are available for you; and look at the capabilities of each actor you have and how they can work together. Build your story around available locations and available actors.

Im someone whose wanting to get into film and be a filmmaker, i find this to be extremely inspiring and it has even inspired me to make my own films!

Great advice here. We can accomplish whatever we like when we stop trying to ape hollywood.

Here's another one. Lots of these no-budget movies were made in an age before digital photography. Most of the $7000 of El Mariachi went to buying film stock and developing it. If you're watching this, you probably have a camera (or a friend with a better camera) that doesn't need film and that gives you a leg up on Rob Rod. You have 7000 to make a movie? Great! Put it into production Design. Hire a better actor. Buy a bunch of green paint and turn your garage into a greenscreen studio. Use it as a contingency fund. Pay people! There's a lot you can do with $7000 when you don't need to spend it on making the movie exist.

To be completely honest I liked the video before you began ranting about student films that are “full of themselves.” Yes, there are some really bad ones but to say that no matter what a young student’s film isn’t as good as they think it is can honestly discourage someone when all they are doing is growing and following their passion for film. You started to remind me of a few people I’ve met in their 30s or 40s where all they do is trash talk young ones that they see as a threat to their skill, possibly jealous that they weren’t as passionate at a young age. You may be right that a lot of peoples films are not as good as they make it out to be, but without this mindset young filmmakers will only be negative and question if their films will only be bad, when in reality they could be something great.

Awesome video! 👏👏👏

Poultrygeist is a great example of hilarious, low budget and workable. I almost want to say Genius but even I know that's going too far.

I hate all self-made movies even the ones in this video. If you don't have a studio backing it, it will just be pretentious crap. never make your own movie. Yuck.

I watched this video so many times two years ago , thank you for this. I just finished editing my no-budget feature.

Great stuff, the only difference is I do have faith in the upcoming genius filmmakers of our generations. And I do believe they will be born from the current no-budget world of diy filmmakers with unique perspectives : )
A new wave of cinema is coming☮️

I was in Stripped To Kill and Stripped To Kill II. I don't think there was a third. But the director and producer did make a third movie titled Streets with Christina Applegate. All were Corman films.

Aphex twin intro, I'm watching the whole video now

Thanks for the info

Great video! Making a feature film with limited resources is such a great skill and confidence building experience if you can do it (and you can!)

So that's why PI was in black and white 🤔

Does anyone know the name of the song at the end?

"It's hard to get a gun, and blanks." haha british people

Money isn't the problem with bad films, mostly all the movies in the last 20 years are completely %)#*%!!! Least in my opinion there are only a couple handful of good movies out of all of them, and most seem to be lower budget films. It's about presentation, cast, character progression, having the right things in the scenes, I find that mostly all the movies I can't stand have long boring scenes with characters having the most annoying boring conversations that are less interesting than the worst social interactions I have on a average day with people I have nothing in common with... Having characters in locations where you can't see them is annoying too, or just having things that don't fit in the scene, if you can't find a reason to put something in the scene then it shouldn't be there, it draws the attention and mental focus away from what ever the scene is about. Character progression is a must mostly too, I just watched a movie which was so horrible though I pushed through it hoping that it would get better cause it had one of my favorite actors in it as a extra, though none of the characters were described, in fact every time the camera pinned in on one of them who died I thought to my self, who the heck is that guy? or wow cool I don't care cause I don't know who he is... If a film maker claims that budget is a problem for location then he surely is limiting him or her self with a major excuse... just look at the movie "The Lighthouse"... This was one of the most interesting movies I have watched in ages, and it was so secluded with only a few actors involved with the whole movie....... I find with most modern day movies that they start out great, but after about halfway through they become so damn boring and the vibe of them just dies, even with big budget movies. I think it comes down to writing mostly for this though, but you could have a horrible written movie with great characters and extras, music, themes, camera angles and comedy that writing is no longer a focus, I mean look at a recent masterpiece movie "Bullets of Justice" for a example on that.

This is a good ass video. Good ass advice. And I hate advice.

I've found every excuse in the book and wrote another book just to catalog more excuses. Doing my first short this December. Been through hell these past two years but watching this has given me hope. I have a very good cellphone and filmic pro. Time to make history.

this was very good until it got to the mumblecore slander!

Check out omerta silence of the mob!

As a filmmaker who is produced by first feature film and got it successfully distributed. The biggest attributes is honestly pre-production and understanding how to get performances out of actors.

I was the Director producer and writer of my film the entire production is full of union actors we have three name actors that are recognizable that are also in the film.

I was able to film the movie and just $23,000. It was all about proper planning and organizing with my casting crew. Not being greedy in rushing production the second you have money in your bank account. I secured a few investors and didn’t start filming the movie until about three months later so I could have time to do pre-production.

My first feature film also is not a cut and dry horror movie like most first time movie directors. It was a highly detailed detective a noir film. I needed police cars costumes office buildings dozens and dozens of extras for certain scenes which I was able to secure for free.

Number one thing about Low budget Filmmaking above all else is proper planning I don’t give a shit what Tarantino says and I don’t give a shit what Christopher Nolan says they never did a completely micro budget film.

Do you want your indie film to sell and get distributed plan plan plan pre-production is everything table reads are everything.

Christopher Nolan‘s advice is honestly pretty stupid for modern day with how cheap props are compared to how they were back in the 80s when he made his first movie. So I really wouldn’t listen to it.


Modern day in the filmmaking is a lot more complicated and a lot more challenging as well as a lot more diverse with Contant and more of a struggle to get into the industry and get your movie to make money because it’s so cheap to produce movies now and you want to be able to stand out from the scene.

Another big part of this video doesn’t Taco Bell is marketing make sure you have proper money saved up for post production and I’m not just talking about editing I’m talking about lawyer fees legal, marketing without marketing your move is not going anywhere.


Also don’t be afraid to Chesterfield Mall in the local festival circuit you never know what Producer might be there and have eyes on your film and might be willing to put some money in to help bring your movie to life.

My point is is someone who actually successfully sold a modern indie film and someone who directs for numerous networks the advice of the directors who are in their 60s now from how they did things back in the 80s is not the same in a few photos of ice tips he will fell as an indie film maker.

At the end of the day they had a lot easier Road than we do nowadays look at Christopher Nolan‘s first movie it looks like absolute garbage compared to the majority of Indy filmmakers I’ve ever worked with but it was the 80s there was not as many filmmakers producing Contant.

I simply cannot agree to take shooting less serious. It has nothing to do with whatever " full of yourself" or "earth shattering genius". In fact it has nothing to do with anything personal. The cost of production is always the concern. Unless you are the one financing the project it. I am aware this video is about no budget lesson but your misguided statement to encourage this " less serious" thinking, is terrible advice.

I love it, but especially the "so can we" at the end, and not "so can you". Thanks :)

dude love your vid

YT's "How To Be A Filmmaker" video checklist:
- Using clickbait (there's literally no reason why any of this wouldn't apply to a high budget production);
- Glorifying average mainstream directors;
- Giving stoic advice as deep as those found on some Brazilian truck bumpers (i.e. not very good advice);
- Being ignorant on key areas of the subject being discussed, such as speaking about "embracing" and letting financial "limitations guide the story" (or whatever all of this means) while showing footage strictly shot on analog film;
- Advocating for the use of filmmaking techniques that are more than a century old (in this case, using a window for lighting);
- Giving obvious advice such as showing a location that is "the real deal", or whatever this naturalistic fallacy meant... [This is called good stage design].

Describing a peace of world, hometown, and talking about what makes it specific, unique, characters into it! This is a huge advice. It really helps me. Thank you !

Aphex

still dosent cover how to overcome things like bad audio etc

Cant be dissing on Kids 1995... Harmony Korine is the best.

Got nothing but respect for RR and his family. Worked with them and would do it again in a heartbeat. Everyday is a learning experience with them.

aphex twin in the intro yessss

"Hannah Takes The Stairs" is a great indie film. You can't say "Let your limitations guide you" and then bag the people who do. You like splatter movies. Fine. Other filmmakers are trying to do something different, and that's not a bad thing. What, are you gonna start bagging John Cassavetes now? Come on.

Awesome advice bro

Just don't use weapons because it brings thrill or tense. It's boring. Concentrate on interesting characters.

You lost all validity by bringing James Gunn

Any smartphone can shoot a movie now...

I recommend seeing the trailer of NO BUDGET NO SCRIPT NO PERMISSION. That shows you how to make a feature with $0!!!

This year 2023 I made my first feature. 50 cast and crew. 23 locations. 5 weeks principle photography. Shooting on yachts, in hospitals , doctors rooms, restaurants, camp sites, shops and parks. I wrote it, shot it, directed it, produced it, managed costume and locations.
The budget was £2,500 and I came in under budget.
Oh and that covered 350 meals.
To anyone that says they can't do it these days I say STFU and go make a film. Ps I'm nowhere. Small town middle of England.

Maaaaan mumblecore is amazing

I love Mumblecore!

Thank you Andrew I always come back to this video for motivation!

Inspiring! ❤❤❤

Making a movie on a budget of $7000 on 16mm and making 2 millions is honestly insane.