MAJOR PROJECT: Low Budget Filmmaking: Research

As the Producer, I am responsible for organising the budget for the production. This will need to be approached responsibly by myself to ensure that I keep on track of all expenditures and do not run over budget. I decided to do some research into low budget filmmaking and have found an article entitled '7 tips for Low-Budget Filmmaking'. It suggests that there are several ways of making a successful film on a low budget.


1. Use affordable camera equipment
High end film cameras can be very expensive. They suggest using a DSLR camera that can shoot up to HD or 4K. We are very fortunate on this course that we don't need to purchase or hire the equipment and it is free for us to use. Therefore, I won't need to account for this in budget.

2. Use free locations
They suggest being aware of the locations when scene setting during the pre-production stage. We are also fortunate that we have a free location sourced for the production which will be an office and warehouse space. Using one location for the shoot will also limit the expense getting to and from new locations.

3. Use natural lighting
The article suggests making use of a location's amenities which includes the lighting. Use light, outdoor locations in possible will restrict the amount of lighting equipment needed for the shoot. This tip doesn't help me in terms of the budget, as we would need lighting throughout. Fortunately, we have free access to lighting equipment.

4. Be flexible on set
Ensuring that I am well organised with the schedule will be essential for troubleshooting during the shoot days. This tip suggests keeping an open mind to to being flexible to making decisions during production that may affect the budget.

5. Share credit and ownership
Here they are discussing the fact that you will have to pay your cast and crew very little to keep a low budget. However, it says to keep an open mind regarding crediting all of your contributors. We will be following in this technique and will want to get a good team together whilst trying to not break the bank.

6. Make the project fun
They suggest keeping a positive and motivating attitude at all times during production. If the experience is enjoyable for your cast and crew, then that are more likely to want to help you out in future and keep you in their contacts. It will be a key responsibility of mine to keep a team morale at all times during production so that the project is a pleasant experience for all those involved.

7. Make cuts on everything but the story
I think that this is the most inspiring piece of advice from this article. They are suggesting that as long as you are invested in the story and are passionate about telling it, this will shine through if other elements are not as strong in terms of production value.

Article: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/7-tips-low-budget-filmmaking/

I think that this article has been really helpful in setting me up for a positive outlook on filmmaking with a student budget. I am confident that I will be able to keep the budget in order and make some cuts where absolutely necessary. We are very fortunate that we have access to all of the camera, sound and lighting equipment, which means that we can use the budget elsewhere without having to worry about that as an expense.