“Film Making on a Budget” was a panel with a variety of filmmakers who discussed what it takes to create a film with a limited budget. The panel discussion took place Oct. 31 at the Gutstein Gallery.
A good portion of the discussion was about raising money. The panel talked about gaining donations for sites like Kickstarter and Indigogo. But they also talked about bonds, gaining investors and using product placement.
Once the the money is gained, filmmakers need to know how to budget. The panel all seemed to agree on that there will never be enough money. Instead of asking for more money what you need to ask is, how can I use the resources available and affect the audience?
The AMC Television show “Breaking Bad” serves as a prime example.
One of the scenes called for five Rottweilers to attack character Jesse Pinkman as he hopped a fence looking for his RV. The cost of using five Rottweilers was rather pricey, so they changed the script. Instead of Jesse getting attacked by dogs he fell through a Port-a-Potty, thus evoking the same sympathetic sentiments from viewers.
A load money was saved by a little change, and in the end the same effect was reached.
A difference between a big budget film and a small budget film is that having a big budget allows change. Filmmakers can afford to redo shots or change parts of the film on location. A small budget allows little to no change, so a good tip for working on a small budget is to be prepared. The same great quality can be reached, you just have to be prepared and efficient.
The main point of the discussion was learn how to manage time, money and be able to make decisions on the margin. Don’t let a budget hinder your creativity.
