How to Make a Microbudget Feature in 8 Days!

Movies aren’t made with money. They are made with equipment, with artists, with technicians etc. Money is a key resource, but it is something that motivates and facilitates. It is not the movie itself. I like to think of it as energy. When you look at it that way, you begin to realize that there are a lot of ways to generate energy. You might find that even if you don’t have access to large amounts of money, you have more “energy” in a project than you thought.

Last year we shot a movie called Face 2 Face. It’s the story of two teenagers who connect over the internet in a desperate attempt to cope with life. In it we explore some pretty heavy and timely issues. And it is all done through the brutally honest lens of a video chat.

The crazy thing about this production is that we shot it in eight days for less money than I care to mention. I’d like to share a few principles that I learned through this process. Not all of them will apply to every project. But I hope they will inspire you to think of production in creative ways that aren’t limited by financing.

WRITE A KILLER SCRIPT

One of the greatest costs of moviemaking is personnel. Often filmmakers wear multiple hats to save money, but in order to make the best movie possible, you want to attract top talent in all departments. Money is a sure…