15. December 2022. • PRODUCTION

HOW TO SHOOT A FEATURE FILM WITH A TINY BUDGET

This is not a new age blog, but if we ask ourselves how to shoot a feature film for the first time in our life with little money, the answer is that it all comes down to attitude. And stories about attitude are new age stories. So this is just another new age blog.

So, what attitude are we talking about? The attitude is: we shoot the film 100%. Whatever comes our way, we will solve it and move forward and make a film with a tiny budget. Why do we know this to be true? Well, Paulo Coelho and every new age story says: When you want something, the whole universe conspires to make it happen.

On the way, there will be enemies who want to destroy your dream. The list of enemies: bad weather, equipment failures, diseases that dismantle the team, and the worst enemy of all – your own doubt about the success of the project. That doubt, that is, fear, also known as uncertainty or insecurity, is the killer of everything beautiful. That number one enemy (fear) is intelligent and cunning. It starts to attack the moment the idea appears that you might be able to make a film with a little money. The enemy uses tricks, insidious and original. Fear is a group of commandos who infiltrated your mind the moment you started thinking about pre-production. The enemy is here. It will be presented as rational and responsible thinking. For example, when calculating how much the whole thing will cost and when it becomes clear that nearly 40% of the budget needed for a successful completion of the project is missing, the enemy will clearly and loudly tell you that 40% of the budget for the successful completion of the project is missing – WHICH OF COURSE IS A LIE! A disgusting lie.

… 2 and 2 are not 4 if 4 means NO FILMING …

How to overcome fear? You find a partner with whom you will start pre-production. The partner is fully committed to the project. Everyone does their own thing. The partner is there to: a) do his part, b) check if you have done your part. Some back and forward between you two and voilà! The film is done!

What exactly do you and your partner do in pre-production? You are looking for people who are willing to make a film with you. An ARMY OF FILM LOVERS is wanted.

Where to start? With the screenwriter.

A script is necessary, and for that you need a screenwriter who knows how to write a good script and who understands how financially limited the production is, but is ready to participate in the project. His work (written script) and will to go into pre-production are crucial. His script (if printed) is the only physical thing that exists at this moment. But that is more than enough.

The most beautiful part of the whole process is about to start – imagining the scenes, drawing the storyboard, searching for locations, drawing a new, more beautiful storyboard, searching for better locations, imagining better scenes …

The army of film lovers is made up of everyone who participates in the project in any way. From the people who rent you the location, to the filming crew and actors. Of course, 99% of people will not be enthusiastic about your invitation to join the project (for free). Their reasons do not matter. It is important to find that 1% that want to. It may take a little more time and persuasion, but it is doable.

The days are counted and the filming begins!

There is no time for doubts and fears now, especially because everything looks good. The actors are great. DOP and focus puller too. Audio, costumes and make up are perfect.

But, due to the limited budget the shoot must be done in less than 2 weeks. Somewhere after 6 days of filming, it is clear that at this pace it will take you a month. It’s time for a review: which scenes to throw out, which to keep? Those scenes are ready for analysis and possible rejection. You discard everything that is not crucial.

And this is where race with time begins. From now on the actors have only two or three takes to do their best. But miraculously, they manage to do it with ease. We shoot long hours without the certainty that we will manage to finish one time.

During filming, for the first time in my life I felt the influence of the long-term of adrenaline on my body and mind: I didn’t feel tired, hungry, cold, nor did anyone get on my nerves. Nothing was difficult for me. I felt great. My only goal is to finish what I started and when that is the only focus, all other needs disappear. Every situation that stands in the way of the goal can be solved, because everything is secondary to the goal – and the goal is to continue shooting no matter what.

And so, with little sleep and a lot of adrenaline, the shooting ends.

After the end of the shooting, we sleep.

After we sleep, we sleep some more.

And a little more.