How to Shoot Your Own Film With Little or No Budget

Filming a movie can quickly become a very pricey endeavor, and that can be frustrating if you do not have a huge budget but still want to create something. If you are interested in shooting your own film, this great video will give you lots of helpful tips for filming a movie with little or no budget.

Coming to you from wolfcrow, this fantastic video will give you lots of helpful tips and tricks for filming a movie on a small budget. Personally, one of the things I love about any sort of restriction is that it can actually promote creativity. When you have unlimited options, it can lead to a sort of decision paralysis that can make it very hard to even get started. On the other hand, having restrictions on your creative process can force you to solve the problems in a way that improves your technique and sharpens your vision. Check out the video above for the full rundown, and if you are currently stuck at home in lockdown, grab your camera (even just your phone) and as the video suggests, try making your own film in a small space. It is a great way to stay creative during this downtime! 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

Let me borrow that no budget Arri. Reservoir dogs is the example I always throw out to people. Story written around what was available. Make it about what happens after the fact and a warehouse for a meeting place was all they needed.

This guy isn't worth anyone's time. First he casts a huge judgement on people who can't afford to go into production (his opinion comes from an obvious point of privilege - he's an electrical engineer). He doesn't respect that entering the world of filmmaking isn't equitable for everyone. He doesn't seem to understand systems issues. Second, the gear and crew he's suggesting ARE cheaper than a professional production (especially per cost of crew in Mumbai where he works), but they are by no means accessible to everyone. The most ridiculous aspect of this video is his use of snippets from high budget studio and indie features, all of which were barely sub-million dollar movies or higher. There are some pieces of advice here that are worthwhile (such as write stories about what and who you know - keep it simple etc), but you have to sit through a holier than thou statement from a judgmental dude to get to any of them.