How (and Why You Might Want) to Make a Low-Budget Film
College students, professors and independent filmmakers share tips on how to get a film off the ground, regardless of monetary restrictions.
Lights? Camera? For young aspiring filmmakers, creativity runs high, but reality may have other plans for some. Not everybody has a 4K camera, professional audio equipment or the ability to film at ideal locations. Although lack of access to these can be an obstacle in some ways, it doesn’t necessarily mean that making a movie is impossible, and there are students who can vouch for that.
Putting together a team is a challenge in and of itself. To gain a few extra hands — either in front of or behind the camera — a passionate approach to the task is necessary. It’s important to work hard on your project, but don’t take every second of your production too seriously; enjoying what you’re doing is always a key to success, and it’ll be reflected in the final product.
Advice From College Students
Those studying film or media production in college may be tempted to splurge on the fanciest equipment available. The technical aspects of a film, no matter the scale, are important, but a greater focus is budgeting. Likewise, one should make sure that their project is realistically filmable before going all-in.
“With your script, write to what you have,” said Jake Baglio, a freshman film student at SUNY Cortland. “By that I mean, don’t write a helicopter scene in your movie unless you have a helicopter, and don’t write a scene in a gym if you don’t have access to a gym — unless you’re willing to do some guerrilla filmmaking. I hate to limit creative freedom when writing, but if you’re planning on making the film that you write, you really can’t write everything you want simply because you can’t do it.”
Baglio made his first short film, The Tortured and the Hare, earlier this year with friends from his high school. The 25-minute-long horror short follows four people who are mysteriously transported to a strange basement. When they try to find a way out, things take a twisted turn. Even though he only used his iPhone to shoot the movie, Baglio, who wrote, directed, edited and starred in the film, was still able to tell a complete story.
Stephen Rini, a junior screenwriting student at Hofstra University in Uniondale, New York, echoed Baglio’s advice.
“A limited budget can make it rough when you have a specific vision,” he said. “Some things don’t make the cut when you factor in how much they’d cost, but luckily every crew I’ve worked with is creative and quick to adapt. In a way, placing these heavy restrictions on a production makes things more concrete.”
Rini has written screenplays for films he’s worked on with his friends and even though these home movie-type productions were done on a very small scale, there was still a lot to keep in mind on the production side.
“When I know what I can’t do because of the budget,” he said, “the things I can work with are more precious to me… Overcoming the obstacle of a low budget is all about adjusting your vision. It can be a struggle to change how you see your project in your head, but when you find that sweet spot of the movie you would like to make and the movie you can make, it’s a magical moment.”
Using What’s Available to You
Some still may not realize that one of their biggest assets is right in their pocket. With an iPhone, there are built-in video/sound-capturing and editing capabilities ready to be used. On top of the accessibility, programs like iMovie and even in-app editing that can be done in one’s Photos app are extremely user-friendly.
If you want to go a bit further, there are still relatively economical options for equipment that can be found all over Amazon — from LED lights to tripods and even (if you want to get fancy) phone camera lens kits. But if you’re in college and not in a situation to spend money on hobbies, equipment can still be accessed through many universities.
Jack Furtado is the technical director for the Communications Department at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. He studied film/video production and cultural media studies at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Since graduating in 2012, he has worked as a producer, director of photography and editor, to name a few roles.
“College students with limited to no budget should first see what their university offers them by way of equipment and courses,” Furtado said. “Usually, as it is at Adelphi, the university will not release equipment unless a student is associated with a class. I think it would be best for a student with little to no budget, and little to no experience in production, to take courses in production offered by their university and look to produce their film within the confines of their classes. This not only would help a student refine their skills as a filmmaker but would allow them to put their plans and ideas into motion.”
Furtado has made several films of his own, including Horror & Fascination (2013), which was his senior thesis and made its premiere at the Cinewest flEXiff Film Festival in Sydney, Australia, as well as Are You My Mother (2019), which was screened at the 2019 Save The Archives Festival and the 2020 Milwaukee Underground Film Fest. Recent works of his include 1439 (2023) and 4-5 PM (2023), both of which give the viewer a first-person point of view while watching. He has also directed, edited and worked as the director of photography on several pieces of commercial work.
“Learn as much as you can in film school and shoot every chance you get,” said Daniel Galiardi, a professor at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York. “Help everyone out with their films, network and create your own dependable crew who might also have access to film equipment, be professional and take your time to shoot your film. If you are creative, confident, ‘nice,’ and professional, people will want to work with you.”
Galiardi has taught and worked with students on several independent projects, and is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 as a camera assistant.
Returning to the various uses of a visual medium, Galiardi, who has degrees in business, film and education, said he uses the diverse skills he’s gained from schooling “in my current teaching career. I do think everyone has to be media literate in this day and age, especially with all the remote Zoom calls, YouTube channels and the need for the creation of educational videos from specific content experts.”
Matthew J. Kaplan, a Brooklyn, New York-based writer, filmmaker, musician and actor, said he started making shorts with his friends on his phone and posting them online.
“You can make films on your phone,” he said. “Find different ways to get involved and meet people, especially if you're in a location where there's lots of independent stuff being filmed, like Long Island or in a city in the borough. Meet people, volunteer or get on a bigger set and just do background work as an actor where you don't necessarily need any experience. I think it's a good way to get a good scope of being exposed to smaller films that just have a few people doing it or to the bigger things as well.”
Kaplan continued: “Often, the most engaging story can just be two or three characters, about a family going through something or two people falling in love, or whatever it may be. That'll make the story a lot easier to tell and film. I don't think you need to get too wrapped up in telling a tremendous story as long as it makes sense. If it looks and sounds good, I think people will be engaged.”
The award-winning short film written, produced and directed by Kaplan, It’s Time for Tea, two characters following their daughter’s death, exploring their grieving. It was selected by over 20 film festivals, including the Long Island International Film Expo in 2019 and the Queens World Film Festival in 2020. It won Best Picture Editing at the 2019 NYC Festival of Cinema.
How Filmmaking Can Be Used for Diverse Purposes
Making a film, whether it’s narrative or informational, does not have to be restricted to film and media students, though. There’s a lot to be learned from a film, no matter the interests you have or the studies you’re pursuing. Especially with the commonplace of computers in the modern world, visual learning has only become more prevalent.
The National Library of Medicine’s article “Classification of Visual and Non-visual Learners Using Electroencephalographic Alpha and Gamma Activities” explains that 65% of the population is visual learners and that reinforcing the learning process with video content has become increasingly effective, with researchers backing this up.
How you appear to an employer is a big part of leaving a strong impression. By showing that you have diverse skills, while at the same time proving that you’re capable of the job being applied for, an added resume booster in the form of a short film could be useful.
Furtado supported this, explaining that having some sort of background in film/video production can allow those outside that specific field of study to “enhance how they deliver information.”
Reach out to connections you might have. Maybe there’s a professor you are close with (or even a high school teacher) who might be able to help you with securing a location to film at if your script calls for it. Maybe your aunt has a camera you can borrow. Maybe you and your friends have free time to goof around and make something where you can show off some skills behind and in front of the lens. The best way to make the most out of the little you may have is to approach others and take advantage of the resources at your disposal.
These inexpensive pieces of production equipment can be purchased on Amazon:
67” smartphone tripod by Aureday, for $19.99
LED lighting kit by ALTSON, for $41.99
Bluetooth lapel microphones by Nartoup, for $19.99
There are also some apps that can be used to film and splice together your projects:
iMovie, available for free on the Apple App Store
Blackmagic Camera, for free on most mobile devices
12/5/23