In the 10 minutes i paid attention in your video, i found more helpful tips and more logical sound advice then the entire 10 years Film Riot has been on RU-vid. Seriously they make a 45 minute video and not even talk about the important basics. Great video, straight to the point, no useless fluff or ads just pure info and encouragement. Thank YOU!
To be honest; these days I'm more impressed about what artists can express within the micro budget parameters than the big budget extravaganzas. Sure, a 200 million dollar production ain't a walk in the park either, but indie cinema delivers all the magic. Btw. watched your Eminence Hill because I'm a huge Lance Henriksen (and western) fan. Well done.
Very relevant information and done in an interesting way! The business, practical info is missing from most film channels. You are filling a great need! I’m a fan and will watch each new episode!
Solid information that I wish more people had! I've worked in the industry for nearly 20 years, I personally think everyone should start of in the micro/ ultra low budget world as it teaches you how to think on your feet and get creative. Hope you do more of these as you go into production!
Great information. It feels like micro-budget filmmaking is its own little world with some overlapping with traditional filmmaking. I honestly feel like I can DP, Produce, Direct, edit, and score my own micro-budget feature together with a small crew of inexpensive and inexperienced assistants.
You can for sure! It’s a lot of work and the pay is low (if any) on your first one. So it needs to be a labor of love. People ask me if it’s possible to make a film for way less than 100k. Yes. You can. Just keep in mind, if you have something like 10 or 15K, you’ll basically need to be an army of one. You’ll need the cast to be all volunteer and it will be the most exhausting experience you’ve ever had. That said, at the end of the day, you’ll have a feature. Something that is truly your vision. So, I say go for it!
Dramas aren’t the most popular for film festivals, but they’re easier to make, and they stand the test of time better when it comes to making them realistic or comparable to movies you see in the mainstream. Very few micro-budget genre films will ever come near what audiences expect when looking for a genre film. Yeah they may get into film festivals, but only because there are fewer of them. The audiences who watch those genre films are immediately aware that they aren’t “real” movies though.
My belief is that as long as you don’t represent yourself as a big budget film, it’s not your problem if the audience has the wrong impression. It should be obvious to the average movie goer that films like mine are made far away from the Hollywood system. And if not, and that’s what they’re expecting, they can simply turn it off. It’s not the old days where they shelled out money for a DVD rental or even VOD. Most of my work is available on streamers where watching the film is no additional cost to consumers. So really, no harm no foul if you hate independent film.
Another thing I learned is to learn how to color grade! I've noticed a good grade can transform a film from amateur production to a cinematic professional. You can do so much for free in Davincii Resolve: download, take a crash course - boom not only can you make your stuff a cinematic masterpiece you can now market yourself as a color grader and earn a side income.
I'm shooting on a BMPCC 4K and filmed a lot of action scenes with a moving camera, and to compensate for the non-existent auto focus we bought a gimbal and an external focus rig. It turned out to be a difficult task to make that work, so we had to hire a camera assistant to manage it. We didn't have proper cinema lenses and it worked badly with out photo lenses, so we had to rent. That made the camera too heavy, so we had to get a rigging cage and put weights onto it. It became a clumsy and heavy rig in the end, but it did the job. The guy originally hired as the camera assistant was the one that made all of this work, so we practically owe the whole movie to him. Maybe getting a camera with auto focus from the start could be the safer way to go.
The pocket cams are great. Ive got the 4k and 6k Pro. I use them with Sigma photo glass but yes, the lack of auto focus is an issue. For any manual focus camera, it's nearly a must to have a focus puller. Auto focus is good for the most part on a camera like a Sony but there are still limitations. The cameras will often rack to the background if a subject clears frame as it is, after all, auto focus. that said, when you're on a really tight budget and a dedicated focus puller isn't an option, then for sure auto is the way to go.
@@RobertConwaymovieguy Definitely! We opted for a separate rig to make it feel more organic and like we actually had a focus puller even though we didn't, and I think it payed off in a lot of places. But it's an expensive option still, so for a micro budget I can't really recommend it over just using a DSLR that has it built in.
Yeah, Its difficult but a bit of blur in action is acceptable. One thing you'll run into when shooting action on autofocus is unwanted racks and focus breathing. @@MariWakocha
This is all true and great info. I have a couple of projects coming up and working on a micro-budget is tough but can be done. Lots of stress but sometimes fun and you can learn a lot
Dude, I a SO stoked you're doing this! This is another important perspective for micro budget filmmakers like myself to hear! Keep this going PLEASE! I'll share and help in anyway!
Thanks Jonathan. You can find my films on most major platforms such as Amazon, Hulu, Tubi and more. My distributor has a RU-vid as well called Flix for Free.
I am up to making my first micro-budget movie, and your video is really helpful to understand the ups and downs of the production. Keep doing them and I am sure someone will find them useful. Personally, I would like to have some "Behind the scenes" from your production to learn more. Good luck!
Thanks for watching. I would say the key to speed is to simplify what your project requirements are. Try to stick to as few locations as possible. Preferably one. And preferably an interior. An old factory or warehouse would work for a horror or even some kind of action. Large spaces like these are very versatile. To control echo, you will need a good quality mic but thats still more manageable than shooting a lot of exteriors. Shooting at the same location every day can increase your page count by quite a lot as you can hopefully store a lot of gear there and avoid time consuming setups and wrap outs. Also, keep your lighting simple. Try and think of how you can create the most dramatic effect the fewest fixtures possible.
Good stuff man. I am based out of Arizona as well, but I am like a low budget film maker like sub 10,000 haha. Keep the good work up my last feature film called REZ DOGS. Working on some horror films now.
Excellent video Robert! This was very well edited and your audio sounded 👌 And I feel any aspiring filmmaker looking to take a step forward in their career would enjoy this breakdown video. Looking forward to more 😊
Awesome video, and so totally relatable as a micro-budget filmmaker myself. However I don't believe in the following saying as its always miss quoted "Jack of all trades master of none".... There is a line missing here, contrary to what the world tells us to believe. The full saying is "Jack of all trades master of none, but often times better than a master of one". ;) keep on grinding man, awesome hustle.
Hey!! Very nice video with some really important info. I’m on a micro feature pos production. I tried to edit, but I need more time doing it before I can make anything barely acceptable, in my opinion. So I found an editor who is doing the job and kinda teaching me along the way. Would you say the microbudget movie market sits on tubi platform?
Congratulations on getting your film shot and making it to post! So many people never get that far. It's great that you've found an editor to collaborate with. And yes, soak up as much info as you can along the way from everyone you work with. Tubi is a great place for rev. Amazon is good as well and Hulu also gives us good placement.
Mr. Conway, I am working on my first project. I'm about 80% through the script and have the stupid idea of financing it myself on a super micro-budget. I plan to use Backstage to find actors, but How do I find a location manager, asst. director, PAs, etc...?
Congratulations on making your first film! Depending on your budget what level of crew you can likely get. If you can pay, that’s best. If not, then I would try social media and film schools. People who need the experience
Great video. I'm interested in how much thought goes into learning and understanding the craft of acting as a director/ producer/ editor? Have you ever taken acting classes or studied up on acting to better communicate with the cast who you are directing, even though you may never intend on being on that side of the camera personally? Do you think its worthwhile to really understand the minutiae of acting as a craft to become a better film director or just leave that to the cast and focus on directing the camera and crew? Thanks...
Thanks for the question. I took acting classes as a child and once in a great while, I appear in front of camera but to answer your question, yes. Taking an acting class is a great idea for a director as it will help you better understand the process. I will say however that on micro sets, time is very short so the best thing a director can do is make the right choices in casting. There’s not a lot of time for trying to pull a performance out of an actor. If you hire the right people in pre, then most of the time, you get what you need on set.
@@RobertConwaymovieguy Thanks for taking the time to reply. That's an interesting point about not having the luxury of time to draw out performances on set. Also, yes a breakdown on budgeting would be interesting, I would think...
It's possible to make a feature for that low but 100k isn't as much as it sounds like. Often filmmakers will start out with a budget they think they can make a film for but then end up spending a lot more to get it in the can.
Sounds like a you problem. I had no interest in it, but realized it was a good entry point, mixed it together with things that do interest me, and now I’ve got a solid story to work with, that’s both in that realm, and that also interests me. Find ways to do what you enjoy within the pathways on display. Watch Mike Flanagan’s horror. It barely even is horror, it’s esoteric fears and family/ community drama dressed up in a horror outfit.
Why buy A7IV when you can get an S5ii X that can record 6k internal or RAW external+SSD support with decent autofocus for around nearly the same price?
It's been a while since I shot on Panasonic. One of my films was GH4 as Bcam. A later one was completely shot on GH5 and GH5S. Great cameras for their time. I've not gotten my hands on a more recent Panasonic. My decision to go Sony was a hard one as I really was (and to some extent, still am) in love with my Blackmagic cams. Part of my reason for choosing Sony was that several of my peers had purchased the cams like the A7Siii and FX3. I always try and have two cams that are the same or at least close to the same when shooting a film. I have one that's fully rigged out and lives on a tripod or dolly. The second cam is on a gimbal or hand held. I do this because stripping a rig down and putting it on a gimbal is using up too much of that valuable set time. Also, if I have an extra cam op, I'll always have them getting a closer shot or a different angle. When planning out complex scenes like action sequences that are costing a lot, I usually bring in two or more additional shooters and it's very helpful if everyone is using the the same picture profile. Trying to match log footage from different manufacturers can sometimes be quite time consuming.
