Making Better Movies on Smaller Budgets

If a movie makes $4 million at the box office, is it a failure?

I the producers spend $20M making it, it's a flop. If they spent $50M, it's a disaster.

But what if the film was made on a budget of $450,000? If you invest $450k on something and get a return of $4M in a year, you'd be pretty happy.

One of my favorite films, Brick (2005), was made for $450k. It was Rian Johnson's first feature film. His cousin composed the soundtrack.

Johnson went on to make big budget films, such as Knives Out and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but of all of his work, Brick is still my favorite.

I'd like to see more films made on tight budgets. I like to see talented writers, directors, and actors working on projects because they believe more in a script than a paycheck. Even if it's a group of friends shooting in available light on consumer cameras, if the story is good, I'd want to see it.

The entertainment industry craves blockbusters. They want projects that will result in massive paychecks. And so, they make their $50-100M movies, and occasionally those movies give them a huge return on investment. And oftentimes, they flop.

The expectation of a massive payday makes it harder to fund and distribute independent films. That's a problem, because a massive payday requires filling lots of seats. Filling lots of seats requires sticking with ideas that have worked in the past instead of taking a chance on something that no one has ever seen before.

Low budget films are creative and bold.

Big budget films are derivative and formulaic.

Support independent filmmakers, and by all means, if you have an idea for a movie, make it and put it out there. Gather your resources, figure out how to work efficiently, and tell your story. Fresh voices and perspectives are more interesting than bloated Hollywood retreads.

Art and Control

Every work of art contains a component that the artist could not control, a surprising and serendipitous element or combination of elements that elevates the piece beyond sheer craftsmanship and inspires an emotional connection with the audience. 

This is what separates art from engineering. One cannot create art only by following rules and applying techniques. Rules and techniques are useful to the process, but art requires something more. 

The artist must remain open-minded and aware throughout the process. When the glimmer of unforeseen inspiration presents itself, the artist must recognize what he or she has discovered and then develop it with care and diligence. If the inspiration is overlooked, or if it's not developed effectively, the work will be mundane and forgettable. But if the artist can capture that unexpected, magical component and weave it into the fabric of their work, the audience will respond to its presence. 

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved