Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

[lache]

Most of my scripts are high concepts, so I've decided to write a low budget film. I wonder if it will be more challenging because it will lack the fancy aspect of it all.

[lache]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

Interesting stuff:

So, you want to create a low budget action film, therefore the script has to follow certain guidelines. Some of

Get all the background story, ground laying and introductions done in the first 20 pages.
Keep the story moving forward, no unnecessary tangent or parallel stories.
Keep the hero a hero: think cartoon.
Likewise keep the antagonist an antagonist.
No overt, unnecessary amounts of blood. In fact, no moving blood at all, that means no blood splattering on walls, or flying out of people's chests or flowing uncontrollably from someone's chest. Once again, think cartoon. Moving blood raises the rating and the lower the rating, the more you sell.
No cursing. It raises the rating.
Bring the story to a close. Do not leave loose ends, or big things for people to ponder on, tie it up with a bow.
* 100-110 pages maximum. If you write a lot of non-action descriptions in your script you can write a few more pages. The end movie will come to about 90-100 minutes.
Now a few producer notes about the distributors notes:

If the character has to swear, then make her swear: you cannot replace the right word with any other word. But keep in mind that any swearing you write, the producer will need an alternative that will shoot at the same time, so distributors can have a "cute" version for tv.
Good writers hate plastic characters so even if they say keep the good guy good and the bad guy bad, you should still write characters with depth. Make the characters real instead of plastic, unless you are shooting plastic dolls and/or action figures.
Have free reign with special effects, producers can adapt them or replace them later.
Action does not mean a sacrifice of character.
And finally a few pointers to help us keep the budget down:

Keep locations to a minimum.
Keep the number of characters to a minimum.
Write for day time where possible.
Write in sequences that can shoot on digital (security video cameras etc).
Stay away from expensive specialised props and sets.
Keep driving scenes to a minimum.
That about covers it. Keep these notes at the back of your mind as you write. If you find yourself faced with something that "feels right" but you think might make the script too expensive or breaks one of these guides: write it. You can discuss it with the producer later. Remember everyone still wants the best script possible.


[edit] Maximizing Resources
You don't want to spend all of your money on actors, and you don't want to spend it all on the quality of your film. The key is finding a balance between these two. It might be wise to lean on the side of spending money on things that will improve the quality of your content if your focus is a character-based story. On the other hand, if your focus is mainly visual you might want to lean towards higher quality equipment.


[edit] To Script, Or Not To Script
Depending on the type of film you are making, you may not want to write at all. Sometimes the best scenes result from raw footage that you shoot when there is no script. This can be especially true if you are writing with a low budget. The aspect of your film that will distinguish it from higher budget films is your ability to capture events that are not scripted.

In terms of scripting for scene changes, special effects, or other events, sometimes during editing you will find that no matter how you scripted the event, you are limited by your raw footage in some way. This may lead to changes in where you decide to place the event.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Movie_Making_Manual-Writing_Low_Budget"

[lache]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

interesting. thanks for clarifying.


ps. not sure the 6th sense is high concept though.

[TheKeenGuy]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

A child can see dead people.

Sounds high concept to me.

[geozero]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

I think Reservoir Dogs was a great example of a film that could be done low budget... and some may even consider it a high concept. Minimal locations, no stunts, lots of blood (but no splatter), interesting lighting and camera work, interesting characters, etc.

[Geevie]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

It sounds like it would be more of a challenge, but I personally think it's a crash course in how to write an effective story. You really have to trim away all the fat and learn to layer your scenes.

In my case, I was given a 1.2 million budget, and ended up coming about 300K over. Turns out it was easily fixed by getting rid of a subway scene, some speaking parts, locations and a couple of scenes that actually served the story better by incorporating them with another scene.

Rewriting that taught me more about screenwriting than I've ever learned anywhere else. I'd recommend it to anyone.

[Biohazard]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

My first script can be considered low budget. A lot of stuff happens in the same locations, only 4 principal characters, set during the daytime mostly, minimal stunts, no weather (ok, there's the one scene where it rains), etc. It could easily be made for cheap.

It's always been a very natural thing for me to reuse the same locations instead of thinking of new places to set the scenes. It's fun to use the setting to punctuate the changes in character.

[cvolante]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

Best to stick with adults?

[Juno Styles]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

Keep locations to a minimum.
Keep the number of characters to a minimum.
Write for day time where possible.
Write in sequences that can shoot on digital (security video cameras etc).
Stay away from expensive specialised props and sets.
Keep driving scenes to a minimum.

these are definately all true, i found that out while filming my first short film.

[Berlin Stardust]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

Bill Martell has built a an entire career writing direct-to-video and has some great insights on how to write for a low-budget production. This is really his corner and you should check out his website.

[Angeloworx]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

Dialogue driven peices are always cost effective.
Drama's are usually easier done with a smaller budget.
Location is a huge issue. Using interiors gives more control when it comes to lighting.
Hire unknowns.
Do 18 hours shoot days.
Film digital.
Have options when it comes to complicated scenes.

Yeah, I guess it is more a challenge. But you have more passion invested in a project when you know your work will be judged against the big budget films regardless of $.

[Hamboogul]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

What is harder?

To write a low budget film or to produce a low budget film?

DISCUSS.

[Bellabell]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

What is harder?

To write a low budget film or to produce a low budget film?

DISCUSS.

Definately to buy your agent a low budget baby present.

[yeehi]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

lache,

There's a difference between "high-concept" and "high-spectacle"

[Charli]

Re: Writing the low budget film....more of a challenge?

A good way to practice how to keep something low budget is to write a
short film and have someone produce it. This will teach you to study what
locations you have available to you, how many actors you'll be able to
afford or achieve, etc.

Short films open your eyes to the logistics of filmmaking.