How to make a film for less than you think

Learn how to make a film for little money. This can be accomplished for both short and long form films.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Digital camera, computer, some friends willing to work for meals, and some ingenuity.

1. Write a script. If you've never done this before, outline a short story you'd like to tell. There is very affordable screenwriting software that will guide you and format everything for you. Some software starting at about $40.

2. If you have a digital video camera this is good. If not try and find a friend with one (this will be free). If this isn't the case you can rent one for $125 a day. This is the price for a high end one. Some are cheaper. However you'll need to hire a cinematographer to light and shoot your project and they usually have their own camera pkg. Some will work for the copy, credit and meals. Especially if they're building their reels.

3. Next you'll need to hire a sound person. The same applies for them as they do for the cinematographers. Of course the next step is your actors. Perhaps you have friends that are actors which is definitely likely here in los angeles. Now you have the key components. You have the script, cinematographer, sound engineer and actors. By the time you have all these pieces in place you should already know where you'll be shooting. Maybe a friend or family members home or apartment. Of course this makes this step free as well. Okay maybe not totally free, you'll have to feed them like your cast and crew. Order some pizzas for everyone. This is a safe bet, trust me. We all love pizza.

Tips & Warnings

• And of course after you've shot everything you need to have it edited. So you'll have to hire the editor right? Wrong! You are the editor, which works out because you wrote and directed your movie so you'll edit it the way you want to. Most computers come with their own editing software. PC's may have DiVx and Macs have iDVD. These formats are limited but they will serve the purpose for your film.
• You have to figure out what you have more of. Money or time. Yes you can make a film cheaply but it will take a lot of work. Mind you this won't be a masterpiece that will rival Spielberg's but you will have a movie written, shot and edited.