{"id":5334,"date":"2021-12-02T12:30:50","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T12:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/synchedin.com\/blog\/?p=5334"},"modified":"2021-12-02T12:30:50","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T12:30:50","slug":"how-to-make-a-feature-film-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-feature-film-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Feature Film on a Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sadly, financial limitations often cap the size of project you&#8217;re able to execute. But, not always. Here&#8217;s how to make a feature film on a budget!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The average big blockbuster movie budget sits at around a whopping $100 million. That includes the production cost, marketing, and distribution. Production alone tends to be $65 million. These figures are unattainably high for the amateur, independent, or <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/blog\/student-filmmakers-where-to-find-royalty-free-music\/\">student filmmaker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to money constraints, smaller projects and short films are usually created instead of feature-length projects. But, with the knowledge of how to make a feature film on a budget, you can let your imagination run wild. Here are some tips to help keep costs down without keeping the runtime down!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plan Painstakingly <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When money is tight, every little thing counts. In order to stretch those pennies, you need to know exactly how you&#8217;re going to execute this mammoth project. Right down to what everyone is going to have for lunch on shoot days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drawing up a precisely detailed plan before you make any moves towards commencing production will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Grep Pope, writing for <a href=\"https:\/\/nofilmschool.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">No Film School<\/a> on how he <a href=\"https:\/\/nofilmschool.com\/first-feature-film-in-ten-days\">shot a feature length film for $2,500<\/a>, states that he and his cocreator had no real production plan or schedule. However, he goes on to explain over the 9 months of prep that a carefully considered schedule was drawn up. Also, 4 months before a camera is even switched on suggests plenty of planning and forethought took place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rent Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/routenote-licensing-blog\/1\/2021\/12\/e0f74338-krists-luhaers-cphgkjin8na-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5361 lazyload\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choosing and sourcing filmmaking equipment can be one of the biggest roadblocks when it comes to independently making a feature length film on a budget. There are great <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/blog\/best-cameras-beginner-filmmaking\/\">cameras for beginner filmmakers<\/a>, that can achieve a cinematic shot without totally breaking the bank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, you&#8217;ll also need things like microphones, boom poles, lighting rigs, the list goes on. Buying everything outright will add up, so renting will enable you to get hold of some high-end gear without needing the high-end bank account. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friendly Favours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ever heard the saying, &#8220;it&#8217;s not what you know, it&#8217;s who you know&#8221;? So many opportunities have come about for people based on their friendly connections. We&#8217;re not saying you don&#8217;t need to be talented too, but a lot of amazing creators don&#8217;t get to realise their vision or share their work because they simply don&#8217;t have the right network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re fortunate enough to be surrounded by creative (and generous) people, take advantage of that. Even being able to call upon someone to give actors lifts to locations, you&#8217;d be surprised how much money that will save you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep It Local<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/routenote-licensing-blog\/1\/2021\/12\/456e7b84-kelly-sikkema-esqnlt0qmxi-unsplash-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5362 lazyload\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like Greg Pope did when shooting his budget feature film, it&#8217;s a good idea to stay local when it comes to locations. Bear in mind, this will influence your screenplay heavily. If you want to make a movie about a globe trotting international super spy, you may struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, you can get creative with <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/blog\/how-to-use-green-screen-with-davinci-resolve\/\">green screen<\/a> to help magic up distant lands. Just beware of the low-budget visual effects look. You don&#8217;t want it to be obvious to your audience you made your feature film on a shoestring!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DIY<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being somewhat of a polymath definitely helps when trying to pull off any creative project on a budget. If you&#8217;re able to do lots of things yourself and have the time, do! Writing the script and directing the film will save you a chunk of money. Equally, if you&#8217;re musically minded, writing the score yourself is much cheaper than commissioning someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don&#8217;t fancy scoring your indie film yourself, you can always use <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/\">RouteNote Licensing<\/a>. For just $4.99 per month you can download unlimited tracks from the <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/blog\/royalty-free-music-ultimate-guide\/\">royalty free<\/a> music <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/discover-music\">library<\/a>, including cinematic soundscapes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be the Editor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/routenote-licensing-blog\/1\/2021\/12\/7ed76874-ryan-clark-eevzgz_d49k-unsplash-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5360 lazyload\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Editing is a huge part of the filmmaking process, and really helps to identify the style and character of a production. If you&#8217;ve been wondering how to make a feature film that&#8217;s edited to perfection on a budget, we&#8217;ve got the answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/licensing.routenote.com\/blog\/top-5-best-video-editing-software\/\">video editing software<\/a> options out there to choose from. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackmagicdesign.com\/products\/davinciresolve\/\">Davinci Resolve<\/a> is an incredibly powerful <strong>free <\/strong>editing software, that&#8217;s got particularly fantastic colour correcting tools. You can also add your visual effects and edit audio. It&#8217;s the budget filmmaker&#8217;s dream!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sadly, financial limitations often cap the size of project you&#8217;re able to execute. But, not always. Here&#8217;s how to make a feature film on a budget! The average big blockbuster movie budget sits at around a whopping $100 million. That includes the production cost, marketing, and distribution. Production alone tends to be $65 million. These figures are unattainably high for the amateur, independent, or student filmmaker. Due to money constraints, smaller projects and short films are usually created instead of feature-length projects. But, with the knowledge of how to make a feature film on a budget, you can let your&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1838,287,284],"tags":[1635,2654,2655,480,177,580,2656,2653,1420,805],"class_list":["post-5334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","category-freelancing","category-inspiration","tag-beginner-filmmaker","tag-budget-filmmaking","tag-cinema-gear","tag-davinci-resolve","tag-filmmaker","tag-filmmaking","tag-films-on-a-budget","tag-how-to-make-a-feature-film","tag-independent-film","tag-royalty-free-music"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Make a Feature Film on a Budget - RouteNote Licensing Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sadly, financial limitations often cap the size of project you&#039;re able to execute. 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