By Suzette Brown
Making an independent film successful is not easy — the key is arming yourself with proper planning. On the first feature I produced, I was told by the director, “There are three options — good, fast, or cheap — but you can only pick two.” As an independent filmmaker without the luxury of unlimited resources, I pick good and cheap every time. That doesn’t mean I don’t stick to my deadlines, but that I should take the time to do things right each step of the way. Bringing an experienced line producer onto the project also helps; they are responsible for drafting and managing the production’s budget throughout the entire process, from development through post-production.
Like many people in the indie industry, I can wear multiple hats as needed. To help reduce costs, I often play the role of producer as well as line producing. In fact, I recently made the feature film “For Hannah” for $100K. Here’s what I learned from the experience and tips for making movies on a small budget:
1. One of the most important things I do is reverse engineer. I’m not reinventing the wheel — I encourage the writer and/or director to add elements we already have access to that are either discounted or free.
As a line producer, I strive to stay within budget. Start planning in development. Write and produce with what you have access to. Too often I have been approached to be a line producer for an indie film with action-packed sequences, iconic locales, and/or other elements they simply can’t afford. Be realistic and limit your productions to what you can achieve. How can you simplify the script without losing the story you want to tell?
My husband and co-owner of Two 9 Productions, Shannon Brown, wanted to produce a film during COVID, so we came up with the concept of “For Hannah.” Not only did the project need to come in under $100K, but we also had to keep everyone’s safety in mind due to the pandemic. We did this by limiting the filming locations to minimize outside contact, keeping it character-driven and with a small crew. We created a story that we knew we could achieve.
2. I do a The script is broken down in full. I like to use Tagger when I’m working on Final Draft and then import the script into Movie Magic Scheduling — it saves a lot of time.
Movie Magic is a system that allows you to create your own sheets for each scene. You only need to highlight and label the elements once you have finished Final Draft. Otherwise, you manually would be entering all the information for each scene/sheet and have to type in all of the elements in their prospective categories, and then there are multiple clicks to add them onto each sheet/scene — yikes, right? Tagger will automatically create all of your sheets in Movie Magic Scheduling — and bring over all of the elements you tagged — so you don’t have to manually create each sheet for every scene in your script.
Organization is key to success in my view. You can use whatever system you prefer. Once the breakdown is done, it’s a bunch of pieces to a puzzle that you need to assemble. It’s much easier to assemble the pieces if you know your script like the backs of your hands. How many locations are there? How many cast members, staff members, props and vehicles are involved? Before locking it in, I dig deeper into the schedule. OT is expensive — can the cast/crew be wrapped properly each day? To find savings without compromising on the overall quality of your project, you need to consider all aspects. This is the delicate balance.
3. If you can, get locations free. It is very rare that I pay for a locality. I try to make a penny out of every 15 cents. I have found that locations is one area where this is possible.
John Wesley Norton, who was the author of the script for our latest project, chose a house for the story that was both great and affordable. I knew the location of our main location so I reached out to local property owners to discuss our other needs. I am sincere and honest with them when we speak and let them understand what we are trying achieve. Sometimes we can offer the owners — and anyone they know locally — the chance to be background players. This allows them to be more involved in the project and also helps with production by filling these background/extra roles. Think about the contacts you have for your needs such as family, friends or other filmmakers.
Multi-purpose locations are another great way to save time. Our film “For Hannah” required a fire truck in front of a burning bank while a reporter was interviewing the local sheriff. I found a fire station that we needed for the scene and they also had an office that we could transform into the local sheriff’s office. We were able shoot two locations in one day. You can save time and money by shooting at one location. I schedule around the locations, grouping them together to reduce company moves. This keeps travel time and shooting days down, which results in savings that trickle down to a beautiful stream.
4. For other items that are needed, please visit Ask yourself what items can be borrowed, made, and repurposed. Before you rent a house, make sure to take inventory of all the equipment that your team has. By simply asking, you’d be surprised by the resources you may already have access to.
Creativity is the key to set design and wardrobe. A good costume designer and production designer can make a huge difference in the time and money you spend on a project. “For Hannah” takes place around Christmas and our production designer, Crystal Forlano, borrowed and repurposed the Christmas décor and decorations for the project. The amazing sweater inspired by “A Christmas Story” was made by our costume designer, Gary Nocco. Both men plan and create pre-production. They come prepared for any scenario, including having a second wardrobe in case a character is hurt.
Always shop around for the best price on the items you need to buy. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you don’t have time and just purchase the first thing you find that might work. I don’t purchase the first thing I see. I search the market until I feel I have found the best deal. “For Hannah” takes place in the ’80s and we needed a TV from that era. I avoided buying the first one I found, which saved hundreds of dollars. I was able eventually to purchase a Zenith in perfect condition at an antique shop for $50.
5. It is important to provide proper meals and other options during filming.. Before you begin principal photography, you should already have a list of your entire team’s dietary restrictions and preferences as well as what day(s) they will be working.
Personally, I love supporting family-owned business whenever I can. They are also easier to work for. Corporate-owned companies are often not as flexible or workable in pricing. I saved money by working with local restaurants and gave them my business for the duration. I was able obtain lower pricing by doing this. We were also able use them for the diner location in our script, another multi-purpose saving opportunity.
Before you start filming, make sure to discuss your options with the vendor. What are the available meal options? Are they able to deliver or pick up?
You can start filming if you plan well. Things will always come up that are out of your control during principal photography — someone showed up to the wrong place because Google Maps “had it wrong” or your location contact is MIA and you cannot get access to a building — but it’s vital that you control the things that you can control ahead of time so you can work around those unexpected surprises with more focus. Why would anyone wait to film a scene when the art department is still making props? Or watch the team scramble to decide where to eat and who can pick it up. Now you’re behind on schedule you have to choose between having to rush filming — and possibly affect quality — or add shooting days, which obviously adds cost to the budget. Stress and chaos can not only increase your budget, but also affect the quality of your work. Proper planning will always be your budget’s best friend and a great help to overall quality control.
Suzette BrownShe is an actress, producer, line producer and co-owner of the award-winning actress, Founder, and Co-owner of Two 9 Productions,Director of the Crown Point International Film Festival. Her credits include “Finding Hope,” “Every 21 Seconds,” and “Halloweed.”
Source: Women And Hollywood