How to approach making a no/low budget short
More than ever, it seems like short films need anything between £3,000 and £30,000 to get made to a professional standard – and that’s before even considering the fees required to embark on a worthwhile festival run. Is it still possible to make a festival-worthy film without significant funding and in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis? Absolutely.
Written by Mark Brennan
Of course, there are funding options worth exploring first – such as applications to the BFI or Genera Films or crowdfunding your budget on platforms such as Greenlit – but for many filmmakers the reality is that if they want to make a film, they’re going to have to do it on their own dime.
Here are several practical tips we suggest when approaching the making of a short film and the festival circuit thereafter.
First of all, make sure the script has been checked and rechecked for every line of dialogue, every prop, for everything you’re going to need to capture on the day. Avoid as many costly surprises on the few shoot days that you have as time will be of the essence - and time is money. Storyboards, shot-lists, call sheets, make sure everyone is absolutely clear on what’s needed.
From a production point of view, it helps to tell a simple story that suits a single location to which you already have free access. That means no costly location fees and perhaps less production design time/money required to make the place look like something it’s not. It also helps to shoot in a geographical location that’s as close as possible to the bulk of your cast and crew, as this helps keep travel and accommodation costs to a minimum.
Perhaps there’s a story you can tell that requires only one or two characters with little to no dialogue. If so, sound recording/mixing becomes simpler, as does the issue of generating subtitles later (and in the case of no dialogue at all you have a film that is potentially easier to programme at festivals in non-English speaking countries).
Work with friends or advertise for crew who may be looking to gain experience, move up a level in their department, or trying to grow their network. As long as there is a value exchange between the project and the cast/crew, and respect is shown for the time they are willing to offer, there is no harm in asking for help.
On the subject of time, it also helps to keep the length of the film relatively short too. A film that’s 10-minutes or less not only means fewer shooting days than something any longer, but it also means a run time on the final film that’s easier for festivals to programme later.
And when it comes to the festival circuit, we understand that Festival Formula is not an option for every filmmaker, but there are several ways to stretch every penny in your own strategies.
On FilmFreeway, be sure to submit during the Earlybird submission period of festivals as much as possible and consider signing up to their Gold Members plan for a reduced rate on submission fees too – this is something that can be cancelled at any time.
If you’ve had a film screen at a festival before, it’s always worth getting in touch to see if a discount/waiver code is offered to alumni, although we wouldn’t necessarily suggest this approach to festivals where there is no existing relationship.
There will always be unavoidable costs when making a film, but we are constantly surprised by the imagination and execution of films on our slate that go on to enjoy a hugely successful festival run. Don’t let the idea of having to find a huge budget stop you from making your film, because when it comes to creating art, there’s always a way.
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Advice from filmmakers of low-budget short films
No budget filmmaking - The Big Ask