How to Make a Movie on a Budget

Hollywood movies these days often have budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars. They have to pay for cast and crews of thousands, location fees, actor and actress salaries, special effects, and so on. With these figures, it would seem impossible for anyone without connections to break into the business and make a movie on their own. But people are making these types of movies every day. So you may wonder how they do it without a big budget. Well if you are interested in how to make a movie without spending millions of dollars, read on.

Actor Salaries
For Hollywood films, these can be a substantial portion of the cost of production. While your actors and actresses will likely not garner such big bucks, paying them can put a hurt on your budget. One way to ease the cost is to get your actors to work for a portion of the profits of the movie instead of a set salary. This is risky as they can walk away with nothing, but they also need to get their name and face out there as well, and that can be more important than money to them. So offer it around and you are likely to find someone who will take the offer.
Location Fees
Location fees can add up quickly if you want premium locations to shoot your film. FInding just the right setting can be crucial and location owners know that you are willing to pay to get what you need. However, good research can find you many of the settings you need at a bargain or even free. Many will allow you to shoot for just a mention in the credits or for a role as an extra in your film. So take the time to do your research and reach out to people, you may be surprised at what you can get done by just being friendly.

Computer Effects
These days it seems that almost every film has some sort of computer effects. The good thing about computer effects is that you can get some pretty decent software for free or little money. Sure it will not be able to compete with the newest Michael Bay film, but your audience is likely not expecting it to. Just make sure that it is not too distracting or comical and you should be good.

Props and Makeup
Props and makeup offer many great chances to save a few bucks. For props, start by raiding your own belonging as well as those of your cast and crew. Ask around and you are sure to be able to find that someone owns what you need and lend it to your production as long as you take care of it. The next step is to look at thrift and secondhand stores for your props. This a great way to get stuff that looks like it has been used a bit, which will add to the realism of the movie. As for makeup, you can generally find lots of it laying around as well, just ask around