Hi all and thanks for reading my post. I am planning on producing a no budget action type movie about a detective/ private eye. It is going to be a full feature. I am in a film group so feeding the crew is my only concern. What are some of the ways I can increase the production value without spending any money. I am trying to secure some great location's to shoot in the hopes that this will increse the value. Thanks in advance to all who respond.
Raising the production value?
- Thread starter Marko
- Start date
Well, it might costs a few bucks, but it won't be a lot - pay a lot of attention to lighting. Look up "Home Depot lighting" in the forum search engine for lots of great cost-effective lighting tips.
Also sound. Crappy sound is very common on no-budget productions. Make sure you capture that room-tone. Remember to turn off fridges, air-conditioners, fans, anything that generates a mechanical noise. Use sound blankets, if needed. That's all free, and often overlooked.
Use real actors! Or at least people studying to be actors. You can easily find many willing to work for just a credit & copy. Using friends may be convenient, but if they have no acting training it will show.
Meh, I'm ramblin'.
Also sound. Crappy sound is very common on no-budget productions. Make sure you capture that room-tone. Remember to turn off fridges, air-conditioners, fans, anything that generates a mechanical noise. Use sound blankets, if needed. That's all free, and often overlooked.
Use real actors! Or at least people studying to be actors. You can easily find many willing to work for just a credit & copy. Using friends may be convenient, but if they have no acting training it will show.
Meh, I'm ramblin'.
You can't beat a Ferrari with a Yugo, but you can get from A to B. Just make sure you do a lot of research, and try to get the most you can out of every aspect of the film. Don't put it all into the picture and forget about the sound. You can definitely get something of decent quality to post on the net or enter festivals with.
* Find good locations. Having a fair amount of different locations can increase production value. If you know someone that manages or owns a bar or restaurant...that's production value.
* If you know someone that owns a fantastic car...use it in the film. That increases production value.
* Costumes, makeup, SfX and wardrobe...don't skimp. It doesn't have to be fantastic...just don't make this stuff look like shit.
* Take your time with lighting and sound. And camera work. If your film is technically sound, this will increase your production value.
Good luck.
* If you know someone that owns a fantastic car...use it in the film. That increases production value.
* Costumes, makeup, SfX and wardrobe...don't skimp. It doesn't have to be fantastic...just don't make this stuff look like shit.
* Take your time with lighting and sound. And camera work. If your film is technically sound, this will increase your production value.
Good luck.
Preproduction, Preproduction, Preproduction, Preproduction, Preproduction, Preproduction, Preproduction!!!
The smaller your budget the more you have to pre-plan to take advantage of what minimal assets you do have.
Check out my blogs on production sound here on IndieTalk.
The smaller your budget the more you have to pre-plan to take advantage of what minimal assets you do have.
Check out my blogs on production sound here on IndieTalk.
For food, see if you can get a local mom & pop store/ pizza place to trade for a full screen 5 second card in the credits during the special thanks time. Find the price of a full page advertising from the local newspaper and throw that at them as cost comparison for what you're offering... you now (of course) have an obligation to be able to guarantee their ad will get in front of consumers, so you have to finish and have to screen it locally as much as possible.
Actors, get real actors, not just your friends.
Spend another year or two editing the script (yes, seriously - this is the weakest part of no-budget film as far as I'm concerned - and a GREAT script will allow alot of forgiveness on production weaknesses) with brutally honest feedback on it from folks who understand the language of film storytelling.
Get good audio equipment to use from somewhere/someone - get it done right... this is the second weakest part of no-budget stuff (mine included - we've fixed it now).
30-60 minutes lighting per setup (dimmers are cheap - get router speed controllers from harborfreight tools for $15 ea.). Set your key light, expose your camera to it correctly, then set your fill light on a dimmer and dial it until the image looks good, then turn on your back light (generally a little brighter than the key - so you can have the key on a dimmer as well to allow for this is you have 3 of the same lights). Take the time to use flags to control your light spilling on the background.
Use cool looking locations, colored walls, textured surfaces, nothing boring unless there's a specific reason to do so.
Don't overexpose your footage!
Keep it fun on set, but make sure you get what you need from your actors - even if it means extra takes. A single setup will take you about 1-2 hours with setup and tear down if you're cruising.
Or, use sunlight outdoors and block carefully (using reflectors to redirect the light onto your actors).
Actors, get real actors, not just your friends.
Spend another year or two editing the script (yes, seriously - this is the weakest part of no-budget film as far as I'm concerned - and a GREAT script will allow alot of forgiveness on production weaknesses) with brutally honest feedback on it from folks who understand the language of film storytelling.
Get good audio equipment to use from somewhere/someone - get it done right... this is the second weakest part of no-budget stuff (mine included - we've fixed it now).
30-60 minutes lighting per setup (dimmers are cheap - get router speed controllers from harborfreight tools for $15 ea.). Set your key light, expose your camera to it correctly, then set your fill light on a dimmer and dial it until the image looks good, then turn on your back light (generally a little brighter than the key - so you can have the key on a dimmer as well to allow for this is you have 3 of the same lights). Take the time to use flags to control your light spilling on the background.
Use cool looking locations, colored walls, textured surfaces, nothing boring unless there's a specific reason to do so.
Don't overexpose your footage!
Keep it fun on set, but make sure you get what you need from your actors - even if it means extra takes. A single setup will take you about 1-2 hours with setup and tear down if you're cruising.
Or, use sunlight outdoors and block carefully (using reflectors to redirect the light onto your actors).
Also, attitude. Don't go into it thinking it's going to look bad anyway, so some things don't matter. Go into it with the intentions of making it the best you can. Don't be afraid to ask local businesses for what you need. You never know until you ask! You can get lots of freebies.
Lighting has been a biggie for me that I've learned about.
Also editing, and no I don't mean use all the toys in the editor *L*. I've found I got improved results in how I went from a scene to another; sometimes a direct cut is good, other times crossfades get the point across(I've found these helpful when trying to get an idea that a period of time has passed between the two scenes).
One of my biggest educators is watching movies and paying attention to angles, lighting,fades, ect are used-don't pay attention to the story for these purposes*l* I was amazed how much a film was improved(or sometimes downgraded) simply by watching HOW it was made.
Most of all-have fun and don't be afraid to learn from your experiences; you never know when a "mistake" on your film actually works better than what you had planned.
Also editing, and no I don't mean use all the toys in the editor *L*. I've found I got improved results in how I went from a scene to another; sometimes a direct cut is good, other times crossfades get the point across(I've found these helpful when trying to get an idea that a period of time has passed between the two scenes).
One of my biggest educators is watching movies and paying attention to angles, lighting,fades, ect are used-don't pay attention to the story for these purposes*l* I was amazed how much a film was improved(or sometimes downgraded) simply by watching HOW it was made.
Most of all-have fun and don't be afraid to learn from your experiences; you never know when a "mistake" on your film actually works better than what you had planned.
Editing would strike me as one the really critical elements. Even the most expensive films can be undone by really sloppy, lameass editing.
OH, and I hate to say it...but a name actor. That will raise the production value lickety-split.
Names like Debbie Rochon, Ken Foree, Lynn Lowery, Tiffany Sheppis...these are all examples of individuals with a name and a following who are all affordable. Yes, these examples tend to do horror more often than not...but they don't *need* to do horror--hell they may even like a change! We've used most of these actors on our films...just make sure you have your shit together when you fly them out.
Names like Debbie Rochon, Ken Foree, Lynn Lowery, Tiffany Sheppis...these are all examples of individuals with a name and a following who are all affordable. Yes, these examples tend to do horror more often than not...but they don't *need* to do horror--hell they may even like a change! We've used most of these actors on our films...just make sure you have your shit together when you fly them out.