Filmmaking on a Budget: Techniques for Creative Students in Filmmaking

Making a movie may be quite costly but for the student or aspiring or newbie filmmakers, lack of finance should not be an issue. If you are a little creative and willing to look for some cheap ways, you can create good quality films. No matter what you are shooting, Bollywood films, Punjabi films, music videos, or short films, money management is an important skill that you will learn while working as a filmmaker.

Here are some of the tips that will help you to make a movie while you are studying in the best film institutes in India and learning cinema. These tips will assist you in getting more out of your limited resources, increasing your production value, and producing great stories with little money.

1. Pre-Production Planning is Key 

One of the most critical areas that need to be well addressed when making a film especially when one is low on funds are pre-production planning. When preparing for your movie, it is important to plan all the aspects of your shooting before you even touch the camera. Students studying cinema in filmmaking courses or film production courses are normally trained to understand that effective planning can go a long way in minimizing the expenses that one incurs. 

Budget-friendly tips for pre-production: 

• Limit Locations: It is always good to limit your film setting to as few as possible, if not, the least possible. Areas that do not need permits such as public domain, houses, or other open space would be expensive to build only if they are allowed by the zoning laws.
• Leverage What You Have: Use places you can get for free or rent, the items that belong to you or your friends. Film direction courses for instance tend to promote this kind of thinking by advising filmmakers to be as innovative as possible. 
• Create a Detailed Shot List: A shot list assists you in planning when to shoot and what to shoot so as not to take many shots that aren’t needed. 

2. Use Natural Lighting 

Lighting is something that can either make or mar the look of a movie. Of course, it is always nice to have expensive lighting equipment, but as student filmmakers, they can get great results using natural light. Many Bollywood movies and even high-quality Punjabi movies make use of a lot of lighting fixtures but that does not mean that your student movie should do the same. 

Budget-friendly lighting tips: 

• Shoot During Golden Hour: The time of day ranging from the moment when the first light appears in the sky before the sun rises and ending with the time when the sun begins to set is called golden hour, during which the light is very gentle and suitable for shooting outdoor scenes. 
• Utilize Reflectors: Reflectors that are plain can assist in reflecting natural light to illuminate the subjects. You can use even low-cost items such as white poster boards or even foils. 
• Indoor Light Sources: In case you are shooting indoors, ensure that you use available light such as natural light from the windows, artificial lights such as lamps and overhead lights to create the mood of the scenes. 

3. Shoot with Available Equipment 

It is easy to believe that fancy cameras are required, however, many student filmmakers have shot excellent movies using smartphones, DSLR cameras, or even old video equipment. To those students who are taking up filmmaking classes or those who are taking up film production classes, knowledge on how to maximize the use of the available technology is important. 

Budget-friendly equipment tips: 

• Use What You Have: Basically, if you have a smartphone or a DSLR available then that is most often the case. Smartphones of today are able to record in high definition and with proper framing and lighting, you can create a movie like footage. 
• Rent or Borrow Equipment: If you need to use some specific equipment, it might be wiser to rent it from gear houses in your area or borrow the needed equipment from other students or graduates. 
• DIY Stabilizers and Rigs: You don’t need to spend a lot of money on camera equipment in order to get nice moves. It is possible to make the stabilizers using simple items at home or use tripod for making the shots steady.

4. Crew and Cast: Try to limit the expenses of the crew and the cast as much as possible.

Casting a large number of workers or actors is costly while in the case of student productions, starting with few people is advisable. The lessons on filmmaking also expose the learners to the need to work in teams and the need to be multi-tasking.

Budget-friendly crew and cast tips:Budget-friendly crew and cast tips:

• Keep Your Crew Small: A few people, a close group of friends, can work and achieve a lot, they can take on several positions. For instance, one individual can take the role of a director and the role of a cinematographer at the same time.
• Non-Actors Can Shine: That’s the thing about storytelling; you don’t have to have professional actors to tell a good story. You may consider using friends, classmates or even yourself as the actors. When directed correctly one can easily find that even people who are not professional actors can provide a believable performance.
• Offer Experience, Not Payment: Sometimes the actors, cinematographers, or editors that are interested in participating in student films are more interested in the experience and the portfolio rather than the money.

5. DIY in set design and costumes 

The set design and costumes are very crucial in setting the stage of the film and the characters respectively. Although, you don’t have to invest a lot of money in order to make your sets and characters look unique. Students in film production courses are always given assignments that make them come up with unique set design and costumes since the tutors make them to understand that they can achieve a lot with little resources. 

Budget-friendly set and costume tips:Budget-friendly set and costume tips: 

• Repurpose Everyday Items: As for set design, one should use what is available. Furnitures, home appliances, and other household utensils can be arranged to make different environment out of the common items. 
• Thrift Stores and DIY Costumes: Thrift stores are the best places for cheap costumes since they sell old clothes at cheap prices. It is also possible to sew the costumes by yourself using cheap fabric or even use regular clothes for the characters.
• Minimalism Works: This is a true statement that we should learn to work with as it holds a lot of truth in our day to day lives. Spartan sets can be very useful provided that they fit the overall mood and design of your movie.

6. Post-Production on a Budget 

Three major aspects of post production include editing, sound and color grading which are very important in your movie. Even though post-production may be costly at times, there are ways to get the professional look for free or for a few bucks. 

Budget-friendly post-production tips: 

• Free or Affordable Software: DaVinci Resolve and Lightworks are well-known editing software that has a free version that comes with all the necessary tools in post-production. Students in film editing courses should be aware of these programs to get as many skills as possible while spending little. 
• Use Royalty-Free Music: Music can be used as a background to your movie and it has the ability to change the whole mood of the movie but using licensed music can be very expensive. Search for music libraries that offer free music for use without paying royalties and find tracks that’ll fit your project. 
• DIY Sound Design: If you are in need of special sound effects then it is better to make them on your own. Foley (recording everyday objects to mimic sounds) is one creative option to enhance your sound design if you don’t want to hire a professional.

7. Crowdfunding and Community Support 

If the problem is with the lack of funds then it is best to turn to crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo for funding your film. Especially for students studying cinema in the best film institutes in India it can be beneficial to learn how to leverage community support to bring an idea to life. 

Budget-friendly crowdfunding tips: 

• Create a Compelling Pitch: If you are looking for funding, then be sure to create a story around the idea of the film that you are planning to make. Tell people what you’re excited about, reveal some art or a trailer, and describe the purpose of the money. 
• Involve Your Community: Ask friends and family for help and seek sponsorship from local companies. As a result, provide perks such as credits within the film or special advance showings.

Conclusion: Creativity Over Budget 

Shooting under a limited budget puts student filmmakers into pressure and makes them think out of the box. If you want to make a professional looking film then you don’t have to necessarily spend a lot of money to get the results that you want. In case you are pursuing film production courses or film direction courses or film editing courses, one of the most crucial skills that every filmmaker should learn is how to get the most out of the limited budget. 

Our filmmaking course at Creators Pathshala will enable students understand the art of making good films regardless of the amount of money one has to spend. Come and be part of us today to know the tricks on how to start making an impact in the film industry.