By Steve Conway – 26/11/23 – Filmmaker
The saying goes that success leaves clues. Therefore, it stands to reason that if you want to make a low-budget feature film, the same thought process could be applied to examining others who have successfully completed very low-budget feature films. Here, we will take a look at some of those films.
I never believed I was reinventing the wheel by making a no-budget feature film. In fact, before embarking on that journey, I rightfully sought out others who had already accomplished similar feats, it made sense to do that.
Being a film buff, I was already familiar with these filmmakers, their debut feature films, and, of course, their accomplishments since. Therefore, when the time came for me to consider how to proceed with mine, I quickly turned to them for inspiration.
This blog post isn’t a critical review of these films in terms of their plots or as completed pieces of art or entertainment, although I highly recommend watching them all. Instead, it is an appreciation of their production and the accomplishment of being made at all, and hopefully bringing them to others attention for additional filmmaking inspiration.
‘Following’ (1998) Christopher Nolan
Budget: $6,000 est
Run Time: 70min
A neo-noir film that sets up Nolan, who never attended film school, to eventually become the filmmaker recognized today. Shot in London by Nolan during weekends over nearly a year, as everyone involved had full-time jobs during the week. Apparently, they captured just 15 minutes of footage each time they filmed anything, slowly progressing toward enough footage for a completed film. Shot almost entirely handheld, using a single camera and natural light due to the lack of lighting equipment. Upon release, the film won several awards at various film festivals, setting Nolan up to make his second feature film, ‘Memento’ (2000).
“When you’re doing films, just with friends, with no money, on a shoestring. You have to be able to do all the jobs… And it’s a wonderful way to learn everything.”
Christopher Nolan
‘Small Time’ (1996) Shane Meadows
Budget: £5,000 est (BFI Funded)
Run Time: 70min
Although a vastly different tone of film, I personally feel it is worth noting that ‘Small Time’ is only three feature films prior from what Meadows would eventually create with ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ (2004). After a hefty run of making short films, it is interesting to see where he started with his features in this bare-bones debut, and observe the rapid evolution of his filmmaking later on. Despite being very rough around the edges, making a feature-length film on a shoestring budget is still a considerable achievement, and you get a sense of his passion for his craft and style of filmmaking that he would go on to become known for.
“I’ll maybe make ten or fifteen shorts in-between (feature films), so all my characters change, my techniques change, so when you come to make your next feature film…hopefully…you’ve changed as a filmmaker. I think its very dangerous to keep going from feature film to feature film.”
Shane Meadows
‘Down Terrace’ (2009) Ben Wheatley
Budget: £25,000 est
Run Time: 93min
Similar to Shane Meadow’s trajectory, it is fascinating to consider that ‘Down Terrace’ is just one film prior to what Wheatley would accomplish with his next feature, ‘Kill List’ (2011), a film that I personally feel is still his best to date and also one of the best British films since its release back in 2011. ‘Down Terrace’ is shot entirely in an incredible eight days and completed in post-production a few months later, this film stands as a testament to the grit and determination of everyone involved, given such a quick turnaround time. From a filmmaker’s perspective, it is also resonating how Wheatley strongly desired to make a feature film, didn’t see the opportunity arising, and decided to just make it happen himself.
“We didn’t try and raise money, we didn’t talk to Film4, we didn’t talk to BFI, or any of these guys…because we knew they would never fund it anyway…”
Ben Wheatley on ‘Down Terrace’
‘Clerks’ (1994) Kevin Smith
Budget: $25,000 est
Run Time: 92min
Made on a budget of $25k, which included Kevin Smith maxing out all his credit cards, the film is set in an American convenience store where Smith worked at the time. Primarily filmed in the evenings and throughout the night into the early hours while the store was closed to the public during the three-week shoot, ‘Clerks’ has since become one of the go-to films for inspiration among indie filmmakers over the years, and for very good reason. It went on to win an award at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, achieved financial success, led to high budget sequels, and opened doors for Smith to explore more filmmaking opportunities with films such as ‘Chasing Amy’ (1997) and ‘Dogma’ (1999).
“We wanted to make ‘Clerks’ just as a showcase film to be like – obviously we know how to make a movie – so can you give us money for the next one”
Kevin Smith
‘El Mariachi’ (1992) Robert Rodriguez
Budget: $7,000 est
Run Time: 81min
Similar to Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks’, Robert Rodriguez’s ‘El Mariachi’ has gained renown among indie filmmakers around the world. Rodriguez raised part of the budget by participating in clinical drug test trials, during which he also wrote much of the script. The film was shot in two weeks in Mexico and any actors not appearing in a scene assisted behind the camera. ‘El Mariachi’ went on to win multiple awards at international film festivals and led to a bigger-budget sequel in 1995 called ‘Desperado’, starring Antonio Banderas. Subsequently, Rodriguez has made many other films, including ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ (1996), ‘The Faculty’ (1998), ‘Sin City’ (2005), and ‘Grindhouse’ (2007).
“If you’re just creative, you’ll always have to rely on technical people. If you’re creative and technical, you’re unstoppable.”
Robert Rodriguez
‘Pi’ (1998) Darren Aronofsky
Budget: $60,000 est
Run Time: 84min
Aronofsky’s intense mind-bending debut feature film is a psychological thriller with surreal elements, following a mathematician’s obsession with uncovering universal patterns, including stock market predictions. The movie heavily relies on striking visuals, swift editing techniques, and impressive music. While rough around the edges in parts, this, in my opinion, adds to its appeal. It is easy to foresee the stylistic development Aronofsky refines in his later works, notably in ‘Requiem for a Dream’ (2000), another remarkable low-budget film, ‘The Fountain’ (2006), ‘The Wrestler’ (2008), and ‘Black Swan’ (2010).
“When I go to movies I generally want to be taken to another world.”
Darren Aronofsky
‘Primer’ (2004) Shane Carruth
Budget: $7,000 est
Run Time: 78min
‘Primer’ is an extremely well thought-out American psychological sci-fi film that delves into themes of time travel and strained human relationships. The bulk of the filming took place over a five-week period with a sparse crew of just five people, which included the writer/director/cinematographer also appearing in the film. Then, another two years were spent in post-production to complete it. Winner of the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004, the film was picked up for wider distribution and went on to gross over $500,000 and has become a cult film among indie filmmakers.
“You don’t need to make $100 million at the box-office to have a story that can be relevant in the culture for a long time. You just need to be earnest.”
Shane Carruth
‘American Movie’ (1999) Chris Smith
Run Time: 107min
Awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance film festival in 1999, I have included this as essential viewing for aspiring filmmakers because of the individual and story it revolves around. It follows aspiring filmmaker Mark Borchardt as he endeavours to create his own film in his hometown of Milwaukee, America. Borchardt attempts to involve almost everyone he knows locally to help fund, film, or star in his horror movie – sometimes all three. While often comical, the documentary is also heartfelt and poignant, showcasing Borchardt’s unwavering determination, passion and struggle to turn his filmmaking dream into a reality, whilst also possibly serving as a warning to other aspiring filmmakers of the rabbit holes this road can easily lead to.
“I’m gonna wake up to hell tomorrow, man. Those credit cards ain’t gonna look nice, man…”
Mark Borchardt
Aspiring filmmakers can find a lot of encouragement from the films and filmmakers mentioned above, personally, I certainly did. However, it is important to note that there are many others out there who have accomplished similar feats, albeit not mentioned here.
Some or all of the films above might not be to your personal taste, and that’s okay. However, they are still worth your time for examining them as great examples of what can be achieved with a very limited budget.
Especially now, where advances in filmmaking technology are even greater in aiding indie filmmakers compared to those mentioned above.
Examine these films not just for the practicalities of how they were made and the methods each filmmaker used, but also for the filmmaker’s attitudes toward the process. Look for the grit, passion, determination, perseverance, prioritisation, and belief that making these films was possible.
It is easy to look at these filmmakers now and see where they are in their careers, some of which are absolutely stunning, and forget they also had to start somewhere. Just like everyone else, they had to roll up their sleeves at one point and take the plunge, diving into making their debut feature films with next to nothing, showcasing what they could do.
It can be done.
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Like most dedicated filmmakers, I shared similar equipment concerns when I set out to create my first feature-length film. This topic is a common point of discussion among fellow creators. Dive deeper into equipment considerations by downloading my free, concise 4-page PDF guide, available here.
Steve Conway Films 