Obviously, New York and Los Angeles are great places to make a movie, but if you’re an independent filmmaker without a budget, most of your movies are likely to be shot directly in your hometown.
Shooting a film in your garden is the cornerstone of many independent productions, and wherever you are, it will always be a challenge. For many budgets, budgets are extremely low and hopes for any kind of production value are optimistic. Therefore, finding and trusting neighbors you barely know or absolute strangers to give your time, talents, your home, your business and your personal belongings is critical to making your film independent, so I would like to share with you 5 independent productions tips.
Design your independent film with your surroundings
Lena Dunham filmed much of her first independent film as a director, Tiny Furniture, in her father’s two-bedroom Tribeca loft. Director Jim Mickle filmed much of his first independent feature film, Mulberry Street, in the apartment of co-directer and actor Nick. Damici.
Your accessories are the ones you already have
Do you know Tina, Call Napoleon Dynamite? It belonged to the principal’s mother, Jared Hess. The famous tape recorder featuring Sam Rami’s fucking book THE DEAD MAL?It belonged to Bruce Campbell’s father, You obviously won’t have everything the script needs in your closet, but knowing what you have before you start and design your movie with these elements in mind will help you keep your budget low and your pre-production phase.
Independent films are built on favors, so be detailed when asking for help
When it comes to contacting your neighbors and community to find filming locations, articles, props and an additional set of donations, be detailed, ask for favors, so you also have to be open and honest.
For the locals, you ask these people to bring you, your team (and the whole team) into their lives. It’s a great request, so give them as much information as you can. Always let site owners know (exactly):
Let local talent appear
If you’re photographing in a small town, share your love and let people know the emotion. Find part of your film crew and local artists. Let the community participate in the movie-making experience when possible.
Let people get excited
Making a movie, big or small, is fascinating and people get excited when they use their backyard as a backdrop, knowing that something has been filmed in their area and that many people can see it on the big screen (or on an iPad via Netflix). what they see every day is an advantage you can offer locals (and it’s still free), too. Everyone who participates knows, this guy who just borrowed his generator?Invite him to the set, the friendly guard who stopped to see what they were doing?Bring it to your sandwich table. Be kind and courteous to the locals and you’ll probably have a place to go back to if you want to make more independent movies.