How do you make a movie if you don’t have $100 million dollars? Or $5 million? What if you can find $50,000? Or less? It can be done, but you have to figure out what your budget is and then write a script that fits that budget. Yes, that’s most likely the biggest challenge. If you’ve just watched a huge budget film and think your brain can just create within strict limits, you’ll be surprised. It’s quite difficult.
There are plenty of ways to start the script to contain your world and storyline. Of course, it’s easier to start writing and letting the mind wander all over the galaxy, Earth, or some interdimensional travel. No one said that wouldn’t be fun to do. Go ahead and write away. We’ve been given imaginations for just that reason and what a great way to escape and it’s a lot of fun.
But, do you want to make the script into a movie? Focusing on the budget determines whether you’ll make it, see it get made, or let all the ones and zeros ferment on your hard drive. Plenty of those scripts in that last category out there.
When I started researching for Severed Road, it started from a single repulsive thought…French cuisine. How they made a certain meal gave me nausea, and that was the impetus for my film. I transferred the concept quickly from animal to human and I was off to the races. I knew a professional screenwriter and asked her how to write a script. Thankfully, she was gracious and gave me instructions for the first step and that was to write a one page synopsis.
Is that really the first step? No, but she knew I wasn’t thinking about a big budget picture. She knew it was going to be a slasher film because we spoke a few times over the years about script writing. I did what she asked and it ended up being a twelve page synopsis. It was in my head and I wanted to get it down on paper, but I hadn’t done the proper planning.
I spent some time thinking about what can be done inexpensively by containing one certain aspect of the film…locations. Depending on your geography, locations can more expensive than the price of your car. Research what locations you want and then find out the rates. It’s a good first step to see how fast a budget can build to the this film will never get made stage. Even if you’re focused on keeping costs down, location costs can balloon quickly. I start with a Post-it™ Note and write all of the locations I need for the script. If I can’t fit them all on one note then that’s a sign to trim down. Put that note on the edge of the computer or laptop screen, and write. Keep those locations in mind so I won’t wander too far off the plan.
Stay away from night exteriors. They are the expensive, but that’s for another post.