6 tips to make your first (no budget !) feature film

1/ Write a script with what you have

Got access to an amazing house? A cool garden? By the beach? Or just a simple apartment? Whatever you have, put them in your script. Locations can get expensive and usually require insurance. To avoid any location costs, start with where you can shoot your film. And remember, the same place can be used for various locations (for example you can shoot the hero’s kitchen and the bad guy’s office in the same house). So look around you and get inspired!

2/ Make a List of your resources

Have a dog or a cat that can do tricks? Whatever you have, write it down and put it in your script, then write around it! This will add production value to your film.

3/ Limite the number of actors and/or location

The more actors or locations you have, the more expensive it might get (unless you can find some generous people willing to work for free or let you use their location for free)

4/ Don’t write more than 100 pages

More pages=more shooting days. And beyond that, it is best practice for a first feature to not make it too long. You want to keep your audience interested, and if it is your first, you most likely will make a few mistakes, so keeping it short will likely be in your best interest. Nothing is worst than having a boring film.

5/ BE PREPARED!

Do not neglect the importance of pre-production and preparation, this will save you a LOT of precious time on set. Make a shot list, and a storyboard if you can, rehearse with your actors, and go on location scouts with your DP and Sound Person.

6/ Do Not forget about SOUND !!

Sound can affect the impression we have of the quality of a film even more than the image. Imagine not being able to hear what the characters are saying ? This will definitely take you away from the story. And doing ADR is a tedious task that doesn’t sound natural, so you definitely want to avoid going there.

BONUS: If you want to save yourself some frustration, get a script supervisor. It’s hateful when you have the perfect shot but you can’t use it because of a continuity error.

And of course, before launching yourself into the amazing (but challenging) adventure of a feature film, don’t forget to practice your skills on short films!