Screenwriting : Writing for low or no budget productions by Lawrence J Diggs

What is kitchen sink drama?

you should check out Mandy.com they always have low/no budget listings http://www.mandy.com/1/jobs2.cfm?t=caon

A good way to go about it is to set yourself some limitations. Say, one or two locations. Minimal characters and props. This will already limit your scope and choice of subject. If you plan to produce yourself, start with a list of all the resources you have at your disposal (locations, props, people, connections, etc). Focus on character conflicts and avoid unnecessary eye-candy, flash, or heavy effects/CGI. The good news is that, with those limitations in place, you're left to really focus on strong story and writing! Good luck :)

ditto.

Maty answered the question well. Multiple locations add shooting days. Actors cost money. Keep these aspect small and you "write money out of the production".

Are you writing a script with the intent of producing it yourself? If so, think about the locations, people, and resources you have access to for cheap/free... maybe make a writing challenge out of it; what story can you tell with your two best friends at a nearby park?

Does anyone have first hand experience at turning a garage or unused room into a movie set? It sees like it would be place where a writer could invite actors to do trial runs of a script. It might also be used to film demos of plays to help sell scripts.

I have done that often, Lawrence. From something as simple as a living room to a dungeon to a police station to a complete space station control room - I have used my garage for more than 20 different sets.

subjects for low budget films tend to be horror and suspense scripts. They tend to be cost effective in production because you can limit your locations to a house or woods, open areas. You don't need trained actors because it gives you a campy feel and realistic to what the genre provides. Just one man's opinion.

Keep characters to a minimum (see if you can combine two characters into one). Reduce special effects. Camp out near Rik's garage!

I had the same question...

Everything Marty said. I'd also add keeping the script on the lean end. Scripts average between 90-120 pages, so aim for closer to 90. More pages = more shooting days = more money!

limit special effects, focus on dialogue, set most scenes in flats, houses, abandoned warehouses, or a generic forested area. remove any and all proprietary references etc.

If you can write a film that all takes place in one location, is a good place to start. :)

Limit locations. Limit action. Limit effects. Limit the page count (try and keep the script as close to 90 pages as you can get). Use more dialogue.

Also, no kids nor animals.

Keeping with the philosophy, "show don't tell", what are some subjects that would lend themselves to low or no budget productions?

I believe in general, horror is the cheapest. Someone else may think differently.

Excellent idea! I am looking for more ideas like that for the followers of this thread. I would be up for contributing music for anyone who wants to take any of these ideas on. More ideas?

companies that produce low budget films usually know what is selling. horror is always a hot genre. As for what to write - minimal number of locations, and locations that already exist. The Chilean miners may sound like it would fit, but the costs involved - transporting equipment to a cave, getting the right light/sound may increase the budget

I'm pretty sure you got most of your question answered by the previous 24 comments, but I thought I'd give my two cents as well. If this is a film you plan on shooting, I would say write for "real" life. Dramas based around home life, couples relationships or something to do with drugs. I would say don't worry about the budget UNTIL you finish the script completely. Then once you're finished, you will find out your central theme. Pretty much the motor that drives your story. This will help you in the next step of writing for low to no budget films. You need to have a close friend that knows how films work. After reading the script, you two or three people should sit down and have a conversation about what the core of your story is. Then you can brainstorm about certain locations or scenes that can be moved to different locations. You can talk about certain characters and adding/deleting other characters. Most of the time, you can determine right off the bat which scenes are going to cost you money or not. Stunts, set pieces, child actors, outdoor locations, etc... This will help you when you decide to rewrite the treatment and/or script. I would say get your ideas on the paper BEFORE you decide to limit yourself completely. When you think about your limitations, you tend to underwrite. And that's not good for anyone. Hope this helps! -JR

J.R. - I respectfully disagree. Getting your ideas down on paper is one thing, but that's what we all carry a notebook for. Every concept has a suitable execution. So if the goal from the outset is to write for low budget, why start with pie-in-the-sky scenarios? He'll just be setting himself for failure (or at least for a long, draining rewriting process). In my experience, setting limitations doesn't necessarily translate to underwriting -- more often than not, limitations actually force out creativity because you're forced to find creative solutions within the given framework. If he simply wanted to write a spec screenplay I'd say sure, write whatever you are passionate about and don't worry about practicality. But if his stated goal is to write a low-budget feature, I think coming up with a theme, concept, and setting that will fit the bill is a good start.

@Maty- I see where you're coming from. I did however say limit yourself with the story such as telling a story that has to do with "real" life such as home life, drugs and relationships. This alone will limit your budget expenses. Keeping it in the house or in a minimum of locations is smart. These would not be "pie-in-the-sky scenarios." I however, think that writing is all about rewriting. Once you find your story while finishing the first draft, THEN you can truly get to the budget concerns of where to cut scenes, locations, and/or characters. Of course when you know you wont have a lot of money, you will think about a scene and its structure as you write it. I find limiting myself is hard to do because I think more about how to cut the budget down rather than trying to get the scene and the scene's objective on the paper. Everyone writes differently. =) -JR

@ J.R. - fair enough. I apologize if I misread your previous post. Rewriting is definitely where the bulk of the work lies, but we can make the process easier or more difficult based on how much we plan ahead. I learned this one the hard way :) But for sure, different processes may work for different people.

Just to clarify, I am not a screen writer. I am not actually looking for screenwriting advice. This is a thought experiment aimed at stimulating discussion about a different approach to script writing. I think there are many excellent script writers out there and many good stories to be told. The Chilean miners story is a great example. But if writers think they actually have to send a crew to Chile to film it, it is a story that wont get told because of lack of imagination. That story could be shot in a garage. A stage play could be done with almost no props and of course very little lighting. And the whole thing could be riveting high drama. Think of all the westerns shot in Italy. Think of all the campfire scenes filmed in studios. Ever heard of green screens. I am looking for work around for the obstacles that make money our masters. Writers need to write. That is how good stories get told. If writers focus on what they don't have, a lot of great stories will go untold. Lack of budget or financial support can become a crutch for not writing anything at all. I morn for the lost stories. So the idea here is to crowd source an approach to writing that puts ideas in front of money. If you don't think it can be done, your input in the form of clear reasons why, will be valuable as a foil, antagonist or devils advocate. If you are opposed to it philosophically, I propose we start another thread to have that discussion. That way we can keep this as a working group thread to help writers think out of the box and get some of their work into production. Can I get a amen? :-)

In my quest to educate myself on this subject I ran across this Vimeo which shows that others have not only thought about taking film making away from the money masters but are actually doing it. http://vimeo.com/1610901

that's a good clip Lawrence, Anthony Artis is as good at down and dirty as he is in the class room setting. He's a great instructor overall.