Lionsgate goes microbudget movies
I posted on Paramount launching its microbudget film division back in 2009. Now it’s Lionsgate’s turn. Per The Wrap:
Lionsgate announced on Wednesday that it would be making microbudget movies, in the $2 million and below range, with the first three on deck to be comedies and thrillers.
$2M probably doesn’t cover hair and makeup costs on a typical movie, so why is Hollywood suddenly interested in such low budget movies? Two words — Paranormal Activity:
…the interest in microbudgets began with the phenomenally successful “Paranormal Activity,” which cost $15,000 and grossed $108 million worldwide.
Or as a Lionsgate exec put it:
Joe Drake, president of the studio’s motion picture group said, “Microbudget films involve minimal overhead and very little risk, but a potentially high reward. This initiative allows us to add another layer to our slate of movies that work both financially and creatively.”
From the actual Lionsgate announcement, two other reasons:
* “The productions will function as an incubator for promising new actors and filmmakers. They will experience the best of both the independent and studio worlds — the freedom to make the movies they envision, but with the infrastructure, support and guidance of our studio behind them. We expect this arrangement to translate not only into some great films with the potential to really break through, but into productive ongoing talent and filmmaker relationships that could pay off in lots of different ways down the road.”
* “When we look at the films that have broken out over the past few years, it’s clear that movie-goers are hungry for fresh stories told in bold ways.”
Assuming that’s not just blowing some PR smoke, the studio actually believes there is a creative advantage to low budget filmmaking. Plus they think moviegoers are actually attracted to the conceits, genre storytelling, and scaled down style necessary to make microbudget movies.
If you’re interested in writing a low budget spec ($2M and under), here are some tips:
* Minimize locations: Ideally your script will have one primary location, thus avoiding significant transportation costs.
* Minimize cast size: Try not to go over 10 characters as each one costs money, not only in salary, but also catering, wardrobe, makeup, lodging, etc.
* 90 page script tops: To be considered a feature-length film, a movie has to be 75 minutes long, but don’t go over 90 to minimize production days.
* 4 week shoot [tops]: If you can shoot 4–5 pages per day (an assumption based upon a microbudget approach to writing scenes — see below), you can knock out production in 4 weeks or less.
* Make the scenes production friendly: Not a lot of action scenes; what action you do write is not complicated; most scenes with 1, 2, or 3 characters (you should consider scenes with a lot of your characters as a set piece); minimize special effects; make use of exterior scenes and available light, and so on.
GITS readers, especially those of you who are DIY filmmakers, what other tips do you have for writing a microbudget movie script?
For more on the Lionsgate microbudget initiative, go to this article in Deadline.