So you have been bitten by the creativity bug, and you can’t seem to take your mind off that intriguing story that will make people jump off their seats, like literally! Albeit the entertainment Industry thrives on big blockbusters, market space for Indie films is still intact. In fact Indie film market is growing by leaps and bounds, as this is the platform where the majority of directors and actors start their career.
Filmmaking, however, is not a smooth ride. It takes determination, flexibility and pragmatic approach to make a career as an Independent filmmaker. And as much as the film making is about freedom to experiment, it is also about anticipating the pitfalls and ability to turn things around in limited resources. Although a number of things can go wrong on any given day, the following five common blunders can easily be avoided if you do your groundwork well.
1. Fanciful script for micro budget
Great films cannot come out of a mediocre script. But it is imperative to have a clear vision of what you want to showcase and how you intend to achieve that. Script has to match your idea and also be in sync with your budget too. If you intend to make a movie on a shoe string budget, you would want to avoid loading it with unnecessary VFX, luxurious props and expensive cast. Let’s face it; trying to match some $5m studio production value with a meager $3k budget is nothing but an invitation to disaster. So instead of trying to match up to an extravagant script with a humble budget, why not just concentrate on a script more suited for a micro budget film.
2. Too many characters
Running on a limited budget, Independent filmmakers have to make do with a smaller team. Usually everyone involved in indie production dons multiple hats to save time and money. Too many characters in a film means more work cut out for the team to keep the shoot in line with the script. A film cluttered with too many characters makes it difficult to keep focus on the plot if your team is not experienced enough. Often, If not handled right, the clarity on conflict points between lead characters go astray in the crowd and audiences find it difficult to connect with the film. Hence, it is better to play safe and focus on script that has fewer characters with more dramatic presence in a story, till you are confident enough to handle complex script with multiple lead characters.
4. Unnecessary equipment
As the saying goes, “A camera didn’t make a great picture anymore than a typewriter wrote a great novel.” Big equipment does not equal great film. It is not wise to overestimate the importance of high end camera over a trained DP. Many times Indie film makers run into troubles, because they often choose high end gadgets over efficient crew. That usually results in excessive spend on renting and losing out on money that could have been used on efficient production design and to hire an experienced cinematographer. No one cares which camera was used to shoot the footage, as long as film looks professional. And therefore, a basic DSLR camera in hand of a skilled DP is way better than a 5k resolution full of bad frames and irrelevant shots by some amateurish camera person
4. Multiple locations
Indie productions typically run on thin ice for both their time and money. During shoot, most of the time is lost trying to reach the locations and then pack, unpack the stuff. This gets trickier, if you have a great number of scenes to finish in a day in multiple locations. Not to mention the nuisances of managing the crowd, noises and brand logos that can waste the quality daylight for shooting. Unfortunately, low budget movies do not have many options in terms of location setting, which makes the script writing even more challenging. It is therefore logical to keep one primary location and use maximum movements near the primary point of shoot. If a story demands shooting in an open area like a restaurant, park or a market; always pre-plan the things to sail smoothly and keep back up options handy for any unforeseeable reason.
5. Too many people on board
Small budget films don’t give much leverage in terms of hiring the best talent, so more often than not Indie filmmakers depend on friends or known person in their circle to help with most of the jobs. You might get tempted to take help of almost everyone that offers a helping hand, but don’t have a big crew if It is not required. Shooting with your friends can be fun, but film making is a serious business if you intend to make money out of it. Too many people idling around on set will only create chaos instead of proving helpful. Restricted budget for indie films makes it absolutely essential that each person involved takes up multiple responsibilities with minimum supervision.
