Hey, guys.
It's a thought I had - I've become more budget-conscious lately, and remembering how old BBC TV shows like "Blake's 7" and "Red Dwarf" (and even the original series of "Doctor Who") were usually shot in studios or on sets, I've been thinking: would having mostly indoor-set scenes reduce the budget of a movie or TV show? It'd be one hell of a revelation if it were the case.
S. P.
3 people like this
It’s not so cut-and-dried. Sound stages are very expensive and require sets to be constructed. But… the dialogue will need less replacement or massaging in post. Locations can cost less to rent, but they generally do not have pleasing sound, so you will pay more to fix the dialogue in post. One significant problem that can arise in that scenario is talent being unavailable or unwilling to record ADR. I’ve directed adr sessions in which the producers owed the talent money, which put me in a position of calming the talent and playing to their sympathies for me just trying to do my job.
This is just one of numerous sound considerations that very few producers consider until they get bitten in the behind. Lesson: hire your sound supervisor for a day during pre-production and have them evaluate every scene for potential issues that you can address in advance.
That’s the sound designer in me. The director in me says, “that’s a YOU problem, sound department.”
3 people like this
What do you want your film to accomplish? Going into the production, everyone should know what is expected of them especially if your budget is minimal. Your goal is to make a professional film that a majority of audiences will see multiple times throughout their lives. Making a "one and done" movie means your film failed as an entertainment vessel. I don't care what anyone says about "the art" or "the message" and everyone is different. I will watch Pearl Harbor every year. Some people didn't like it, but I did. Now I've only seen Schindler's List once because it's a bit of a downer for me. However you feel about either film, I don't think either film has ever changed anyone's course in life. If you're a scumbag, chances are after watching either film, you're still a scumbag. That being said, don't plan your film around your locations unless they have a significance to the overall story.
As for exterior shots vs interior shots, what is actually being shot? When I used existing location for my film, some ADR was needed because of the sounds of air conditioning. ADR isn't that tough if you have a good group of sound guys. You also need to know how much ADR you will need and that should be pretty evident once you get on location. In any any case, do your ADR early instead of months later when you have to bring people back. Exterior shots will require generators to power some of the equipment. Make sure they don't sound like a lawn mower convention.
All this stuff is easy to figure out if you do a walk through of the day in your mind. You want to really control your budget, stop thinking you need to hire A-list talent. Using some recognizable talent is fine, but A-listers don't carry the A-luster they once did because they can't keep their mouths shut and have to give their increasingly stupid opinions about everything to show how smart they are. Mamoa is starting to talk crap now as if he's an expert on anything. If you go to the circus, you don't care if the clowns had a bad day leading up to the show. They have one job. To make you laugh. No one hangs around after the performance to listen to them talk about their feelings on world events. Don't hire idiots or they will kill your chances for making a successful run before your release date and they won't care because they already got paid.
Keep your budget as low as possible while still maintaining the highest levels of execution of the material and you should be fine. Just make sure your main target audience will want to revisit your film multiple times throughout their lives.
3 people like this
Hey, Stefano Pavone. I've heard it can. That's one reason I mainly set my scripts inside.
3 people like this
Writing to budget is something you get better at the more films you actually produce. Location moves are a pain, costing time and money. If you have one actual location that can serve as two or more in the script, that’s ideal.
I co-produced a film with a centrally located production office in the same building where we shot in the lobby. Then we shot in our rented offices. Then on the streets, alleys, and parking lots all in walking distance.
I just worked on a werewolf picture that was mostly a siege at a cabin in the woods, the rest IN the woods.
I’m writing something now that is four locations, and even that may be too many.
My favorite low budget example is Buried, where Ryan Reynolds spends 90 minutes in a box with a light and a cell phone. And it’s riveting.
1 person likes this
Watch the movie THE WONDER 2022, it will blow you away when you see how they filmed it , because it’s included in this historic drama movie.
After I saw it I had a serious rethink about costs/budgets.