The field of guerrilla filmmaking has allowed movies to be made that otherwise would have not seen the sunshine of day. This method to producing movies has given a powerful voice to filmmakers that may haven’t been heard, that’s a positive for filmmaking in general. With guerilla filmmaking there aren’t any studio budgets to rent prime locations, build expensive sets, use 3-D effects or hire rock n roll actors like Luis Guzman, Hassan Johnson, Sofia Vergara, Steve Buscemi, Dean Winters, Nia Long, Vera Farmiga to deliver acting gold.
Whenever a producer decides to shoot an entire movie using guerrilla filmmaking techniques then “iacta alea est” (The Die Is Cast). You must prepare to navigate through a filmmaking storm of your time and funds limits. Creating a no budget guerrilla film shoot is extremely chaotic increasing production problems that hurt overall quality. Creating a no budget movie leaves zero room for changes or mistakes during shooting.
This happens for a number of different reasons. The largest is the fact that an indie movie producer has too many duties to perform previously. The financial lack of production support takes its toll causing breakdowns in organization, planning, and more importantly creative focus. If you’re a first time producer without any experience working in film production (writing, directing, editing etc.) you’re going to be facing it from the first day of filming. Fundamentally of making a film you will find parts that have to stay in place.
There needs to be actors, direction, camera, lighting, and sound. I’ve met professional videographers with cameras, lighting, and sound gear which have told me it’s easy to make an independent movie. One videographer having a chip on their shoulder I met once back east explained, they could get it done better and less than anything I directed or produced. At any degree of writing, directing, producing, or acting insults really are a given. You will be insulted not only for the work, but on the personal level. Like a person you have to shake that stuff off and roll with it if you’re the entertainment business.
Sorry to sidetrack this post, which means this videographer should have read a magazine on guerrilla filmmaking, the development ended up posting cast and crew calls online offering credit only. Not even gas money was offered to actors and crew. This videographer did finish a part of a film that was poorly directed, but the overall picture and sound quality was decent for a wedding video. The videographer had used professional video gear along with their experience shooting wedding videos. Making a movie takes additional time to shoot making a reality. They discovered that part out when they attempted to become a producer.
What truly killed this wedding video companies shoot was insufficient organization, scheduling, direction and the needed commitment of the volunteer cast and crew. If you don’t are great family or friends with a filmmaker, not one other individuals will work with free. The wedding videographer threw in the towel their quest for creating a movie per week into production. It takes place.
It can get worse faster without having basic equipment on set to shoot a movie. When individuals appear to some location to find there’s a skeleton crew operating with a low-end camera, maybe an external microphone, and lights purchased at a hardware store they instantly think it is a home movie. They don’t go ahead and take production seriously and it turns into chaos.
People that are contributing their time for free wish to feel operator of a movie going places. People lose interest, appear late, or think before to exhibit up at all if they don’t feel it is a real movie shoot.
The professional videographer’s movie collapsed even with quality gear. Imagine a first time producer working with a skeleton crew which had less experience and equipment than a professional videographer. It might get ugly quick. This can be a slightly harsh illustration of what might happen with guerrilla filmmaking.
The theme of this post is to shoot straight with readers that are looking to make a movie that gets released whether it be a limited theatrical release, direct to video, video on demand, on the web or whatever medium you select. Some producers spread outside distribution deals to be able to self-distribute their movie themselves, but at least their movie was good enough to have options.
Other producers finish up in a position without the ability to choose or haven’t any options. To become blunt, it is because their movie did not have a strong enough appeal to attract a distribution offer for any wider release. No matter how great your story is, if production value is lousy it will likely be considered yet another bad movie.
The odds are heavily stacked against a no budget movie getting a sizable audience outside of family and friends (Paranormal Activity is really a rare exception). Following the effort and time invested a producer can grow more disappointed with each rejection letter from a film festival or distributor. Internet reviews by people could be much more brutal. Eventually a producer will easily notice which way the wind is blowing for their film.
Without any deals on the table the film is usually sold directly from an internet site maintained through the producer. It could result in the rounds using word of mouth via a neighborhood (where it was made) to create modest sales online. Then it quietly disappears only being seen with a limited amount of people. That’s reality.
You may be inside a stronger position to produce a no budget guerrilla production. You’ve some filmmaking experience paired with quality equipment plus a committed group of people before and behind your camera.
Several movie was produced using guerrilla filmmaking tactics and located some success. There’s no reason your movie can’t be next on this list. However, you need to have realistic expectations about how production will flow.
If you plan on most “run-and-gun” shooting at locations without permits expect to have production shut down every once in awhile by property owners or passing police. This will cause a loss of precious time. Most cast and crew employed by free won’t be readily available for 10 or even more hour shooting days.
Delays and scheduling changes open the doorway for cast and crew to exit at anytime. Job and family commitments outweigh focusing on a no budget movie for free. Combine this having a producer that has got to do other jobs on the shoot like act, direct, or operate the camera.
Some area needs to suffer that is usually creative aspect of making a movie. Many people willing to work with free on your movie won’t be as committed while you. Especially, when counting on family and friends to lend support before and behind the camera. You should know making movies is the dream, not theirs.
I have respect for guerrilla filmmakers that can come up with a solid team to complete their movie. As it pertains together there can not be a much better feeling knowing you pulled them back from the odds. For those of you out there that fall under that category I tip my hat and say “Guy Terrifico loves you,” our mascot character from a movie.
All in all being an independent producer I relate more closely to your guerrilla filmmaking environment to get a movie done than dealing with a Hollywood system. I’ve used more than a few secrets of the pros of guerrilla filmmaking to complete a movie. With that in mind I want to express to aspiring producers that guerrilla filmmaking isn’t your only option when making movies. What many save in money, they lose over time and overall quality.
It becomes a significant point of diminishing returns after the dust settles and you’ve got a poorly made movie that goes nowhere. A producer needs to be frugal while saving money throughout a shoot. There isn’t that luxury of getting a large budget as a safety net. But a producer also needs to be able to spot areas where spending a little extra money helps you to save time and improve overall quality.
I had a friend who owned the exact same camera used to shoot Along with Thieves. He offered to let me utilize it totally free saving a camera rental cost. The issue was he could only allow me to use it on Saturday or sunday. I’d need to return it to him Monday mornings.
It was tempting, but rearranging our shooting schedule to simply Saturday and Sundays in order to save a few bucks on the camera rental wasn’t worthwhile. I handed down the free camera instead deciding to rent one.
