How much MONEY do you need to make a FEATURE?? | 5 BUDGET FILMMAKING RULES

[@jacobdesio]

Great advice. Filming a feature in 12 days you only need to get 7.5 minutes of final footage each day to get to the 90 minute mark. It’s very doable looking at it that way

[@WillvonTagen]

Totally! Thanky for watching :)

[@christiandines]

Hey there! Just subscribed as I'm loving your videos! ... One thing I would say, is that some of these rules can and sometimes should be broken. My first no budget feature cost under 10K and although most of my locations were free (I had about 30 major locations (yeah I know lol), I did pay for 2 of them. I paid £200 for an evening shooting in a stables with horses and £500 for the location of a big fight scene. The stables was important as it was (I felt at the time) a good way to show someone who has wealth (as the character for that scene does)... Everything else however was free... Also, when I wrote a scene that takes place in a warehouse and I didnt immediately have a warehouse at my disposal, there's nothing that says I cant approach multiple warehouses. I ended up getting one for free for a night shoot through a friend. My point being, I think (within certain reasons) it's good to write what you want first. You can always re-think it later if it proves troublesome to find. To use the stables as an example, that actually came about cause I stupidly wrote the scene in a big mansion (which I didnt have) so was looking for other ways to show wealth. So in this way, I think as long as you understand the heart of what your scene needs to show from a location point of view (if we dont we shouldnt be filming lol) then things can be adjusted (and often enriched) when you have to rethink it... Anyway, loving your channel. Doing something sort of similar (but different enough) so please check it out!

[@GlennUpgraded]

This is great info! A scriptwriter/director offered me 10k budget to do a full length film and I'm tasked to bring in all the people needed. This video gives me confidence that we can run it with 3-5 crews. Thank you for this! I was thinking 10k will be impossible.

[@WillvonTagen]

Anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Good luck!

[@rabyoungthondengyalkhang6510]

Hi Will, Thank you so much for this advice. I am a Tibetan now in Seattle always wanted to make my first Tibetan feature, but I had no clue where to start. Your advice on reverse-engineering the budget is just timeless. Now I feel I have a shot. Thanks again so much.

[@WillvonTagen]

So glad it was helpful!

[@thefakesplendorpodcast]

Thank you Will for great content you have. I made my first film last year. Can say that planning extremely well really pay off and help you out. Also having a trust on your own skills.

[@TheEliasNoel]

Will, once again your videos have been incredible useful. You made me aware of a few brilliant moves. Buying the gear and selling it right after is one. Thank you.

[@jawhoney]

$10,000 realistic budget (about $300-500 daily during production) and 5 RULES: 1) shoot in 12 days or less 2) only 3-5 man crew - 1) director, 2) cinematographer, 3) sound guy, then 4) lighting/ assistant/ grip, 5) AD/ AP POST/ EDITOR: edit basics by self as much as possible. Or $2000-3000. + Colorist. + Music / Sound Design $++ 3) Free locations 4) unknown talent only - own clothes/makeup 5) use available light/ bounces - bare minimum lights + min $1000 for festivals + min $1000 for reshoots/ extra / emergency

[@BlackBoxDigitalFilms]

Love all the insights. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.

[@WillvonTagen]

Thank you and you are very welcome :)

[@Ajazchannelvideos]

I am from India. Film maker. Gave a good opener even for our market. Thanks a lot

[@WillvonTagen]

Thank you! :)

[@emimorita9114]

Thank you. It was one of the best useful and realistic video about budget film making.

[@LycanVisuals]

I love period pieces so therefore I feel screwed just thinking about it.

[@WillvonTagen]

Sorry... although I think if you are smart and keep it contained you could still pull it off! :)

[@LycanVisuals]

@@WillvonTagen The reality set in hard that I won't be able to make a independent film about a steerage family on the Titanic lol rip. Instead if I ever had the opportunity to pursue a period for a feature I'd realistically keep it down to one or two easy access locations.

[@sean_benton]

Incredible video!

[@WillvonTagen]

Thank you!

[@kponly]

Appreciate you sharing actual numbers. I'm not sure about the no insurance advice. That does scare me. I've made a short, I think I'm going to try a few episodes of a sitcom soon.

[@WillvonTagen]

Insurance is always a good idea. Don't get yourself into a compromising position, but understand the risks and how to mitigate them is a good first step. Good luck on your projects!

[@dswabbitz]

Good stuff. Finally some content, not click baits. This clip got me subscribed to your channel.

[@WillvonTagen]

Thanks so much! :)

[@dorkga1092]

Thank you for talking about this and breaking things down more concretely! Your channel and advice is fantastic. Plus I just watched 'Heritage' on Prime to see what you accomplished with the BMPCC and holy crap, I really enjoyed it and was so impressed! I do have one question about filming in 12 days--how many hours should each day be? The usual 12 hours or longer/shorter?

[@WillvonTagen]

Thanks for watching! There is no set rule for how long, but definitely pay attention to your crew and talent. See what everyone is capable and comfortable with. It’s more a matter, too, of working efficiently vs just putting in long hours.

[@dorkga1092]

@@WillvonTagen OK good to know, thank you so much for answering! That helps give me a better idea. I forgot to add, I also liked that reference to "Brick" in your film's chase scene😆🙌

[@WillvonTagen]

Hahaha, thanks man! Very few people catch that.

[@mohaumann9102]

This is great information, thank you a lot, i just discovered your channel

[@ImPerfectFilms]

Thank you for making this. I am so grateful.

[@WillvonTagen]

Wow, you are welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@bubbadogproductions7403]

Good video, I cut costs on my 1st feature buy shooting in smaller city that did not charge me for permit, plus a lot of the businesses there were way more happy to help. (I don't pay for locations)

[@ami.esselink5546]

Hi Will! Loved this video, could you possibly make a video about filming locations and how to pay for those and stuff? I am interested in making a feature film but I have no idea on how to ask for permission to use locations, which locations are free and things like that. Thanks so much! :)

[@WillvonTagen]

Hi! Sorry for the incredibly late response. I'll try and get something together. I was away from youtube for a bit but am planning to get started again soon.

[@mattwilliams8694]

Great Stuff! Personally what would you ever spend on a short to get discovered? I have heard some people spend up to 5 grand and I have heard of two people here in our small state spending 25 grand on a short. My son did a feature for 8 grand so what you say are facts! Would love to share a link and if people want to spend 3 bucks to see that movie I will post it. Really love your content.

[@WillvonTagen]

Thanks Matt! I think it depends on the goal of the Short Film and what you are willing/able to spend. I actually know of a few people who have dumped nearly $250k into a short. I would say most of the bigger FILM FEST shorts are getting into the 25-50K range, but obviously there is nothing wrong with a low budget and you can get a LOT done now with less money.

[@milanjani]

Great info. Very inspiring. We are almost in 2023 now. I wonder if we absolutely want to buy our own camera and (if at all) thinking of a possibility that film would get theatrical release; I wonder what's the absolute bare minimum good camera you recommend? Because I am not sure shooting on consumer level DSLR/DSLMs can give good output for theatrical projection. Pls guide if you can. Thank You..

[@WillvonTagen]

Hi! I am posting a new video tomorrow about shooting a feature with the BMPCC OG. I think it’s a great low budget option. There are no color issues if you use proper ND filters with IR cut. I have also had the film projected theatrically and the quality still holds up on and 80 Foot theatre screen. The BMCC 2.5k is also a great option with some more professional elements added. Both cameras work best when rigged out a little-and quality lenses make all the difference ;)

[@milanjani]

@@WillvonTagen Thank you. One thing though about BMPCC OG. It's color correction is bit complicated. Low light areas of the frame almost get sabotaged. Thoughts? Or perhaps any other camera comes to mind other than BM?

[@GermanDisla]

I want to get into features. I own a company that does corporate video so I do sound, filming, coloring, I’m my own mini production and post house. How do I connect with filmmakers who need a DP who could also color and edit and mix?it would save so much money haha my goal this year is to make my first feature as well. But when I see some of the output on tubi or smaller platforms that are getting attention I know I can do much better work. Thanks for being a great resource for our industry!

[@WillvonTagen]

Sounds awesome man! Good luck!

[@manjuzamal9051]

Your suggestion is very helpful because I am very poor artist...

[@WillvonTagen]

Thanks for watching and good luck! :)

[@NirnBootMod]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Do you know if the song played "Keith Mansfield - Funky Fanfare" with the "Our Feature Presentation" is free to use? It is about 17 or 20 seconds of the song with that Our Feature Presentation clip... I think the clip itself is free stock footage but I am wondering if I can use the 20 seconds of the song too or do I have to pay? Thanks

[@WillvonTagen]

Hey! What context do you want to use it? Music is always tricky. If it is a KZbin video, you can use it but you likely cannot monetize the video due to copyright. If you wanted to use it for a film that you knew would only play film festivals--those rights are pretty easy and cheap as well. An since it is an old song--you may still get a good deal on the licenses for commercial use. But all in all.... no, it is not free to use. If you look in the description of this video, KZbin lists the rights holders --so at least you know where to look (kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmaUlICpqcaqq8U). But again, if it is non-commercial i.e. you aren't making any money from it, nothing would happen to you as far as litigation or anything like that. If it is featured on KZbin, the ad revenue will be paid out to the rights holder--and that is why a lot of songs are okay to put in KZbin videos without permission (just know you can't profit from it directly). What I have come to learn through distributing my films, is even if you have full, unfettered rights to use a song from all managing parties--platforms will still always pay them royalties via organizations like ASCAP. You will deliver a Music Cue sheet to the distributor stating all music and rights holders. Platforms will then keep track of every time the film is played (and therefore the music) and then they pay a quarterly fee to to the companies like ASCAP who then distribute the royalties to the song rights holders. This includes music in advertisements, and royalties are paid EVERY TIME THE AD AIRS. You know that Intel Jingle? Every time that jingle gets played ANYWHERE, the original writer gets money.... For such a short, simple tune... who ever wrote that is an ever-growing millionaire. I sometimes think I got int he wrong line of work, LOL...

[@NirnBootMod]

@@WillvonTagen Thanks a lot! I wanted to put the intro in front of anything I make. You know the old grindhouse drive-in Our Feature Presentation one? Tarantino uses it a lot in the beginning of his movies I think. If I can't put it on KZbin, I at least want it on the Blu-Rays and DVDs... for very low budget ongoing "found footage horror" series. I don't mind paying a bit to use it... but its only 17 second clip, so just depends on if I can afford it and if its worth it.

[@ziadaltarek1851]

Thank you for the video. How about a distributor or distribution company? Would it cost too much to hire one? Would it be useful for the project? Thanks

[@WillvonTagen]

Hi Ziad. You should not "hire" a Distribution Company. They will license/buy (and will pay YOU) to distribute your movie. Yes, it is very difficult to get a distribution deal, but I will cover that in a future video. NOTE: there are Sales Agents who can help you get a distributor, but you should never pay them upfront. They will receive a percentage fee once they get you a deal. So NEVER pay someone for distribution upfront.

[@ziadaltarek1851]

Will von Tagen thanks a lot

[@paulroyle-grimes]

I wanna hit subscribe twice!

[@WillvonTagen]

Hahaha, thanks!

[@ericcoen8894]

what’s your wireless sound solution? Rode Go?

[@WillvonTagen]

I have used the Sennheiser evos in the past :) For these videos it is a Sennheiser shotgun.

[@ik807]

❤

[@d-harmcinemapictures2517]

This is great info, is it possible to reach you in regards to more questions I may have?

[@WillvonTagen]

Hey! Thanks! Sure, if you go to my website (link in the video description) you can find my email address.

[@adamtemple9417]

I don't agree with hair an make up doing their self. Try and find small local salon people for 100 to 200 a day

[@WillvonTagen]

If there is budget for that, then I 100% agree.

[@spooky_leftist]

Bad advice. Treat a feature film like a business. You need to incorporate as an LLC. You need at least two people in every department and those people need to be paid at the very least minimum wage with catered meals at 6 hours into the day and craft services outside of those. Shooting with these rules is a great way to get SAG-AFTRA and IATSE knocking down your door to shut you down.

[@WillvonTagen]

Only if it’s a union show-if not they can’t touch you and you can do as you please. Most important thing is just getting it done. I’d advise reading Ed Burns‘s book, Independent Ed. You absolutely don’t need a 2/department crew. Sure, that’s ideal. But if you can’t, don’t let it hold you back.

[@daniellemozy9680]

Bla,Bla,Bla,Bla for nothing = Parler pour ne rien dire,c'est stupid...

[@EugeniaLoli]

Good stuff. How much was the budget of your two films btw? Also, where they both shot with the bmpcc?

[@WillvonTagen]

My first film (Almosting It) was shot on a Red Epic-x with Zeiss ZE Cine-mod lenses. The second feature (Heritage) was on the BMPCC with Veydra Mini Primes. I suppose I should start doing some videos about the production of those, but wanted to build the channel a bit first. Budget on AI was $150K and Heritage was $65K.