How to Make a Movie for $0

[@Goat-on-a-Stick]

It makes me wonder how many great films we've missed out on because people thought they needed a ridiculous amount of money to truly realize them.

[@troncat8490]

i like your name

[@HeadbutKneecap]

@@troncat8490now I’m curious about troncat

[@BanditBrooks]

NOT ENOUGH RING LIGHTS!!!

[@Mark-kj3mc]

Also need more cowbell

[@thorthefrench]

You got to admit the lighting does look good.

[@rohanimations]

why do i get the feeling that this guy loves movies

[@lugie69]

from a person who has been in the purgatory of WANTING to make a movie for the longest time this was a life affirming video. maybe today ill start, something.

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

Yes! Start anything! If a movie is daunting, make a short, mess around with a camera and editing!

[@patrickmilligan9219]

Hey Joel, just wanna say that I appreciate your commitment to art, and that you honestly are trying to usher more people in to artistic expression. It's cool, and good.

[@kevinchan8649]

Thanks Joel! To add to the equipment bit, depending on where you live, the local library may also have equipment you can borrow! (Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card)

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

I've heard some even rent out computers! And Davinci Resolve is a great free editing program. The resources are out there!

[@Ocarina654]

Sick Arthur reference.

[@poogy42]

I actually really like the off centered shot with the ring lights.

[@thefunhouse-jayburchfinear7617]

THIS IS INSANEO STYLE

[@owensaundersfilm]

Great point about the low-budget painting. I never thought about it that way- I’ll definitely use this example when I inevitably explain this concept to someone. I find it so ridiculous that movies with budgets of $1m or whatever are considered “low budget.” Folk filmmaking is getting bigger and bigger. I can’t wait to see what happens next with it.

[@master74200]

I mean if you have _literally nothing_ and _no one_ to help you, then making a movie might be a bit expensive because you'll likely need to spend money on something with a camera. And that might cost tens of dollars or even hundreds. It's a one-time expense though, but from a _nothing_ perspective it is more expensive to get started with than painting. If you have any income at all and make sure not to have a lot of expenses, either is VERY VERY doable though, for sure!

[@Noahook]

Joel is unknowingly the head of an artistic revolution. Keep on filmmaking and inspiring Joel, every time I look in your comment section there's people saying that you and your art (which I suppose is just an extension of you) make their life better and I think every single one of those comments are genuine. So many people are having a great day because of one of your videos, whether it's an animation, a feature film, one of the live actions sketches, or one of your more candid videos like "a video for whoever needs it". We love you Joel, I hope you're having a lovely day.

[@dangerchris1915]

Wish you made this when I was in my high school film and video program. These are all things 17 year old me needed to hear.

[@tommymarco]

it is never too late. 17 yr old you still exists

[@jadiellima8922]

I bet you could unlearn something and do a phone movie I would actually watch

[@racheldeschaine]

You rock joel-You’ve opened my eyes to a whole new mentality towards filmmaking, thank you

[@michael_sarnoski]

Great advice. And the $30 lav mic plugged into your phone is an excellent solution to making your own portable mic pack setup. Good sound is so much more important than picture.

[@davidblue78]

I took my first polaroids last week listening to your speech about making art and will shoot my first scenes this week because of you, no camera but I do have a cellphone. And rewatched some clips of John Cassavetes philosophy : did you guys know that Scorsese made Mean Street because of Cassavetes 🥺 Thank you Joel 🎥❤️

[@LaBooF42]

I quite film school because it felt mechanic. Film has always been an art-form in which a message can be fully realized with sight and sound. You don’t need a budget to tell a story, you need passion for creation and an open mind. I love what Roger Ebert said about film (paraphrasing) Film is an empathy machine, it can give someone empathy towards an experience they might never have.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

I remember seeing early sketch comedy on KZbin, like Balloonshop, and thinking to myself "You can do this?"

[@Nathan-gs5tw]

Have you thought about doing a mini-tutorial on a basic lighting, microphone setup etc thats hopefully lower effort than dubbing everything for say ~$100 worth of equipment? I was looking at film fan edits online and I've been thinking about doing one or two for films I liked but thought could be improved. For me giving editing a try to test pacing etc is less stressful than trying to write, film, get friends to participate.

[@DoomedProductions]

Amen! Great video breaking down what goes into a no budget film!

[@Seifhk]

Man. I owe you a lot. I've been discovering your stuff since yesterday, and you literally changed the way I think (which is pretty surprising to a cynical guy like me). I've always fantasized about doing films with whatever resources I have but nobody around me can dare to think of it. It's like I've been reaching to this conclusion on my own but I finally found a voice other than my own to reaffirm me. Also, I love that you're whole argument is logic based, you're not against making big budget films. You're just saying we shouldn't wait for the permission to make a film. Now, I think I'll look at it like that. I'll roleplay as a producer. I'd give the producer a treatment, he will tell me he loves it and is ready to finance it, and he will give me whatever money I find in my drawer. I would thank him and go out dancing... My film has been greenlit!

[@coreyschindler4602]

This video came to me at the perfect time. Thankyou.

[@C.G.Jr.]

Hell yeah. I don't even know what to say other than hell yeah. I love your sentiments on this channel so much. Genuinely one of my favorite channels on this site

[@Cleron]

I love these videos!

[@limefiasco5798]

I really appreciate that you upload these videos in 4:3. It seems especially relevant for this video. Thanks for being openly thoughtful and transparent, it is inspiring.

[@immayoutube]

Awesome. I have learned a lot from you and other independent filmmaker more about art and it's possibilities with the medium. Thank you.

[@Bigcatsvinyl]

Love these videos Joel, thank you. When I was growing up, this exact thing would stop me from making stuff with my friends. The whole “well I don’t have a nice camera or I don’t have this” kind of mentally stopped me a lot from experimenting with all the ideas I had. Now I’m almost 30 and work two jobs trying to get my nursing license lol. But it’s still inspiring to hear this

[@Metchta]

This video shines a spotlight on a genuine and inspiring artist.

[@rellevarTemiT]

Thank you for being such a positive role model Joel. We're happy to share these moments with you!

[@alialidrissi4163]

I'm from Iraq and I love movies and making movies and your videos are really inspiring and I really enjoying them please don't stop making them ❤

[@jasonl3445]

You inspire me. Keep on keeping on!

[@maxjones503]

I curious what your thoughts are about Dogma 95 since it takes a similar approach of minimising the process. It's not necessarily a cheap way of doing things but it removes a lot of elements that can add to the cost like lighting, lenses, and a lot of post production elements.

[@tombuck]

This reminds me of my high school Economics teacher who told us he added up all of his life expenses and calculated that it cost him $126 to wake up every morning. I actually loved him as a teacher, but that seemed like a really stressful way to live. As you said- “counterproductive.”

[@__-cd9ug]

your comment reminded me of a completely different take involving a 'would you rather': would you rather get a million dollars right now but you die tonight, or get nothing but you keep living your life? if you pick the 2nd option, waking up tomorrow morning is more valuable to you than a million dollars really puts time into perspective for me

[@tombuck]

@@__-cd9ug Oh I like this. Totally shifts perspective.

[@tommymarco]

@@__-cd9ug dude !!! this is good. have not looked at it that way before

[@nolanbrewermusic]

You’re a legend man! You inspire so many people out there to keep creating, and you make art feel like it’s really accessible. Thanks for all you do

[@strawberrycatastrofy257]

Champion of the people.

[@truthtoad]

you're a great teacher! I have really enjoyed your work that I have seen. Keep doing it your way.

[@borger99]

One of my favorite Joels for sure

[@shadow4877]

Me and my friends have just been using the on-camera microphone for everything. If the audio sounds too low, I just get up close, aim the mic at the actors and do a little makeshift ADR. Lavalier mics are so fucking cheap, but we just don't bother. Most people would say that we're being cheap, but I always liked Robert Rodriguez's logic: "If you want to make a movie for a really low budget you can't spend on anything, you have to refuse to spend."

[@Vallee152]

A library card that you get for free so you can borrow a library computer is a cost, SMH

[@Vastness_Research_Group]

You definitely provide that inspiration homie. Thank you!

[@its.just.x]

This is a fantastic and inspiring video, I genuinely think I'm going to go out and try to make something, maybe even tomorrow. Thank you so much for this.

[@blaineshaw136]

This carries over to so many things. Just start, don’t stress about how big, cool, or fancy it is. Just start

[@katsonjones5551]

Love what you do Joel. Thank you and please keep it up as long as it brings you joy :)

[@elversusfilm]

Needed to hear that! I got to remind me more often why I love making movies and not let the "I need a big budget" mindset take over

[@daisycrude]

I love you, Billy Joel!

[@DeWillpower]

hello joel, i lived in the middle of that moment, i saw people recording funny videos for youtube and then i discovered that they probably received their camera as a gift or bought the both best and cheap one at 500 euros and i was like "do i really have to go the electronics shop and spend that much money on something i can held in my hand?!" and then 5 years passed and everyone had on their pockets the iphone 4 or whatever. i remember you talking about "do videos on youtube instead of going through hands" in another video (1 million subscribers?), but now i understood it more, i should probably do the same in my field

[@codyclarke]

Chloe and I did Attack of the Giant Blurry Finger for $0 on an iPhone 6-all dubbing was done on the phone too. Sounds great, looks great. All sound effects and music were free stuff anyone can use that I found through Google search. All props were just stuff lying around the house. Literally no money spent whatsoever. Since we made it during lockdown I wanted to make sure that I was using only things that anyone could use or would have access to. The beauty of making a $0 film is that the only thing on screen is skill and artistry-everything else has been stripped away. It's like slight-of-hand magic-you can do amazing things with a truly ordinary deck of cards, or an ordinary quarter. The only thing added is what you bring creatively. There is nothing more beautiful than that.

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

Amen!! I love Attack of the Blurry Finger, it truly is a shining example of how accessible filmmaking has become. Films made in lockdown really show how much we can accomplish just with what we have in our homes.

[@ChristianVaerum]

Thank you Joel. Such an inspiration.

[@maximiliengomes]

Thank you for existing Joel.

[@tommymarco]

these videos are encouraging. i remember reading of movies been made in a day in hollywood back in the day. that really has changed. it is a pity most see films as this goliath project literally being gatekept. and then the money ppl control the vision as well. joel's way is the right way

[@bumpyweb]

After watching 3 of your films, I’ve begun to form my own, I didnt think I could until I watched your films. I just want to thank you for showing me that its very possible to make what I want to, Pretend that you love me shaped my view on film as a whole and as a youtuber myself (albeit small) I seriously cant wait for your future films, You’re just amazing man.

[@adamjenkins3065]

Joel you're a creative inspiration. Thank you for your continued sharing!

[@ShadowRubberDuck]

The best movie I listened to last year was on KZbin for free it’s the story about Bill Cheetler from videogamedunkey and there is no video playing just a black screen and your imagination and I got to say it’s hilarious, insightful and even nostalgic at points.

[@cuddlesworthgwapo]

Another wonderful topic-video for the books :^)

[@amitklain4199]

I always try and explain this stuff to my people but you put it perfectly making movies is so accessible now yet no one realizes it until you make a 50 minute feature on a phone-

[@newbreedartistzone]

Really motivating

[@ezrabeckett9881]

I love this video

[@mimisaiko]

I like the part you bring about old gadget being forgiving. It reminds me of things the Neistats did, when it feels like guerrilla filming, the viewer won't expect the detail to be meaningful.

[@ryanrockers]

I love the open source movie community

[@indiefilmmovies]

Thanks for the pep talk Joel. It's easy to get discouraged to make a film because of everything that COULD be involved and other's put-down opinions. But when you recognize and use what you already have or have access to, all you're limited by is your own creativity to make a story. Thanks for shining a light on small indie filmmakers and being a voice/man-of-action on creating low-budget (FUNNY!) improv movies! Mush 💚Joel! 🍄

[@zertyuz]

you're a really good person joel thanks for keeping it real despite your success!

[@artrabum]

Inspiring man. I’m planning to make a 0$ movie soon as well. Something about making something out of nothing is exciting. Keep up the good work. Also I’m guessing u must be a fan of mark duplass and their methods? I know they enjoy this element as well

[@The_Guyman]

I don't have a 5 year old nephew, so I can't relate

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

Then get one!!

[@The_Guyman]

@@joeltalksaboutmovies ok, I will let my brother know that I don't really care how he does it, but he needs to get a son one way or another as soon as possible.

[@Kobra2Kobra69]

This is the Haver I always wanted to Have

[@johnersey]

You're the best, joel

[@jenniferbauman]

Lol! We Are Sasquatch! I love it, and miss your dad. I miss my dad... Anyway, I always enjoy listening to your improved no-budget films I'm glad there are two on this channel now. 😂 I'm still proud of the films I've made so far, even though most of my friends and family haven't seen them, including my husband. At least I like them, and my mom! This year has been crazy. Thanks for the video, Joel. ❤️

[@xRhychux]

Point me to that $100,000 house lol Thanks for your insights, Joel!

[@matthewgonzalez2555]

I’ve been telling everyone about your zero budget films and how good they are. It’s so inspiring and has been fueling my creative endeavors recently! Also, what kind of green screen do you recommend?

[@Mocoohay17]

Green

[@barefootuptomysoul]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/onfIfXeZZ6ithdU Super Green

[@WHITEPERSUAS1ON]

Bro. Smosh, FreddieW, Corridor, Pewdiepie, all of these people were so inspirational to making things. I love what your said about making your own stuff will be so much more valuable than PA'ing on sets and doing random ass jobs

[@TapticDigital]

Great information, really inspiring way of thinking about no budget films as well. Technology has made things so accessible to everyone, you have so many opportunities to express that creativity. Joel burps at 4:58 in case anybody wants to skip right to it. I'm sorry.

[@nattvandrarn1]

I bought a greenscreen for 20bucks and i already had my cellphone. It looks fine for my little yt shorts 🤷‍♂ I even use a free video editor called "shotcut".

[@tommymarco]

nice short man !

[@nattvandrarn1]

@@tommymarco Thanks :D Made my evening right there m8 hehe

[@girlinbasement2381]

probably gonna do this NGL

[@LoopResistant]

Hey Joel, love your philosophy. Just had to ask - why ten vhs cameras as opposed to just one and the tapes?

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

I found a bunch of free ones so I figured why not! They’re old and janky and break so it didn’t hurt to have some backups.

[@LoopResistant]

@@joeltalksaboutmovies That's true! Yeah I was wondering if the form was a little unreliable. Anyway, love that you're still using them here and there!

[@emilpojke]

Gosh I love movies

[@ArkDataStudios]

This was really a "How to Make a _____ for $0"

[@PlantainSupernova]

All this time I thought you were just shooting landscape videos.

[@Bhetol]

I've always had in my head- anytime I agree to help someone else with their project or try and get someone to help with mine- the triangle of "is it worth it?" -It pays -It's fun -It's a good idea. So long as one of those things are met, it can be worth it. Two, great, all three is quite rare, but if it happens, all the better. So if I have an idea that's not gonna pay and I'm not fully explaining to the person, I try to at least promise it's going to be fun. I think I've generally always filmed comedy, mainly because- it's just easier to get friends to chip in. It's more fun to go through. Not many people want to make a drama about a teenager dying of cancer, at least not that willing, unless the triangle comes in- a very cool idea or a good script, if not, maybe I should make it pay, and feed people. But yeah. It's a small thing but always crosses my mind. Someone being rude to me, asking me to film their ad for their product and not pay... That's most likely not going to be fun, if they're already that patronizing.

[@nobody8717]

Sometimes, if you want something done, ya gotta do it yourself.

[@hennyboi]

I just want to thank you for inspiring me to make my own movies. Just before I started watching your videos, I was still looking to make a movie eventually at the "low" budgets of something like Reservoir Dogs or Clerks but you made me realize I can literally just go out and record whatever I think to record on my phone and at some point I'll get a feature length movie. My experience has given me so many palpable ideas for larger scale films that I can still do at next to no budget and I love everything about this process. I know this has been super rambly, but I seriously can't thank you enough!

[@station7thedoor]

Hey Joel, love your stuff. I have to say, I could really use a LOT more detail on the actual, techical HOW of the process. Obviously not something that can be summarized in 14 minutes. A lot of us out here are not technically savvy when it comes to the details of what to use for editing, mixing, all that stuff. The last time I truly edited something together, was probably around 20 years ago using two VCRs and an RCA cable. It took ages. No doubt there are better and easier ways these days, but I'm just not too knowledgeable as to what to use and how to use it.

[@GregorBarclay]

You were doing tape to tape linear editing in the noughties?

[@station7thedoor]

@@GregorBarclay I guess it was closer to 30 years ago, back when the X-files started up. In the 90s.

[@thekevinfoster]

If I don’t have much of the skills for shooting with my nicer camera should I just use my phone? The phone generally feels a lot less discouraging and daunting, but there could be better quality elsewhere I guess.

[@Gavin_M]

Wish I could like this video twice

[@williamcarter5098]

Hey Joel, have you done something different with your hair in this video? It looks good

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

Not really and thank you! I usually just ruffle it with my fingers a bit

[@williamcarter5098]

@@joeltalksaboutmovies it must just be the back growing out or something :⁠-⁠)

[@execthegaming]

Oh hey, I have that shirt.

[@everyoneelsemovedonfan]

The big lez show even started by some friends making jokes for themselves

[@BammBamm29]

I'm curious to know your thoughts on crowdfunding movies?

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

I guess my main thought is "do you need the money?" If it's your first movie, accepting money from friends and relatives and strangers might be a bad pressure on a project that likely will be rough around the edges no matter what. I think everyone should make $0 movies first and learn the basics before looking to fund.

[@jasonl3445]

Movies

[@Joshua2444-d3b]

The issues is also that you have to be a bit creative with how you use your already existing resources.

[@Joshua2444-d3b]

Forgot to mention, but Jonas Mekas is a great example of $0 filmmaking because he never needed to buy anything besides film roll for his films, he just filmed what was around him and turned the pieces into full length films.

[@mcsmartass8306]

hey this is way off topic, but I've been meaning to ask what do you think of koyaanisqatsi?

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

I really loved Samsara and Baraka back in high school. I watched Koyaanisqatsi recently and was actually pretty disappointed. The imagery is amazing, but I found it pretty aimless. Style over substance. Perhaps Samsara and Baraka had a bit more to say, or a more solid grasp on structure, or perhaps I have just outgrown that style of filmmaking. Pretty images alone seldom do anything for me nowadays, I'd rather watch an ugly movie that makes me cry than a pretty movie that makes me feel nothing.

[@mcsmartass8306]

@@joeltalksaboutmovies true man. But did you see the backwards version or the forwards version? because the backwards version kind of sucks in my opinion (the soundtrack is the main attraction, and it sucks in reverse)

[@RJ_Ehlert]

Nice.

[@cakerbaby69]

I make all my movies on my iPhone SE. Honestly I’d like to upgrade but until I can the iPhone quality is fine.

[@nathan.cremsiffino]

4:52

[@VIDEOdugo]

I'm sure a lot of people will be like "well wear and tear on your camera" and "what about insurance for shooting somewhere even if you know the person who own's the property because of emergencies" and whatever else might be useful when working via contract where those things might be necessary. Shut up bozos, are you paying for those things? Do you have a contract? No? THEN IT AIN'T IN THE BUDGET. AIN'T NO THEORETICAL COSTS, DON'T LET THEM STOP YOU.

[@rubencollegeabq]

I think your low budget movies are inspiring! I also think it's a little reductive to position your movies made with a nice camera and featuring KZbin stars as similar to the movies made by someone starting with nothing. If someone would have to spend thousands of dollars to have the equipment and actors you have, then maybe it's not your budget for a particular film that is the deciding factor but instead your prestige and access to money. That being said, I'll still value your inspiring messages, thanks!

[@tommymarco]

you're putting road blocks in front of you. just be positive man

[@kadinfehr785]

Only the last two features he has made has had “internet famous” actors in them, the rest he all made by himself or with small town friends before he even really gained a large following. You don’t need a dedicated camera to make a movie either, as long as you have a phone you have a high def camera and audio setup. You can 100% make your movie with what you have right now, don’t let anyone trick you into believing that you need all the bells and whistles!!

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

I echo what Tommy and Kadin said! My first two features were made with VHS cameras I got off craigslist. My first 7 features were made when I still only had hundreds of subscribers and $80 in my bank account on average. My friends, family, strangers helped me make them, no one with acting experience or prestige. I was flat broke, not even a little famous and I still made movies and you can too.

[@alecvaughan3987]

Hey Joel, thought I saw you in the new Justin Roiland project: "The Paloni Show". It's been on my mind since and I have been hoping that it is you for a while. If you see this, I would love to know, your content to me is some of the best on KZbin.

[@TheParadiseParadox]

you're probably right. Roiland was on one of Joel's videos, it was some kind of star wars parody

[@alecvaughan3987]

@@TheParadiseParadox mmhmm, one of my reasons to belive it's him.

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

More to come soon ;)

[@alecvaughan3987]

@@joeltalksaboutmovies :)

[@kalinaszek]

You are great

[@continifmarker]

well said. all these comments about how you have to be rich or have connections to make a decent movie are so tasteless and make no sense. They can only discourage

[@tommymarco]

glad i missed those comment. it sounds tacky

[@TellYourFriends]

you dont even need a camera to make a movie

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

This is true! Use found footage, use microsoft paint, use AI art, scan in drawings, there are so many avenues!

[@HeadbutKneecap]

Im kind of curious though. Since you've done quite a few features with basically no budget, and probably close to 1000 sketches and have garnered quite a bit of success through the channel where youre able to support yourself, are you paying your actors? I understand doing the films on no budget to this day but at some point youd have to start paying the people youre outting in the videos after a while right?

[@dapperbe]

Hey Joel! Long time, first time- I'd love to learn from you how to make no-budget films in more detail! What are the specific filmmaking problems that can be solved uniquely with a no-budget strategy?

[@joeltalksaboutmovies]

I have some more videos coming up in this series and if more in-detail videos are desired I'll make sure to do a deeper dive!

[@barefootuptomysoul]

$0 ?! What the heck, I can't afford that! Well we're going to have to cut back on some expenses. You are right Joel. Some items are 'capital costs' that amortize over five or ten years. Camera and audio recorder and light stands for instance. It is the film (now hard drives and sd cards) that are the expenses. Nice thing about hd and sd is that they can be reused. Light bulbs are an expense. Gaffers tape, markers, glass cleaner and wipes for the windows and slate board are just expenses. Food cost and actor payment is for that movie only so added to the expense. Write it off against income made from the movie to lower your tax owed. Otherwise, screw it, just make your movie as a hobby and enjoy. Share for free on youtube.

[@tommymarco]

accountant?

[@barefootuptomysoul]

@@tommymarco Hi Tommy. Accountant would go under Professional Fees on line 666 along with Lawyer and Police Services as well as other Government Extortions. 👨‍⚖

[@tommymarco]

@@barefootuptomysoul Hi there barefoot uptomy soul :) hehehehehe!

[@barefootuptomysoul]

@@tommymarco Oh and I almost forgot about Insurance Adjusters ... there is a special line for them ... in Hell ;)

[@tuesday0846]

I always find my ideas are bigger than my bank account. But I feel a small budget or even zero dollar budget gets the creative juices flowing. Figuring out how to do shit on the cheap often yields interesting results and sometimes things go better than if you had the money.

[@gsus3918]

Joel I love you, but move the camera closer to the light ring so we don't see it (as much?). I don't want us ducking the light ring to make eye contact, lol.