Low-budget and Guerilla Filmmaking

Low-budget filmmaking and Guerilla filmmaking are based on some basic principles and concepts. Follow the code and you increase your chances to successfully complete your project. Low-budget does not have to look like low budget. Although you may be forced to make some compromises, it is still possible that your project can look big budget without a big budget. The key is to understand where to put your resources.

Guerilla filmmaking requires speed, determination and the ability to execute a plan.

Artistic Decisions

Don’t do things that you cannot pull off successfully. In order for low-budget filmmaking to be successful, you must convince your audience that what you did is what you had in mind. In other words, it was an artistic decision over a monetary or financial decision. That’s why you have to pick the right story. Remember, you are not trying to produce a blockbuster. Christians often fail in filmmaking because they violate this first principle by trying to produce films that are too large in scope and size. You cannot create the end of the world on a low-budget and expect your audience to believe what they are seeing is real. Look for a story that fits the guerilla or low-budget model. That’s why Paranormal Activity, Open Water, and Blair Witch Project were successful.

Do the Basics


There is no excuse why you cannot perform the basics just as well as big budget films. That’s why you have to follow the rules and understand how they work. The 180 Rule, Line-eye match principle, coverage, and rules of third are all basic concepts you should be familiar with. There may be a time to break these rules but not now. Have a reason why you do what you do. There’s no justification for spending all day on a complicated camera move if it is not essential to the storyline or character development. You have just wasted your time. Doing the basics also requires an understanding of depth of field. What makes movies look cinematic is the ability to create a shallow depth of field that isolates your subject. Stay away from zooms and pans as much as possible. They will make your efforts seem amateurish.

Watch your Focus

The worst mistake that low-budget and guerilla filmmakers commit is soft focus. Nothing is more irritating than to look at your work and realize it is out of focus. It happens with the big boys with huge budgets, and it will happen to you if you don’t pay close attention. Never trust the viewfinder.

Make It Look Like Film

Chances are if you are a low-budget filmmaker, you will be shooting with a digital camera. Your goal is to make digital video look like film. Get the best camera possible, preferably a camera that you can shoot in 24P with interchangeable lenses. Film is a chemical process which creates grain and texture. It has a quality that can be described as a portrait or painting. The trick to digital video is to create a grainy appearance versus a realistic portrayal that tends to look like news coverage. The best place to spend your money is to get a competent Director of Photography who understands lighting and the camera you choose for your production. There are some places you can cut corners, but this is not one of them. Get the best camera you can afford and someone who knows how to maximize its capabilities.

Know Your Audience

Big-budget filmmakers know exactly who they are making their films for. They understand their genre as well as the rules they must apply within the genre. They know exactly what their audience expects or demands. That means you must apply the same rules and the same approach to your filmmaking. Who is your audience? Hopefully, you are not making the film just for you and your friends and hoping that the audience will like what you are doing. If you plan to stay in this business for any length of time, you need to decide who your audience is.

Get Organized

There is absolutely no excuse for not being organized. The truth is you cannot afford to be disorganized as a low-budget filmmaker. If you are working with a three-week shoot, you must have a plan because you do not have the money for extra shoot days. A plan means storyboards, shot lists, call sheets and production boards. Find a production manager who can develop production boards that will keep you on schedule.

Keep It Simple


Most low-budget projects fail because the filmmakers add too many layers of complexity. Simpler is better. That means limit locations, actors, set-ups, lighting, special effects, and complex shots. Most guerilla filmmakers use a run and gun approach. Get in. Get out. Fast. That may work in a public location such as a park or street, but as soon as you use a tripod, odds are you are going to need a shooting permit. Although it makes the process more complicated, you may not have any other choice. You can take your chances, but you may very well have your tape confiscated. Other things to consider are insurance, tax credits, and other more complex issues. Your best move is to get expert help on these matters. Remember your goal is to keep this process as simple as possible. Don’t be your own worst enemy.