Dreamers dream. Filmmakers make movies.

This past summer, I worked on an incredible project. My friend, Isaac Stambaugh, who is the video coordinator at the Vineyard Community Church in Springdale produced, directed and wrote a full-length motion picture. Sure, a lot of people make movies. But Isaac accomplished the impossible. He shot his movie with a budget under $2,500.

I’m sure you’re thinking “that’s impossible”. Well if you have the determination and the drive, anything can be accomplished. I was there, and I saw it firsthand. I know many people who dream about making movies. And that’s exactly the problem, they only dream about it. Isaac is a filmmaker. He looked at what resources he had available and created a story that was manageable within his budget.

To be honest with you, when Isaac told me he was going to make a movie and shoot it in eight days on his vacation time, I thought he was crazy. He proved me wrong. In fact, his film, Community Spirit, has the potential to actually connect with audiences. So, if he can do it, can you? Is it possible? Absolutely!

You are probably asking yourself, “How did he do it for so little money”? First, the days were long. I mean long—16 to 18 hour days. That meant he shot an average of 12 pages per day, plus both the crew and cast volunteered their time. Also, friends provided the equipment at no cost.

First rule of thumb to being a low-budget or no-budget filmmaker is make friends. Here’s an interview clip of Isaac as he provides more details and insight into the world of independent filmmaking.