Can't discuss the subject without mentioning Robert Rodriguez's "10 Minute Film School" series, how-to shorts included with many of his video releases. The first famously describes how he made the relative blockbuster "El Mariachi" on just $7000.

https://indiefilmhustle.com/10-minute-film-school-robert-rod...

This is awesome, I've never seen these before. Thanks for sharing.

Ha, reminds me strongly of 'The Scene' [1]. Does anybody remember that series?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scene_(miniseries)

Low-budget being 1 million dollars.

Sadly that video edit was so unnerving I closed the tab after skipping around to see if it later changed (it did not).

I mean, a lot of Hollywood blockbusters cost at least 10s of millions so 1 million is small in comparison (though large compared to indie films).

So that’s at least 10 people making 100K, and dumping their entire paycheck into the movie, while holding down day jobs.

Or 20 people making 100K, dumping HALF their paycheck into the movie, while holding down day jobs.

Totally inaccessible to regular people. No normal social circle can accomplish this.

It's more like hustling for investors, but it does take a lot of connections to pull something like this off.

Considering the amount of work, the number of people and the cost of equipment it takes to make a motion picture, $1m is absolutely low budget. The average cost for a Hollywood feature film is $65m+. It's difficult to make any film with a medium size experienced crew for less than $1m. If you have any recognizable talent, it's difficult to make for less than $5m. Once you get below $1m, the terms "micro budget" and "no budget" start being used. Mini-budget, Indy budget, Ultra Low budget are also used. It depends on who's is using the term and in what part of the industry they are working in. If you are outside of the industry with no money, the terms mean little to nothing because everything is low or no budget, but if you are working with crews, talent and investors that have experience, those terms have specific meanings.

SAG (Screen Actors Guild) uses Ultra Low Budget (0-250k) Low Budget Modified (250k-700k) and Low Budget (700k-2.5m) to differentiate projects from their normal union rates.

Toward the edges of the industry I've seen the following breakdown. No Budget = below 40k Mini Budget = 41-80k Micro Budget = 81-150k Ultra Low Budget = 150k-250k Low Budget = 251-400k Indy Low Budget = 401-500k Classic Low Budget= 501k-999k Hollywood Low Budget = 1-5m

But more often I just hear the terms No Budget, Micro, Indy and Low.

thank you for the information.