What is the average budget for an independent film

Paula Bernstein. On October 24th at The Film Independent Forum held at the DGA in Los Angeles, a panel of financiers and producers assessed the current marketplace and weighed in on what makes a viable film project and for what budget. The conversation ranged from measuring the temperature of the U. When it comes to selling indies abroad, things are rough for U. New digital opportunities present more opportunities for films to get distribution, though not traditional theatrical distribution.

After all, these are the people who will help carry your vision and lead the crew. Leverage their interest in your project or their desire to switch disciplines — say from reality TV to narrative film. But for the majority of your crew, hands-on experience might come second to willingness to work. My last three movies were shot in 12 days, so I shoot with two cameras. Planning is free, and it can help you anticipate decisions that might otherwise be made on set, either with a storyboard or a location scout to check outlets, accessibility , and composition.

All the stuff you might not think to check, if it falls outside your area of expertise. Rehearsing your actors can also be a huge help to a short production schedule. For Plus One , the entire production day was planned around the long takes that had to be choreographed and rehearsed with the cast and camera.

The last two to two-and-a-half hours of the day were going to be the time when we needed to get everything on camera. But a lot of it was setting up and logistical coordination. Andrew Rhymer Plus One.

Strengthpro gmail. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Get our breakdown of the 4 critical things you need to start fundraising plus our investor prospect list template. Fellow indie filmmakers continue making micro- budget feature films. Wear multiple hats Plenty of indie producers are creating opportunities for themselves as actors, directors, writers, and cinematographers. Their findings are a mixed bag of encouraging stats and disheartening truths. Cultural Weekly and Leipzig decided to use Sundance as a representation of independent cinema as a whole, because "with more than 4, feature-length films submitted each year, Sundance certainly represents a healthy sample of the industry," especially since the higher profile films tend to be submitted to the festival.

Leipzig says, "Sundance submission numbers represent a good statistical estimate of the most viable indie movies produced each year.

The study collected data from top indie film producers, sales agents and indie financiers and found several interesting stats. So according to the study's findings, there are some good things and bad things going on in independent film.

Money is being exchanged in independent film -- about as much as in Hollywood, however the number of films being invested in is much higher in the indie sphere. That can be seen as a positive or a negative depending on how you see it; more films being financed means money is more thinly spread, but more films being financed means -- more films.

With solid distribution plans hatched in advance, as well as filmmakers being more dedicated to producing better films, Leipzig believes the money hemorrhaging would begin to lessen. Be sure to give Culture Weekly's post for more information, as well as Leipzig's thoughts and take-aways. Is Weinstein or Fox Searchlight really, truly an independent?

To me, they are more like the subsidiaries of the major studios. Interesting distinction you're choosing to draw. Weinstein company has no monolithic parent company behind it Fox Searchlight has News Corp, one of the three largest media conglomerates around, to answer to. Not at all "independent" from anything. Nonetheless, the distinction is irrelevant to the conversation at hand, because, as pertains to Sundance, these films are all made independently and later purchased and distributed by these companies.

But the independence is in the making, not the distribution. Harvey is definitely an insider, even if he has to negotiate separate distribution deals, depending on the project. I would call him a mini-major rather than a true independent. Otherwise, they're comparing films too different in scope. I think of Searchlight as an independent because of the films they distribute; also their marketing and distribution folks are separate from Big Fox.