Breaking into Hollywood is one of the most daunting tasks an aspiring filmmaker can imagine.
There is no clear path, and it seems more about connections than talent. Yet, there is no other way to becoming one of the actors, writers, or directors in the Hall of Fame of all-time movie greats.
There is room for new talent in Hollywood, but you can’t get there without making something of value.
You have to show people in the industry that you can make them money. What better way to start than making your own low budget movie?
Low budget movies do double duty.
They give you the satisfaction of making something now, and they also show studios and producers what you are able to do on a shoestring budget. If you can make something great for cheap, they can trust you to provide a return on a bigger budget.
We have compiled a list of 10 low budget movies to inspire your filmmaking efforts. Read on to see just how much you can do with a little.
Contents
- 1 10 Low Budget Movies That Set the Bar for Success
- 1.1 1. “Paranormal Activity” (2009)
- 1.2 2. “The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
- 1.3 3. “Aguirre: Wrath of God” (1972)
- 1.4 4. “Clerks” (1994)
- 1.5 5. “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
- 1.6 6. “American Graffiti” (1973)
- 1.7 7. “Slacker” (1991)
- 1.8 8. “Once” (2006)
- 1.9 9. “Swingers” (1996)
- 1.10 10. “Tangerine” (2015)
- 2 What Is Bad for Your Wallet May Be Good for Your Career
10 Low Budget Movies That Set the Bar for Success
We used $1 million as a cut-off point for what qualifies as “low budget,” though many of these movies cost significantly less to make. This amount requires filmmakers to get creative with their resources.
You can view here the kinds of resources a beginning filmmaker requires.
These movies run the gamut of genres and styles. A budget does not have to dictate your creative vision. Each one of the movies below shows that in its own way.
Check them out to see just what we mean.
1. “Paranormal Activity” (2009)
You do not need multiple cameras and many different locations to make a horror movie. Writer/director Oren Peli knew this when he used his own house to make “Paranormal Activity.”
He even eliminated the need for a crew by setting up the camera on a tripod for most of his shoot.
Peli tailored his story to the resources he had available to him, and the result is one of the scariest movies ever made.
And his budget? Just $11,000.
2. “The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
“The Blair Witch Project” had double the budget of “Paranormal Activity,” which is still a minuscule amount. The film popularized a hand-held camera technique that nauseated some moviegoers but created the tight shots a good horror movie needs to surprise audiences.
“The Blair Witch Project” grossed over $200 million, which makes it one of the highest grossing low budget movies ever.
3. “Aguirre: Wrath of God” (1972)
We can thank “Aguirre” for the strange and winding career of German filmmaker Werner Herzog.
As the legend goes, it took him two and a half days to write this script about a temperamental traveler through South America.
Klaus Kinski, Herzog’s star and frequent collaborator, matched his character’s insanity by shooting off the finger of an extra during filming.
Imagine how much more money Herzog could have saved if Kinski had behaved!
4. “Clerks” (1994)
“Clerks” is the archetypal American low budget movie. Kevin Smith filmed it for $27,000, and from there, he built the foundations of a film and podcast empire.
The thing that set “Clerks” apart from its peers in the world of early 1990s indie films is its dialogue. The character came to life in words that communicated humor and specificity.
Just because you have a small budget doesn’t mean you have to make a horror flick.
5. “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
If you do want to make a horror film, you would be wise to follow in the footsteps of George A. Romero, who invented the zombie movie with this $114,000 classic.
Even though “Night of the Living Dead” was made in 1968, the film was shot in black-and-white.
This allowed Romero to get away with using ham and chocolate syrup for flesh and blood effects.
These are the kinds of solutions the truly classic directors come up with when their budgets paint them into corners.
6. “American Graffiti” (1973)
Speaking of classic directors, we would be remiss in forgetting this entry from George Lucas. “American Graffiti” wasn’t technically Lucas’ first feature, but it was the one that launched him into the imagination of the American public.
Lucas’ budget on “American Graffiti” was $777,000, which is admittedly larger than every other budget on this list by several orders of magnitude. But compared to the budgets of his later franchises and the fact that Lucas grossed $140 million from this movie, we think his accomplishment is worth mentioning.
7. “Slacker” (1991)
Richard Linklater has become known for his experiments in film.
He was among the first filmmakers to use the rotoscoping animation technique in “Waking Life” and “A Scanner Darkly,” and he took 12 years to film the coming-of-age epic “Boyhood.”
Before any of those experiments, Linklater accomplished what might have been his greatest feat. After making a debut feature on Super 8 film for $3,000, he followed it up with the $23,000 “Slacker.”
“Slacker” has no traditional narrative. Instead, it loosely follows the lives of its characters as the camera moves from one to the next. It helped define Generation X and showed Linklater’s bona fides as a storyteller.
8. “Once” (2006)
A small budget does not have to keep you from making a musical. That is what Irish writer and director John Carney proved with this charming 2006 indie, starring Glen Hansard of the Frames and his real-life beau at the time, Marketa Irglova.
Not only was the movie successful artistically, but “Once” won a “Best Original Song” Oscar and spawned tours for Hansard and Irglova’s band the Swell Season and a touring stage version of the musical.
9. “Swingers” (1996)
When it comes to the size of the budgets they work with now, Jon Favreau may be the only director to rival George Lucas on this list. But Lucas never made anything even a quarter as funny as “Swingers.”
“Swingers” is another movie, like “Slackers,” that helped define a generation. Unfortunately in the case of “Swingers,” it was the swing music and dancing revival that it brought to life. In the movie’s defense, this culture was charming rather than the cloying cultural force it became later.
10. “Tangerine” (2015)
You do not need a big budget to make a great movie. You may not even need a traditional camera.
“Tangerine” changed the landscape of film when it got buzz for being shot on an iPhone. The film doubled down on its DIY cred by casting untrained actors who used their real lives to help director Sean Baker craft his script.
When you take into account that Baker also used Instagram, SoundCloud, and Vine to find other actors and his soundtrack, you have a movie that makes up for its lack of budget with more than enough hype.
What’s more, “Tangerine” delivered on that hype.
What Is Bad for Your Wallet May Be Good for Your Career
It is clear from the diversity and success of the movies on this list that you do not need infinite resources to create a lasting piece of film. All you need is a story worth telling, the will to tell it, and a little ingenuity.
Even if you do not want to make movies, learning about these low budget movies is inspiring. The knowledge of their origins only increases the pleasure of watching them.
If you need more reasons to support your movie habit, check out our analysis of why watching movies is good for you.