What it's like to be filming on favors!

For starters, you'll need a good script that a lot of people will agree to do for little or no money.. it'll take weeks to fine tune something like that. Many many phone calls, lots of embarrassing NOs and a great deal of unsolicited advice (if it's your first time, don't think of it much)... People who have zero experience in films will have something to say, don't do it this way, don't do it that way. You can never be a film maker, you can never be ANYONE this way. Something I heard through out my film school years, and continue to hear, used to break my heart but doesn't matter anymore and it shouldn't. Film is an expression of love, a story straight from your heart put out for viewership, the more effort you put in the better the results!

Beware,

A lot of people will try telling you that your idea is just not worth it, but you'll need to be honest with yourself, analyze your idea as if it's not your own. Think like a producer, like an audience, like a film critic! Even though not a lot of money is not riding on this low budget venture but much more is, your reputation is. How far you're able to take this film and what becomes of it, all depends on how powerful your idea is, how many people in your crew and cast genuinely believe in it and how many will give your film their all.

Here's some advice -

Start small.

As film makers we all tend to be very ambitious, starting small is the key. Begin with a single character and a crew of say 4-5 people. Invest in your gear smartly.
As a small time/independent film maker your gear is everything, you'll need the basics of it all. Most things you're better off borrowing, such as a camera and a few lenses but it's always great to have a few investments made in to a pair of basic LEDs, some gel papers, and 2-3 very basic mics.
I began with my DSLR, a tripod, one basic LED, some gel papers, a tripod and a mic.

Camera I bought from saddar and got ripped off (the guy sold me a refurbished camera for the price of a new camera! It stopped working very soon and upon warranty claim, he repaired it himself and claimed to have lost my warranty card.) But with funds so limited you cannot afford to be goofing around, I purchased my first camera in 2013, this was a time when (with respect to a local landscape) things were not so easily accessible online.
And after a lot of such frauds, and tough life (read expensive and stupid) lessons, I came across Bnw Collections and now make most of purchases straight from here.
Their price beat policy and home delivery makes my life easy. There's already just too much for me to worry about as an indie film maker.
Next step is getting your funds!
Jump to my next article for finding out you can secure a small funding for your big dreams!

Tags: Indie Film 101, What it's like to be filming on favors!