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Event
"No Budget Film School"
NO BUDGET FILM SCHOOL
In a nutshell, No Budget Film School is a two-day weekend intensive seminar specifically covering no-budget filmmaking in Idaho Mark Stolaroff has been in the film business for 20 years--in production as a PA, AD, UPM; as an executive at a finishing funds company; and as an independent producer, producing and self-financing award-winning no-budget features. He started No Budget Film School back in 2005 and teaches it in between the producing that he does.
From Mark Stolaroff: I don't try to teach attendees everything they need to know about how to make a movie. I teach them specifically about how to make a NO-BUDGET MOVIE. The "rules" and expectations, the marketplace and the realities are completely different for these types of films. I don't lie in my class about the difficulties of making movies this way; students get a strong dose of reality. But the goal of the class is to encourage them to make a film and I give them the tools and the know-how to do it responsibly. People of all ages have taken my class, from students to folks in their 60's; all experience levels, from complete newbies to filmmakers with several features under their belt. It's ideal for writers, directors, producers, and actors--anyone who wants to take control of their career by making a film themselves.
Here is a detailed look at what I cover in the two days:
"The Art & Science of No Budget Filmmaking" - A 2-Day Filmmaking Workshop
Day One - "Course 101: The Art of No Budget Filmmaking":
Course 101 gives filmmakers the tools and the confidence to make a feature film right now, with the resources available to them today, however limited those resources might be. The class offers a unique overview of Production, Post Production and Distribution from a no-budget perspective, encouraging filmmakers to throw out old moviemaking templates with which they may be familiar. The approach guides filmmakers to examine their own specific circumstances--their limitations and their resources--and reinvent the moviemaking process to suit their unique situation. Students learn:
- How to design a great script that costs little or no money to produce
- How to devise a production methodology that conforms to each student's particular circumstances
- How to prioritize limited resources
- How to tackle post production, festival strategy and distribution on a shoestring
Students gain powerful insights like embracing their limitations, working within the framework of available resources, and understanding the differences between relative and absolute amounts of money. They learn the importance of authenticity in independent filmmaking; the Key Qualities that all good independent films should have and the MOST important elements necessary to achieve them; the three types of financing on a no-budget film, (cash, currency, and leverage); how to get the most out of the money they have; the advantages of buying a camera over renting; and much, much more.
We also look at the advantages of no-budget filmmaking versus making films with money; we analyze the Alternative Universe of Independent Filmmaking, (where the rules are exactly opposite of commercial studio filmmaking); we discuss the two biggest misconceptions of production value and we explore the equipment options available to no-budget filmmakers, especially cameras and shooting formats; and we go through the basics of production sound, post-production, festival strategy, and distribution options. Students are treated to an in-depth case study of Christopher Nolan's $12,000 masterpiece "Following," which instructor Stolaroff worked on for four years while a principal at IFC's Next Wave Films.
The lecture is reinforced with clips from successful no-budget films, which are used to illustrate the ideas covered, as well as slides complete with Write-It-Down-Rules, Top Secret Solutions, Movie Myths & Myth Busters, and other valuable information. Students are also given a handout with additional information that can be referenced long after the class is over.
Day Two - "Course 201: The Science of No Budget Filmmaking":
Course 201 is a detailed line-by-line analysis of the production budget from a no-budget perspective. Topics include: Cast & Casting, Crew, Equipment, Insurance, Locations, Permits, Props/Set Dressing, Vehicles, Makeup/Wardrobe, Camera/Format, Sound, Legal, and Miscellaneous Budget Items. The class dissects the production of the $50,000 feature "True Love" (a Sundance Screenwriters Lab Project), demonstrating the low-budget tricks used--and the mistakes made--showing clips from the film and valuable behind-the-scenes footage, in this comprehensive examination of a no-budget film. Students learn:
- The use of emerging technology and how it can help film production
- How to find great cast & crew with little or nothing to pay
- Working with SAG's Ultra-Low Budget Agreement
- How to shoot without filming permits
- How to get free locations, free props, and free equipment
- Which rules to break and which rules to follow
This course assumes that the filmmaker already has a film that they want to make, but probably not the money required to make it. For every line item on the budget, it is assumed that there isn't the money necessary to cover that item. Students learn what corners to cut and the possible consequences of cutting those corners.
Once the basic topics are covered, students will get a chance to do their own no-budget production problem solving. Production "problems" are given and the students are asked to come up with creative solutions to solve them, (spending money to solve the problem is NOT allowed!).
A highlight of Course 201 is FSI: Film Scene Investigation, where students have the opportunity to analyze scenes from "True Love" from script to screen. First they hear the scene read aloud, then they get the opportunity to identify and solve the production issues within the scene, next they discover how those problems were solved on the movie and are able to view behind-the-scenes footage of the scene's set-up, and finally they get to see the filmed scene in it's finished form.
Clips from "True Love" illustrate the many tricks and techniques used by the filmmakers, and include mistakes made, such as when police shut down the production for a day, or when a location owner (wrongly) accused the producers of damaging their property. Slides reinforce the lecture and handouts with valuable information are given to each student.
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LocationTrailhead: Boise's Start-up Hub (View)
500 S. 8th Street
Boise, ID 83702
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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