It's Called Production Value For a Reason

Those who are interested in getting into filmmaking I'm sure at some time in their lives scoured the craigslist/wanted ads for upcoming productions to work with.  No pay of course, but legitimately serious claims to a good amount of "experience".  Most common is IMDB Credit! Copy of final, food.  However you realize that half those things don't come about as a result of this mindset of cutting so many corners and not putting the time and money into something like this if you want it to be good.

I just don't get this investment strategy.  Now if you are just jag bagging with your buddies, making stupid skits, be as cheap as you want.  But if you set out to make a feature length movie and have it legitimately be respected be prepared to spend at least $100,000.  I'm not saying you need to, just be prepared to. Now the physical movie itself could easily be done for $30,000.  But what are you going to live on while do the full time job of editing and producing for the next two years.   There will be always be movies made for much less than that in the future though, but those are few and far between as they seem to just strike lightning in a bottle.  For every paranormal activity, you have 2000 movies made for $5000 that never get picked up at a film festival because nothing about it seems professional.  Do an experiment, post an ad for a movie and see the difference in what you get in a responses in a credit only vs $2000 for a weeks worth of work for an actor.  You don't have to pay that amount, you just advertise it that way.  Maybe you say oh you would be perfect for this one other part, it pays $100, for 2 days.  You still get that talent in to audition and even the hopes of a paying gig for a couple days.  

You should be able to spend as much as possible, obviously not more than you have in your life.  The reason is if you are making a feature length movie, you are serious about it in your life.  You realize the time commiment, this is going to be your baby.  Your passion project.  If you really care about it you should be out their soliciting for funds.  This is what all real movies have to do.  Sure you won't have access to their resources, but that doesn't mean you don't hit up relatives, friends, co-workers, etc.  Have fundraisers, sell producers credits, do that thing, jumpstarter or whatever.

The perfect dedication example is Mark Borchardt of American Movie.  He knew what amount he needed to finish it.  What he had to do, and he set out to get that money to make it for real.  Using film, doing marketing, getting a theater, etc.  Now you may say that Mark Borchardt was this type of person I'm talking about. The lets round up a bunch of people who are willing to work for free, and see how that goes. Which is true, and which is why it took years to make. We see people leaving him hanging all the time. We think oh those must be mean friends, but in reality they were probably there every weekend for a few weeks, but you can't show all that in 90 minutes. He had the dedication, he just didn't have the funds. He said it himself, he was going in and out of credit card debt, child support payments, etc. Working 4-5 jobs. He needed Bill's money so that he could take time off from those and finish it. Save up a good war armament before you head out into the Atlantic, you know. Borchardt is one of those cock-sure Admirals that you never heard from again. There's been a movie in development for quite some time on his resume. Come on Mark step it up.

If you want it done right you just need a little investment in the crew and talent.  Even though it's nice to get people that have the passion to do it and to work for free, people will want to work harder if they are getting paid.  If they are getting nothing how often will they go above and beyond for something, put in that extra hour, get that extra couple takes.  After awhile people just need to live on an amount, or you will need to pay people that do it professionally. 

Without a little bump in the budget, here is the experience you will get, a bunch of people who don't know what they are doing, by the end there will only be 5% of you remaining by the end.  Things will come up miraculously last minute of why people won't show up.  Meaning it production will drag, or at least it will cost you about 8 weeks of your life for a feature, probably 3 for a short.  The movie, if it gets finished at all, will sit in limbo for almost 2 years after it is done filming and that weekend, week, month whatever, all in all time, now wasted besides this "experience".  It is like a dream only you have knowledge of this occurring.  The only thing a film really needs to actually exist and so many of these no compensation cases it ends up like that.  .

They try to be the next Robert Rodriquez, and make something on this shoe string budgets.  Forget that his situation is a one in a million that it works with marketing and it getting out, but yet these type of productions nowadays don't even want to invest $5000, whereas Rodriguez spent a few thousand in early 90's money.  Not to mention it was made in a perfect storm of independent cinema.  You can't really make cheap movies that look like that anymore.  Think of it as starting your business.  You need to build up your war chest. 

You never hear of someone making a feature length movie for $200 plus food is what I'm saying. Or at least, just call it an internship.