7. Avoiding the slush pile: Why your great idea might not actually be filmable

Homework

Task 1

Bingewatch

Sitting comfortably? It’s time to get a numb butt and put some serious hours into watching – remember, it’s part of your education. You’re going to learn all about micro-budgets and large budgets and why sometimes a bigger budget doesn’t make a better movie.

Watch a gargantuan budget movie. We suggest Bright ($90 million) or Avengers Infinity War ($321 million).
Then watch The Florida Project ($2 million) or The Blair Witch Project ($60k).
Bear in mind in Hollywood $15 million is considered “low-budget”, so $2 million is micro-budget.
Get out your notepad and scribble some observations.
In the low-budget movies, note the use of locations to keep costs down.
Note the number of actors and special effects used in each movie.
Ask yourself at the end: was I gripped? Did I enjoy that movie?

Task 2

Think of your script as a micro-budget movie

This task will give you an idea of the limitations filmmakers and screenwriters face when their projects go into production and help you focus on infusing the narrative structure with a strong sense of story.

Think of your current script project as a micro-budget movie.
Think about locations you have access to and adapt your screenplay around these locations.
Think about how much your movie would cost to shoot.
Create a mock budget, keeping costs as low as possible.