There’s no denying that we are currently living in the age of mega-budget movies. Industry headlines are often dominated by the millions of dollars (plus points) that actors are making. We are certainly no longer that surprised when confronted with the idea that Avengers: Endgame (2019) carried a $350+ million budget — including a wince-inducing estimated $150 million marketing budget. These huge franchise offerings and their billion-dollar box office receipts have become something of the norm. But does that mean that there is no longer a place for small productions?
Thankfully, this isn’t the case. There is still a strong market for films that are produced on minimal budgets. So, let’s take a look at the power of small productions. Why should filmmakers pursue their vision in this lower-budget arena? How is the industry developing in a way that supports these artistic endeavours?
Creative Freedom
While large budget movies can look like a great adventure, one of the ways that small productions can be more powerful is in creative freedom. Large productions are more subject to the needs of a committee — executives will provide notes on dailies, various commercial priorities need to be met, and specific demographics must be taken into account. That’s not to say that these things aren’t occasionally considerations on small productions, but they certainly tend to be less disruptive to the creative process.
Small productions allow filmmakers more room to fully explore the creative, social, and philosophical potential of their projects. Life in a Day 2020 (2021) is a prime example of this. It’s an ambitious project that utilises crowdsourced footage from contributors around the globe to present a more honest and accurate depiction of the lives of ordinary people during the extraordinary events of COVID-19 than would be offered by a big-budget fictional narrative.
A small production like this allows freedom to take a different approach to explore deeply personal glimpses of aspects such as the financial stress commonly experienced in the past year. Debt, job losses, and the accompanying mental health strain are all vital elements of the world we are living in and present important emotional story elements that are worth exploring. Not to mention that the personal and professional support that helps people through those issues can be both inspiring and instructive. This level of intimacy is something that small budget, creatively experimental productions present more effectively than their big studio counterparts.
Greater Accessibility
Mega-budget movies aren’t exactly renowned for their tendency to embrace new creative voices. There’s a well-known culture of gatekeeping in the studio system, and this makes it difficult for diverse talent to contribute. On the other hand, one of the elements that make small productions so powerful is the fact that they are among the most accessible approaches to filmmaking.
This is particularly evident when it comes to locations. One of the drawbacks about being a filmmaker is that there is a consensus that you should be located in L.A. or another major city — this isn’t exactly accessible if you have lower personal and professional finances. However, if you’re working on small production, there isn’t often this expectation to be close to studios or shoot in locations that large production companies have tax-break incentives with. If you live and operate in a small city, you have the advantage of cheaper rent costs, a close-knit community of potential collaborators, and even lower insurance. Even though the airfares and transportation costs may be higher for when you’re attending meetings and festivals, the benefits tend to outweigh this.
Another way in which small productions tend to be more accessible is in their financing. Lower budgets mean that you don’t have to spend a lot of time convincing big investors that you’re making decisions that will maximise their returns. You can be more agile with your methods. Kevin Smith famously financed Clerks (1994) largely on credit cards. This isn’t always the ideal option, but today there are many more accessible financing methods. The most prevalent of which is crowdfunding. If you can generate interest in your project through an effective campaign, you can gain both valuable financing and a waiting audience.
Open Distribution
Blockbuster movies have the advantage of huge marketing budgets and global distribution partners. However, these can also be limiting. There is pressure to release in theatres on a schedule that doesn’t interfere with other productions on the slate, and relationships with certain outlets can dictate where the movie is shown and for how long. Small productions, on the other hand, don’t necessarily have it easier when it comes to distribution, but the experience is certainly more open and collaborative.
Festivals are still one of the primary methods of getting an indie movie out to audiences. This means that filmmakers get the chance to connect directly with festival programmers and start to build important, meaningful relationships that don’t just get the movie seen but create a reputation in the industry. In turn, the greater access to global festivals can also increase the chance of local domestic and foreign distribution companies to see the movie, and these too can develop into more mutually beneficial partnerships to blossom over time.
Perhaps most importantly, the prevalence of streaming platforms means that small productions no longer have to rely on traditional distribution models to reach audiences. Indeed, short films in particular are utilising YouTube and Vimeo regularly as the primary venue and monetising to make back their small budgets. However, it’s also worth noting that Netflix has increasingly been licensing shorts for its roster, including the Oscar-nominated Two Distant Strangers (2020), continuing its growing support for indie and small-budget filmmakers.
Conclusion
Small productions may not have the budget and attention of Hollywood blockbusters, but they are no less relevant and powerful. Engaging with low-budget movies allows filmmakers the freedom to experiment and tell more intimate stories, and also makes the process more accessible for more diverse contributors. With a less restrictive distribution process, it also means that these creators can build meaningful industry relationships, and their indie offerings can still impact global audiences.
