Write your screenplay to BUDGET.
Awesome Articles
We screenwriters these days have to think about a whole lot more than just the story and script. We’re no longer encouraged to think too much about cameras and sounds, but we are expected to build pitch decks, develop one-sheets, produce and yes, understand the basics of film budgeting. Here are a few resources to help you understand how you can write to smaller budgets.
Writing your Screenplay for a Budget
This excellent article by MovieSoft (makers of the MovieMagic screenwriting software) is a great place to start your journey into understanding film budgets and how to write your scripts to fit them.
10 Steps to Writing a Micro-Budget Screenplay
Screencraft and our buddy Ken Miyamoto will help you understand how to write a microbudget screenplay ($7,000 to $150,000). Before you start your outline, read this.
SCRIPT SECRETS: Low-Budget Screenwriting, Part 1
Script Magazine outdoes itself with this detailed two-part series.
SCRIPT SECRETS: Low-Budget Screenwriting, Part 2
Go even deeper with Part 2, which dives into genre, structure, and speaking roles.
Screenwriting for a Low-Budget Movie
Screenwriter/Director/Producer Jay Carver nails it in this article with his tips, lists, and tight explanations.
Ten Rules for Micro-Budget Screenplays
This article about writing for microbudgets is jampacked with links to videos, so that’s why it’s last on our list.
Vital Videos
There aren’t a lot of video resources available on the subject of writing to budget. Not yet. Perhaps the writers are so busy producing and directing that there’s no time to share their experience? Anyway, the few gems we’ve found will give you a leg up and some inspiration, alongside the articles.
Screenwriting on a Low Budget
Indie Film School shows you in eight and a half minutes how to rewrite a higher cost screenplay to fit a smaller budget.
How To Make A Low Budget Indie Film.
In their series Screenwriting for Beginners, Film Forum interviews filmmaker/producer Adam Nelson and screenwriter Chris Watt about: It’s a full hour, so put the kettle on and your feet up. Or, if you’re in a hurry, find the budget conversation at 33:15
Secrets to Successful Low-Budget Feature Films
Indie Film Hustle Academy shares this fabulous 45-minute interview with Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity), with lots of textured backstory.
The Making of "El Mariachi"
This 15-minute video from the Robert Rodriguez and Ten Minute Film School will fascinate screenwriters who want to produce their own low budget film.