Microbudget Short Film ‘Nightfall’

My script is a psychological horror about a reclusive young woman who discovers a pill that promises to erase her fear of darkness, but it unleashes a new evil in her life.

To ensure it was a microbudget, I tried to develop an idea that did not require many actors or locations. A majority of the film would be shot at a relative’s house, and a scene involving a nightclub dance floor/bathroom would be cheated through close-up, tight shots. Most of the opening and closing sequences would take place in the dark. This works for a microbudget as I can use sound effects to imply the action; instead of hiring safety officers and stunt coordinators to choreograph these scenes. In addition, most of the outdoor clips can be filmed using handheld camerawork and will only require an actress, camera operator, and sound recordist. This works on a microbudget as it is quick to film, and I will not need a permit due to the crew being low impact.

What I learned throughout this process is that microbudget filmmaking can cause some limitations. However, these restrictions do not necessarily have to limit the end product. In fact, it forces you to think more creatively. This was helpful to learn as it has encouraged me to focus on the locations, characters, cinematography, set dressings, lighting, and sound design I use and how these elements can be incorporated in a unique, clever way while not negatively affecting the budget. I have also learned more about the scriptwriting process and how to structure my screenplays correctly, such as the dialogue, scene headings, and big print. This has been beneficial and will be helpful when developing future stories.

Here is the link to the final script:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RJNvWEITFj9V0P2EmTN6E2N5dAqrbhW0/view?usp=sharing

Microbudget Short Film “KNOCK KNOCK”

“KNOCK KNOCK”

Xiaojue Yu

Link of the Script:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h4oSIoach4bbZ0cD0qq665znNWVYhZNS/view?usp=sharing

 The script I wrote is a horror film named Knock Knock. It depicts the story of a woman who is alone in her apartment during an epidemic when she repeatedly hears knocks on the door and bizarre events occur.

I based the film on the inspiration provided by the movie Hush, so I positioned the film in the indoor horror genre. Although a horror film is a gloomy film with a horrific theme, it usually contains some violence intended to creep out the audience or has horror elements as the main component of the film. But I decided to focus on creating a creepy atmosphere of suspense, weirdness or tension. It is different from the thrill of gore and violence, but a form of perception that affects the protagonist and the audience through various factors. In addition, I added the unique feature of post-modern horror films – the absence of a complete narrative. The audience will not know what causes strange things to happen, or what is hidden in the darkness. Meanwhile, to highlight a specific marker of fear, I watched many examples of indoor horror films and eventually pinpointed the iconic feature as a knock on the door for no apparent reason. For the horror to quickly resonate with the audience, I also included a real-life setting that is currently taking place – the COVID-19 period. The main character in the script has been staying in her apartment for the last few months, just like us, relying on electronic devices to communicate with the outside world. The highlights of the script come mainly from Olivia’s reactions to various unexpected events, her real voice and a series of unexplained strange and unexpected situations, rather than any scenes of gore and violence, making this certainly a horror film for a wider audience.

Through the study in this micro-budget work, I have tried to learn to let go of unnecessary ideas and still think imaginatively. While not limiting my creativity, I am more aware of what I want to present.

Microbudget short film – At Our Home

My short film is called “At Our Home”. This is a short comedy film, but with some horror elements. It is a story about a man, Kevin and a woman, Bella. Bella is owner of this house. One day, a new roommate Kevin came into her house, which is a surprise from Bella’s friend. Bella didn’t want to live in a house with a man who she didn’t know at all, so she created a series of “horrific” accidents in order to make Kevin move out of her home. During this process, the relationship between these two roommates is undergoing some changes…

In the process of making this script, I wrote it for micro-budget movie in several aspects. For example, the chosen shooting location is very easy to find, which is home. The chosen shooting location is very easy to find, home. And all the scene layouts are very routine, there are no special requirements, and there is no need to spend extra costs for the layout. The costumes of the actors are also very simple, only pajamas and tracksuit. In addition, the sound design is not complicated, such as knocking on the door. We can be recorded by using recording equipment or even a phone. 

In the process of learning, I’ve learned how to use a limited budget to create a script,  a film made on a micro-budget can also be a very high-quality film.

Here is the link of my script: 

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QFCbOMk6gOVT_U6iZRqydi6MMlUinJuU/view?usp=sharing>

Production on a Shoestring – ‘Misconstrued’, by Sienna Macalister

My short, Misconstrued, is a crime-mystery drama script that explores the themes of ableism and prejudice that Autistic people face in the criminal justice system in Australia. It follows the journey of a young Autistic adult, Azra, who was the sole witness to a gruesome murder. The police, understanding that Azra is Autistic, have the good will to interview her in her home, but their understanding of Autism ends there. Azra’s disabled pragmatic social skills cause her to respond in a way that does not fit the police’s narrowly defined way of how a witness should react, and they become suspicious.

The idea for this script – or rather, interest in its themes – has been in development for a long time, but the first couple of weeks of this course helped me realise that my original version was far from a microbudget production. This was in part due to its length (approx. 40 minutes), long, complex scenes shot at night on a public beach (needing expensive permits, especially since they included a dead body) and the destroying of expensive props, such as Azra’s iPad.

Initially, I tried to make compromises to the original script to save money, but found that no matter what I tried, it impacted the message and creative integrity of the film. This led me down a new path – rather than trying to manipulate a non-microbudget script, I did what the course suggested and made a new microbudget-intended script from scratch.

I kept the same message, but brought the focus to a single moment of interrogation by the police that goes badly. I made the decision to set it in Azra’s own bedroom to save on budget (with the creative explanation that she’s Autistic, the police were willing to make that accommodation), and decided that although some beach scenes were needed to create tension, these could be utalised as POV shots, reducing the crew and costs at the location, with Azra confused and unsure about what she really saw. This allowed for low-impact permits to be used which in some city councils are free. The tension is built with the developed dialogue, rather than scenes you might see in a typical crime-mystery drama.

I learnt a lot about budgeting a film, and where costs might be hidden, and importantly as a student, how to make decisions that avoided these costs without compromising the project. On a personal level I also learnt that it’s okay to shelve scripts until a later date, and to not rigidly stick to certain ideas. This is an especially important lesson for me to learn as an Autistic wanting to work in media.

Here is the link to my final script 

Microbudget Short Film ‘Should not do‘

Should not do

This film is a drama suspense movie about a young man Dave makes a self-reflection when he is punished by the past victim in a car.

Link to script: https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/s3754644_student_rmit_edu_au/EWJ_J0v22W1OrjzmhQhFDL0B-HJ_WCyatGFp2byX12rpvA?e=rD50d2

The first element I decided of the final script is the location. From the concept of this studio, less scenes mean less expense. Then I tried to figure out some twist plots and interesting stories happened in the car which enriched this script. The most used scene is in the car with the main character which saves some expense of hiring other actors.

I learned the importance of rehearsing detailed eventuality through creating this script. Filming is a complicated process and micro-budget needs high requirement of details. There are many potential cost during the production of film that I would not think about every details in the past. The learning of this studio taught me how to keep the valuable production and creative original voice in micro-budget.

 

Microbudget film ‘ Alternative Study’

‘Alternative Study’ is a mocumentary comedy film, it depicts the story of  two mischievous students who struggle to learn Morse code to cheat on their final examinations.

When I was writing the script, I had to think about how to prevent features that would demand a lot of money. For example, pricey settings, costly props, a huge cast of actors, and scenes requiring extensive special effects. Then I began looking for locations, props, performers, and other items that might be used at a low cost around me. I eventually narrowed the search down step by step, using as many available elements as possible to create the script.

The most significant thing I learnt was how to create a script and how to come up with a story for a script on a shoestring budget. Since I had never written a script before, I had to start thinking about what a good script should be built of and start reading books and searching the internet for information. Because it was a true hands-on experience and let me understand my weaknesses in this area, this project was an excellent beginning point for my future development. Making a film with a micro-budget script, on the other hand, is a more feasible attempt for me at this stage in my studies. This experience made me consider how all of the parts of a script/film could be accomplished on a shoestring budget.

Link to my final script ‘ Alternative Study’: Alternative Study (RMIT) _BoyuChen.pdf

 

Microbudget Short Film ‘The Murderer of a Suicide’

My short film is a drama about a lonely old man with heart disease who is told that his daughter committed suicide during the lockdown, he struggles to find the truth with internet technologies, and finally find out that his daughter is killed by cyber-violence.

To make sure it was a microbudget I tried to reduce the location of the story and designed a lot of the action to take place in the two interior rooms. Also, reducing the number of actors. In addition, when doing the breakdown table, I was thinking of shooting the night plot during the ‘DAY’ through the layout and lighting of the interior.

What I learned through this process is a lot of skills to be a director, a screenwriter and a producer. Not only did I write a script, but also learned about the professional format and language expression of a film script and I also thought about how to split the storyboards and arrange the schedule as efficiently as possible. The most important thing is to realize that the actual shooting will be much more expensive than imagined

Here is the link to the final script <LINK TO SCRIPT>

Microbudget Short Film – ‘SAFE’ by Cassidy Oreo

My short film is a drama/thriller centering around Frankie, whose uneventful night gets flipped upside down when she tries to stop her own history repeating with her friend Lila. On the other side of the city, Frankie has to guide her friend to safety when she’s followed home from work, and she has to do it before Lila’s phone runs out of battery. To make sure it was viable for a microbudget production, I wrote the script as a mostly one-location production with the intention of minimising location hiring and set changes to lower costs, as well as focused the narrative on one physically-present actor and one voice actor. Using costuming and props already owned or present on set also cut back production costs, and finally using established connections in the industry to crew, equipment and student volunteers helped to reduce the overall budget to a production that can be feasibly completed on a budget of $5000. Through this process of creating my own microbudget film I learnt that creativity and high quality does not have to be squandered or hindered by your financial situation, if fact it can challenge you as a filmmaker to find loopholes and inventive ways to work around a problem on a film set.

Here is the link to the final script <PSS – SAFE script.pdf>

Microbudget Short Film ‘Stalking’

My short film is crime with horror elements. The story is about Avy, a single woman who one day finds out that she is being followed by a man, but she doesn’t get rid of the man even after she calls the police. The man would even sneak into her room late at night and trick Avy by dressing up as a courier at the end. The ending is open-ended and mainly expresses the security threats faced by women living alone.

To make sure it was a microbudget I mostly think about cutting costs on scenes and post-production. The scenes are basically free public spaces or borrowing sites from my family members. Costumes for actors can be their own or can purchase at the mall make sure to keep them clean and return them after filming. Post-production is done by myself, without hiring post-editors and audio engineers. Control costs as much as possible within a limited budget.

When I learned through this process is how to add compelling plots to enrich the content of the script. And in the case of a micro-budget, some disseminating information tools can be used to explain the story of what happened instead of finding a real scene and actors for real shooting. While saving costs, it can also connect the plot well, and not using too many scenes can also promote the development of the story. On a limited budget, microbudget films can also be creative.

Here is the link to the final script

<Stalking-A narrative short film script-Jingpu Liu-s3776608>

Micro-budget short film script “Yes or No”

My short film script is a drama about Eva who a lawyer with decidophobia (the fear of making the wrong decision) overcomes the trauma of childhood.

To make sure it was a micro-budget I consider it from different dimensions, mainly including cinematography, production design, locations, casting, production schedule and sound design. The main thing is to consider that the cost of the location and actress can be controlled to the greatest extent. I can borrow venues from friends, actress can be students from art school who want more experience.

The biggest challenge for me was getting the storyline close to the audience to resonate. When I pitched a few weeks ago, I didn’t have a complete idea of ​​the story line of the entire script. It was not until I started writing the script that I realized the story was lack of something attractive. The story line was gradually refined during the writing process of the script. Addressing this challenge by thinking about the character’s experience, what happened? Why does it happen? How to solve it? The movie has a beginning and an end, there are changes of the character throughout the development of storyline, and there are contrasts between the characters, which make the plot of the film richer and the characters fuller. Through this film, I also hope that the audience can think more about how parents should deal with the relationship between children and their hobbies. Blind suppression or concessions are not the best way.

Here is the link to the final script <Jianing_LI_s3776046_COMM2628_AT4_SCRIPT.pdf>