Tips Series: Low Budget Scriptwriting Tips

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Article by Don Macnab-Stark

Low Budget Scriptwriting Tips

If you read script requests from producers, you will often see them asking for low budget scripts ? but what is a low budget script? Many writers don?t actually know what a low budget script is, or indeed how to write one, but being able to write low budget scripts will increase your chances of a sale when you are trying to break into the business.

You will find lots of debate as to exactly what constitutes a low budget film (in Hollywood it?s anything less than million!), but what is clear is what you must do to make your script low budget. Follow these tips and you?ll be able to apply next time you see a producer looking for low budget scripts.

· The story must take place in the present day ? so no futuristic sci-fi or period scripts.

· No exotic locations: Keep it simple and avoid tropical islands or iconic places like New York. Ideally, your script should be able to be shot almost anywhere.

· Limit the locations: Quite simply, the fewer locations your script has, the cheaper it will be to shoot. That?s why horror films are often low-budget, with most of the story taking place in a single location, such as a scary house or a deserted woods.

· Minimize nighttime scenes: If the film can be mostly be shot during daylight it will reduce lighting costs.

· Limit your cast: Ideally your script will have as few cast members as possible. Every extra person you add increases the budget.

· Avoid large crowd scenes: Extras cost money, even if it?s only free pizza for a bunch of college students.

· Minimize make-up effects: Make-up effects such as scars, wigs etc need to re-done before each scene, increasing the time and the cost of shooting. Minimize them.

· Avoid the use of guns: If you use guns at all you need to have an armourer on set, which is expensive.

· Special Effects: This is probably the most questionable these days. The rule used to be only one special effect per low budget film, however, these days great special effects can be produced really cheaply by someone who knows what they are doing. It?s still a good idea to keep special effects to a minimum in a low budget film, however.

Ultimately, low budget is a state of mind ? what one producer will see as low budget, another might not. However, if you keep these low budget tips in mind and can still write a quality script, you will increase the chances of getting a sale.

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