Low-Budget Films: How They Are Changing the Film Industry

By Jarrett Gosch

Many of us recall Napoleon Dynamite the movie about a high school student that had no plot, or even the dramatic love story of Slumdog Millionaire, and most definitely have watched the teen hit Juno. What do all these films have in common? They we made on a considerably low budget in comparison to the majority of Hollywood productions and were very successful.

The definition of a “low budget film” is defined by the genre. Usually an action movie or thriller has a considerably higher budget than comedies or romantic films. For example, a modest budget for a comedy would be considered a low-budget for an action film.

Small budget films, such as those mentioned earlier, have the potential to change the way that movies are made. Most of these films save money by hiring actors that are either just beginning their career or have been looking for work, such as Nicolas Cage.

Beyond low-budget films are micro-budget films. These are films that usually are made with a super low budget that is usually only a few thousand dollars.

One recent example is Paranormal Activity, which was made on only $15,000 and was filmed in the directors own house and made$98 million. This movie has proven micro-budget films can reach the top of the charts.

This could be bad news for many big name actors that are accustomed to multimillion dollar deals, but good news for producers.

There are also many young talented actors that would be happy to star in films for little pay, and a small budget film can be easy ways to get their name known in the film industry.

So what does this mean for the film industry? Nobody is really sure, but it is certain that small films save producers money if they flop and if they are a success can make more than 6,000 times the amount it took to make the film.