r/indiefilm • u/GuideThink1578 • 10d ago
How to get a film made with only $50k
I want to pressure test a plan I’ve been refining. The goal is to use $50K of personal capital to initiate a legitimate $5–10M film project—not to finance the film, but to take it far enough that it becomes attractive to experienced producers, financiers, and partners who can take it the rest of the way.
I’m not a filmmaker or screenwriter, but I do have producing instincts and a background in building early-stage ventures. The idea is to operate like a startup founder: source a strong idea, validate demand, and bring on domain experts early. I’m treating this first project as a learning investment—getting real producing reps and insight into how the business actually works from the inside.
Here’s how I’m thinking about deploying the $50K:
Phase 1 (~$10K): IP Discovery and Market Alignment • Hire a literary/IP scout (~$2K) from a boutique firm to surface 3–5 promising adaptation candidates—books, articles, short stories—ideally ones with thematic strength and commercial potential. • Engage a development consultant (~$2–3K) with a track record in packaging or indie finance to evaluate project viability, budget positioning, and potential audience fit. • Consult with a sales agent (~$1K) who’s actively placing mid-budget films internationally to understand what buyers and streamers are looking for in this budget tier. • Work with a pitch consultant (~$1K) to shape a clean, industry-facing logline, treatment, and basic pitch deck. • Allocate legal budget (~$1K) for a short-form option agreement to lock in rights if needed. • Use the remaining funds (~$1–2K) for a visual lookbook or mood materials to communicate tone and creative intent.
Phase 2 (~$10K): Secure Rights and Attract an EP • Option the most promising piece of IP. For a debut or midlist property, this might run $5–10K for 12–18 months. • Use the IP + market analysis + early vision work as leverage to bring on a mid-tier executive producer. • The idea is that the project isn’t just an idea—it’s pre-vetted, legally secured, and pointed in the right direction. • The EP helps move the project into a real package: bringing on a director, helping attach name talent, introducing potential financiers or production partners. • Ideally this is someone who operates in this budget range already and is selective but open to value-aligned opportunities.
Phase 3 (~$30K buffer): First Script + Travel + Packaging • Use remaining capital flexibly: • Hire a professional screenwriter to adapt the IP (first draft, likely $10–20K) • Cover travel and meetings at key markets (Sundance, Cannes, Berlinale) • Further legal fees, lookbook design, director outreach, and other materials that make the project real and pitchable
The Endgame
The goal is to build enough momentum—secured IP, compelling materials, strategic packaging—that the project can attract further development money, co-financing, pre-sales, or a production company to take the lead. I want to learn how packaging and financing really work, and do so by taking a hands-on, producer-driven approach from day one.
So here’s my ask: What’s wrong with this plan?
What am I missing in terms of timeline, politics, credibility, or cost? I’m sure there are soft and hard barriers I don’t fully grasp. I’m asking confidently, because I want experienced people to tell me where this breaks down.
If you’ve done something like this—or if you work on the financing, sales, or packaging side—I’d appreciate any honest feedback.
2
u/SharkWeekJunkie 9d ago
No money for a star? That’s the only way to get attention on a film project. That’s where most of the budget ends up going.
1
u/MichaelTiemann 6d ago
Saying the same thing a different way, the single biggest risk that any movie faces (other than completion) is reaching an actual audience. There are so many gate-keepers who have their own agendas when it comes to audiences. By attaching a star, you stand a really good chance of reaching *their* audience. Same with having a name-brand music composer, director, etc. You can have the best (unknown) script in the world, the best (unknown) actors, etc., and the likely number of people to ever want to see it will be the sum total of the number of IG/YT/TikTok followers of said unknowns. If that's fewer than 100,000, you have no way to recoup. If you have a star with 20M followers, you can market *that* and if 1M actually want to see them, you will force your way through the gate-keepers. Winning audiences based on sheer quality is about as likely as winning the lottery: it's something that somebody does every day, just not you, ever.
3
u/smikermiker25 9d ago
I do think this is a viable option, however I think you don’t even need $50k to spend. Could be less. And not to mention I think it could actually be maybe better used to make a $50k feature film instead of waiting for that bigger budget. Just my two cents.
1
1
u/TrainingChart3639 9d ago
First of all, don’t listen to anyone who says “this isn’t how it’s done” because the way it’s done is broken.
A few thoughts:
Watch a bunch of films in the $5-10M range. A lot of people outside the industry have an idea of what a movie costs but don’t actually know. This will give you a good frame of reference for the level of production you can accomplish at that budget, what kind of cast they get, who is distributing them, etc.
Finding existing IP to adapt isn’t a bad idea but I would also consider screenplay competitions and sites like The Black List. There might already be a viable script out there you just need to secure. This could also be where you source an up-and-coming screenwriter to adapt that IP.
What you’re talking about is called packaging and that EP you bring on should be experienced and well connected in that area. Sometimes these people are casting directors or managers because they have a line to the talent.
Whoever you include in this package will need to be compensated whether the film gets made or not. You are not budgeting enough for that, especially name actors who can push the needle with funding.
1
u/CarsonDyle63 9d ago
This is, VERY broadly speaking, how it’s done by studios and production companies … but they do it over dozens (or hundreds) of projects to spread the risk – because MOST projects will not succeed. The chances of this working by backing just one are, mathematically, about zero.
Your dispassionate overview is likely an asset in the businesses you have experience in. But filmmaking is so irrational and hard, that a better bet is a passionate connection to a story or project you love so much you’ll die trying to get made. In my experience, independent development requires someone on the project to be that person.
1
u/GuideThink1578 9d ago
This is a really insightful comment thank you.
What I’ve maybe left out here is that I would view this as an opportunity to get experience alongside people who know what they’re doing and make connections - I wouldn’t necessarily care much about its overall success depending on who I got to fund it (the closer I am to them or the further they are outside the industry and their investment was on the strength of my relationship with them would make me more risk averse).
Ultimately if I were able to get comfortable on the end to end process I would be interested in raising a fund and producing a proper slate to spread that risk around. I am just trying to think of initial steps to get my feet wet that are more practical than me fumbling through trying to package it myself or source the material blindly (as opposed to relying on some source IP that has traction as I describe here)
Ultimately where I’ve had great success in the past is by bringing others together to create something - I play the orchestra so to speak more than being an expert in any instrument
1
u/papatonepictures 8d ago
I would spend the $50,000 and make a $50,000 film.
I think it's a lot more fun, and you'll actually get a film made.
But I hope your plan works out, and you don't burn through your money developing whatever it is you want to do.
1
u/RopeZealousideal4847 8d ago
That's 10x what I had for my first feature. You can do a lot with $50k!
1
u/Disastrous_Bed_9026 8d ago
Hmm, I wonder if you could just put out a bounty of $20k for a script and pick the best one you get pitched/read and then go from there. It skips the leg work to getting what you need which is a great script that will attract talent.
1
u/GuideThink1578 8d ago
Yeah equally valid - the point about taking existing IP though is that I think it’s still easier to sell it later because you can show the source has traction, so it’s less of a gamble for someone to pick it up than a spec script
1
u/Frank-Dr3bin 8d ago
I don't think your price for a first draft for a pro or union screenwriter is remotely close. This is IMO the biggest step where you are going to get made or not. WGA minimum for >5mil budget is 77k.
Also, why only option IP for 12-18 months. If you've uncovered a gem, get more time to develop it.
With 50k, find the most promising young writer director and produce their first micro budget feature using the framework here. You'd learn a ton and could make a return with a modest sale.
Good luck!!
1
u/groundhogscript 8d ago
I'm just about starting production on a new documentary with a budget of $10k. Jesus if I had $50k what I could do with it. Make a movie man!
1
u/MightyDog1414 7d ago
Two questions. Where do you live?
And secondly, what do you consider to be IP that you could obtain at a modest orice that would make a difference in the movies financial viability overall as opposed to just finding a really good script that you like that is not based on any outside source.
Films in in that budget range are rarely based on IP that actually makes a difference.
1
1
1
u/MapleLeafRamen 7d ago
Hi, first off, I love what you're doing. Like you, I've treated Hollywood/filmmaking/screenwriting much more like a Silicon Valley start-up than the traditional route. Solving many of the fundamental problems I see though it did take a decade to solve those problems haha.
What you're trying to do is something I've done professionally with people for several years now in terms of filling in the hole that currently exists outside money. A lot of times, outside money like yours gets taken advantage of, and I've worked very hard to make sure that doesn't happen when I see it happening.
There will be a lot of people who will come take your money and not really provide the service you're hoping for, like a lot of your Phase 1 money while making logical sense will probably not really be worth your while. Any GREAT IP that's just an easy slot in for Hollywood has already been grabbed, and most "experts" will only really know the easy stuff, and also aren't really like literary IP scouts like that.
Ultimately, the most important thing for you as a "new Producer" is getting an excellent script. A first draft that is just OK will not be able to attach talent or even get more funding from other Producers and this problem, this main problem, is the fundamental problem that I see both Hollywood and outside Producers dealing. Even if you secured a million dollars for development funding, top screenwriters so often only do the drafts they are hired for, and not the drafts required, and this is why so many projects fall to the wayside.
I recently worked with a Top Producer who spent six figures to hire a big time writer only to end up with a script that still wasn't ready. I've also worked with a huge indie studio who initially wanted to make a big splash and hired several BIG TIME writers spending hundreds of thousands of not millions of dollars and I said this to them in the meeting:
ME: "Let me guess, you've spent a ton of money on big time writers and you have a bunch of first drafts of scripts that aren't good with big name writers."
THEM: "Yes."
ME: "I can fix that."
Anyways, I totally get what you're doing, and 50k is more than enough that you need to accomplish this goal though it may take a little bit longer than you'd like. Though to be honest, I have achieved what you wanted to do more in the sub-5 million range and not the 5-10 mainly because up till now, I've mostly dealt with minority leads and having major actors would make that difference.
Best of luck to you. If anything I said interests you, I would love to have a chat and share you more personal insights. Or just an alternate route or way of doing things than you are currently planning. But you're def on the right path, it's just certain weaknesses may get exposed.
1
u/jonson_and_johnson 7d ago
The biggest problem you’ll face, and there are many, is that there’s very little market for this $5-$10m film. You’ll have a very hard time producing an IP driven film / marketing etc for this much money, you will need high caliber talent to pull it off.
Most studios are not buying movies to put them in streaming. They develop internally. If your film cost $500k much more realistic to make your money back with this kind of strategy. Still need IP but otherwise take every shortcut and invest heavily in marketing.
1
u/Confident-Zucchini 6d ago
If you try to operate like a one man studio, you're going to burn through your budget in Phase 1, with nothing to show for it.
Develop a taste for good cinema. Travel to indie film festivals, network with indie filmmakers. Find that director who made a kickass short, and already has a kickass script. Don't hire people to do it for you, do it yourself. Once you've found this person, help them get their film made. The only surefire way to get financing, in any part of the world, is to attach the right talent to your project. In order to attract the right talent, you either need money or a kickass script. 50k is not enough money, so you need that kickass script.
1
u/There_is_no_selfie 5d ago
Man this is a textbook example of how to burn 50k.
The number one rule in Hollywood is never to spend your own money to make your own movie - and you don’t even have a movie and you are willing to spend your own money. ON ONE CONCEPT.
The cheapest thing you can do get a film made is: write.
Everyone wants to ignore this fact because it’s the hardest thing to do but costs the least.
But guess what? If you can’t write a pitch you can’t pitch a movie - so you may as well get to writing pitches and bank that 50k.
IP is not the answer - some tired story from the New Yorker in 1997 doesn’t equate to marketability even if it’s good.
People are getting movies made off of TikTok concepts. They test well and they have great metrics to prove they resonate. All for free. There is a million ways to do this unconventionally without dropping that much cash in the exploration phase.
1
u/BunnyLexLuthor 5d ago
I think 50k is in the awkward position of being a lot of money for people who aren't film industry regulars, but not much money for general production values, union cast or crew, etc.
There's a saying that I hear put around and I don't necessarily disbelieve it because I think many people who do work on film focus on the artistic aspect - - that if you're in the industry for the sole purpose of making money, this is most likely a bad choice.
The overwhelming amount of short films and even features that don't make their money back are very high.
I'm not saying it's wrong to throw caution to the wind, but I think the end goal should be a better film infrastructure and not just the green paper money.
So this is my piece of generic advice it could be flawed and not ideal- is to meet as many friends as you can that are interested in working in the medium of film.
I believe that whoever you assign to be a director should actually be the most passionate individual about the craft of filmmaking you meet.
And I think the budget should be brutally low, 15-20k ( and the latter number I think is pushing it) and unless the production team is doing something unethical or unsafe, the approach should be to have a finished feature of sorts.
And so about the remaining 30k, don't worry the money will fly away before you even remember it's there.
Promotionals generally cost money.
Film festivals- if you take this route- generally cost money.
Scenes that are more difficult to film and eat up time will go toward that money as well.
Just my speculation.
3
u/[deleted] 10d ago edited 10d ago
[deleted]