Do's and Don't's of Saving Money

If you're producing a low budget indie, here's where I would and wouldn't cut.

A couple years ago, I wrote a big piece for Esquire about a wave of cool films being made for little to no money. The piece was heavily reported, and it acknowledged many of the issues brought on by a lack of money. I don’t think it viewed microbudgets with rose-colored glasses. And yet, I don’t think I really understood the value of different expenses in a film budget until this year, when I was a producer on an upcoming feature called The Big Game. Every film is different, and after producing one feature I’m certainly no expert. But the experience did give me a new understanding of where a low budget indie might cut costs and where it really shouldn’t. These are my views at this moment, but I’d be curious to hear from other producers and line producers. Where do you agree, disagree, and what would you add?

Image via Collider.