Sticking to the point of writing to budget, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) suggests that you write a script that incorporates locations and props that you already have free access to. All you have is an apartment? Great! Write a story that takes place in your apartment (Hard Candy, Friday, Rope). Got a car? Awesome! Why not write a story about a man who picks up a psychotic hitchhiker? Shoot the whole thing in the car (see Tom Hardy in Locke).
Much of the movie Elf was shot on the streets of NYC,
even the background extras are just everyday people.
Do you live in NYC? Great – you have access to the biggest movie set in the world, as long as you don’t block the sidewalk and keep things minimal – optional permits are free! Shoot a film that takes place in the streets of New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, etc. The opportunities are endless. Take what you have access to and write it into your movie.
“This industry is all about work, and just because Sundance exposed me to the world, it is my job to stay deserving in that world. The work never ends; the hustle just gets harder, and you get stronger!”
~ Gina Rodriguez
