Success in Video Production with a Low Budget

Advances in video camera quality and post-production technology have opened up affordable video production to everyone.

That doesn’t mean what people produce is going to be good, however. So here are some tips for shooting on low to non-existent budgets.

• Keep it simple. This usually means one location, a half to a full day, minimal crew and minimal gear. Don’t try to make the piece longer than you can afford to shoot for. Cut things back if you have to. I’ve actually found these limitations spur creativity and innovation. I’ve literally saved thousands of dollars on gear and manpower by executing on simple, straight-forward ideas.
• Plan. Plan. Plan. When on a budget, pre-production is the most critical phase of execution. The more you plan, the more efficient you’ll be during a shoot.
• Hire multi-talent. To keep that crew small, look for people who can do more than one job on set. For example, you don’t need an additional Production Assistant to put a clap board up for every shot. Have someone else, even the person on camera, do it.
• Value the shooter. Unless you know you have a solid shooter, dedicate as much budget as you can to hiring a professional. In most metro areas, you can find quality videographers that can also do simple sound mixing, lighting, and more. Don’t hire someone on the fly. Check out their work and talk to references if possible.
• Use the sun. It’s your friend – use it. Natural light is always the way to go if you can make it happen. Put your subjects in front of windows and use what Mother Nature provides! If you scout a location where you know you’ll have several hours of good sunlight, you can dramatically cut down on equipment rentals.
• Think wired. If you’re not going to have a lot of subjects moving around and talking, think about using a wired lav mic instead of wireless lav mics. When doing interviews or static shots, a wired lav provides you all the quality you need. It’s also cheaper, doesn’t use batteries and can’t be interfered with by other wireless frequencies (This was a big revelation for me! The wired lav is now my favorite piece of gear.)
• Always feed your crew. Budget for a meal every 3.5 hours or so. Food makes everyone working feel that they’re respected and, more importantly, prevents low blood sugar!