As someone who has given up a completely separate lucrative career to turn his part-time hobby into a full-time career, what is the best way to progress your micro-budget short or feature? I am a budding writer/director who has worked in various capacities on other micro-budget and low budget shorts and features. I intend on producing my own micro-budget short or feature with the intention of submitting to festivals. I have a couple of concepts which will work well even on a micro-budget and have access to gear and crew which should lead to decent production values.
Now, the way I see it is I have two options:
1) Write/produce a micro-budget (<$15k) short (20 mins) with a high concept/striking production values and really concentrate on those production values. Long term goal will be submitting to film festivals with the intention that the high production values on a micro-budget will gain recognition as well as the concept/story itself. Basically it would be a proof of concept for the idea and to promote myself.
2) Write/produce a micro-budget (<$15k) feature (90+ mins) with a high concept but less production value due to the cost of the longer shooting schedule/larger cast with the knowledge that a feature in itself is more attractive to any potential production company who wish to develop it. Again long term goal will be submission to film festivals.
I think I'm leaning towards option 1.
Now, the way I see it is I have two options:
1) Write/produce a micro-budget (<$15k) short (20 mins) with a high concept/striking production values and really concentrate on those production values. Long term goal will be submitting to film festivals with the intention that the high production values on a micro-budget will gain recognition as well as the concept/story itself. Basically it would be a proof of concept for the idea and to promote myself.
2) Write/produce a micro-budget (<$15k) feature (90+ mins) with a high concept but less production value due to the cost of the longer shooting schedule/larger cast with the knowledge that a feature in itself is more attractive to any potential production company who wish to develop it. Again long term goal will be submission to film festivals.
I think I'm leaning towards option 1.