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story How to write low-budget intimate character drama

I have a vague idea for a feature film that I would like to self-produce. It would need to take place almost entirely in one house (which would possibly be an AirBnB). I would like to tell a love story about a nymph who has been trapped inside of some sort of object, who falls in love with the man who unwittingly releases her. Any thoughts about how to do romantic fantasy in one setting?
 
Is the one-house requirement linked to the low-budget status mentioned in the thread title? If so, then choosing an alternative location for the same price may give you additional space (depending, of course, on how such a re-location affects other costs).

If, on the other hand, the object needs to stay in place for the purposes of the story, then you can create different environments using the different rooms (and garden?), but you could also consider incorporating some dream/fantasy sequences that take the character back or forwards in time, or into an alternate reality.

Most of Disney's 1991 Beauty and the Beast sticks to this "spirit trapped in an object in one place" concept - you might find some inspiration there!
 
Your question seems quite broad, but I assume you are asking how to make an interesting story if you are restricted to the one location?

If it were me, I'd look for an older property with some character and make the story revolve around the house itself. Perhaps the man acquires the property knowing very little about it (inherited perhaps) and discovers the place holds a number of mysteries that are revealed over the course of the story, the nymph being one of them. It could be that the nymph is bound by the property or something like that, and cannot leave unless the man discovers a way to free her. He sets out to do just that by piecing together clues, using things he finds in the house from the previous keeper. This would also give you the angle for the nymph to fall for him.

Most importantly, whichever way you go with it, make the characters as interesting as possible, that's where the heart of your story lies. Introduce conflict throughout, both in their exchanges and their personalities in general, in order to make them opposing forces (and allies at the same time).
 
Write it first. Write it exactly as you want it, no restrictions (such as one location). Then do the preliminary budgeting. Rewrite to fit the budget. Do a more detailed preproduction. Rewrite. More prepro, more rewrites.

Low/No/Mini/Micro budget Indie filmmaking is all about compromises. Yeah, it sucks. sometimes. But that's the name of the game.
 
I have a vague idea for a feature film that I would like to self-produce. It would need to take place almost entirely in one house (which would possibly be an AirBnB). I would like to tell a love story about a nymph who has been trapped inside of some sort of object, who falls in love with the man who unwittingly releases her. Any thoughts about how to do romantic fantasy in one setting?
It is quite easy, indeed I did a script in which action (including romance) takes place in one home and it won in the screenwriting contest and was made into a TV series (16 episodes in season 1 - a very typical season length for one season Asian drama).
Make your main arch story first and then fit the actions based on characters.
Indeed, you need to write characters well, because unless they are interesting, it's hard to keep the interest.
HINT you don't have to limit yourself only to characters inside the house.
 
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A word to the wise: The moment you use the derogatory deminutive "nymph" you get a great big, techincolor PASS.
In today's nauseaously PC Hollywood, nymphomania is an outdated, mysoginistic term. "Hypersexuality" is the correct word.
Don't look at me-- I don't make the rules.
 
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A word to the wise: The moment you use the derogatory deminutive "nymph" you get a great big, techincolor PASS.
In today's nauseaously PC Hollywood, nymphomania is an outdated, mysoginistic term. "Hypersexuality" is the correct word.
Don't look at me-- I don't make the rules.
I think they mean nymph as in the mythological spirit kind.
 
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