Huge ambitions, tiny budgets: the future of film

Published on Sunday 25 July 2010 15:36

A SCOTTISH director is aiming to revolutionise film-making north of the border by using cutting-edge technology to establish a studio for "micro-budget" feature films.

Though the approach has already seen considerable success in other parts of the UK, the now-defunct Scottish Screen refused to adopt the system.

Glasgow-based filmmaker David Griffith is completing his first full-length micro-budget feature, a psychological thriller called Timelock. Following in the footsteps of hits such as Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, the film is being made on a budget of just 115,000.

Mr Griffith said: "It is the technology that makes micro-budget works. The quality you get from the new digital cameras that have only come on the market in the past year or so is stunning.

"Before they appeared it was down to how much film stock you could afford, so the risk associated with making a film was quite high. Also, the old production model was based on who you cast and had in place in all parts of the production."

He said when it came to the filming, meticulous planning of shots, editing and a strong script were key in micro-budget production, adding that working within such tight strictures can result in interesting, creative and provocative films which could give Scotland a distinctive voice.

"Hollywood movies tend to play around with the gloss of the effects rather than with the film itself," he said. "British films tend to be 'television plus', which is television on a big budget."

And he added: "I think restrictions can lead to greater innovation, to greater art. There is a model to make micro-budget feature films that are successful on a commercial and artistic level if you have the rigour to follow the restrictions in terms of executing it."

The completion of the project, he hopes, will lead to the creation of a studio in Scotland concentrating solely on producing feature films working on micro-budgets of between 100,000 and 120,000.

Scottish Screen, the former film funding body, had always refused to embrace the micro-budget format, but London Film's Microwave project, designed to mentor and support film-makers making micro-budget movies, has blossomed.

Maggie Ellis, Film London's head of production and talent development, said that the micro-budget format was effective in forcing filmmakers to innovate and be creative in executing the film.

"It requires each team to think creatively and strategically - they have to be passionate about their project, keep low overheads, use small, flexible crews and stay focused on their vision from script to screen. They have to find ways of making their ambition fit their budget."

A spokeswoman for Creative Scotland said of the format: "The Creative Scotland board meets in August for the first time to start to look at the organisation's priorities, objectives and strategy. Investment into film will form part of that discussion."

String of creative successes on both sides of the Atlantic

MiCRo-budget films have been some of the most innovative and successful genre films in the past two decades. Possibly the biggest hit was US horror The Blair Witch Project. Released in 1999, the film cost barely $22,000 (about 14,000) to produce and was a worldwide phenomenon, grossing $248 million (160m) and lead to two sequels.

And US poltergeist thriller Paranormal Activity was made on a purported budget of $15,000 but went on to earn $194m worldwide.

One extreme British example of a low-budget success was 2009's Colin the Zombie, which hit the headlines when it was revealed that the entire feature had been made on a budget of 45, relying on digital cameras and home computer technology.

Another successful UK release from last year was the Scottish-produced horror Dark Nature. Scripted by Eddie Harrison and directed by Marc de Launay, the award-winning film was shot on location in Dumfries and Galloway with a 100,000 budget and has since gone on to get a global DVD distribution deal with US-horror specialists Troma Entertainment.

London Film's Microwave scheme - set up to encourage the development of micro-budget films - has also experienced some notable successes.

These include Mum & Dad, a horror film, which played several festivals, sold in ten territories and sold 35,000 copies on DVD in the UK; Freestyle, a teen romance which enjoyed a multi-platform release in Britain, and Shifty, a thriller charting 24 hours in the life of a London crack dealer, which landed a Bafta nomination for outstanding debut.