Micro-budget film genre
Guerrilla filmmaking
refers to a form of
independent filmmaking
characterized by ultra-low micro budgets,
skeleton crews
, and limited props using whatever resources, locations and equipment is available. The genre is named in reference to
guerrilla warfare
due to these techniques typically being used to shoot quickly in
real locations
without obtaining
filming permits
or providing any other sort of warning.
Independent filmmakers typically resort to guerrilla filmmaking because they do not have the budget or time to obtain permits, rent out locations, or build expensive sets. Larger and more "mainstream" film studios tend to avoid guerrilla filmmaking tactics because of the risk of being sued, fined or having their reputation damaged due to negative publicity.
According to Yukon Film Commission Manager Mark Hill, "guerrilla filmmaking is driven by passion with whatever means at hand".
[1]
Guerrilla films
[
edit
]
Janet Maslin
of
The New York Times
characterized cult
B-movie
filmmaker
Ed Wood
as a guerrilla filmmaker. As depicted in the biopic
Ed Wood
, Wood stole a fake octopus for one of the scenes in his low budget films.
[2]
Film critic
Roger Ebert
described
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
, directed by
Melvin Van Peebles
, as "a textbook on guerrilla filmmaking" in his review of
Baadasssss!
, a
biopic
about the making of
Sweet Sweetback
.
[3]
Ben Sisario of
The New York Times
called Van Peebles "a hero of guerrilla filmmaking" who has suffered for his uncompromising vision.
[4]
Spike Lee
's
She's Gotta Have It
was a guerrilla film on a budget of $175,000 which made $7,137,502 at the box office.
[5]
It was Spike Lee's first feature-length film and inspired him to write the book
Spike Lee's Gotta Have It: Inside Guerrilla Filmmaking
.
[6]
New Queer Cinema
director
Gregg Araki
shot his first two films,
Three Bewildered People in the Night
(1987) and
The Long Weekend (O' Despair)
(1989) using a spring-wound
Bolex
camera and scrap film stock, on a budget of $5,000 each.
[7]
Robert Rodriguez
shot the action film
El Mariachi
in Spanish.
El Mariachi
, which was shot for around $7,000 with money partially raised by volunteering in medical research studies, won the Audience Award at the
Sundance Film Festival
in 1992. The film, originally intended for the Spanish-language low-budget home-video market, was distributed by
Columbia Pictures
in the
United States
. Rodriguez described his experiences making the film in his book
Rebel Without a Crew
. The book and film would inspire other filmmakers to pick up cameras and make no-budget movies.
[8]
Pi
, directed by
Darren Aronofsky
,
[9]
was made on a budget of $68,000. It proved to be a financial success at the box office ($4.6 million gross worldwide).
[10]
Aronofsky raised money for the project by selling $100 shares in the film to family and friends, and was able to pay them all back with a $50 profit per-share when the film was sold to Artisan.
[
citation needed
]
Troma Entertainment
is a
film production
and
distribution
company founded by
Lloyd Kaufman
and
Michael Herz
in 1974. The company produces low-budget independent films, many of which have developed
cult followings
. Kaufman has been outspoken about their use of
guerrilla marketing
and tolerance of piracy, and he has written the books
All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger
and
Make Your Own Damn Movie!
, which outline his philosophy of quick and inexpensive independent film.
[11]
Paranormal Activity
, directed by first time director
Oren Peli
, was shot for approximately $10,000.
Michael Cieply
of
The New York Times
described the production and release as "guerrilla style". After being well received at film festivals, Paramount put the film on a tour where fans could request a screening.
[12]
Escape from Tomorrow
, made for $650,000, was "shot in a guerrilla-style manner at
Walt Disney World
and
Disneyland
without the permission of the parks," according to Jason Guerrasio of
Indiewire
. The film was originally expected to not be released due to fears of a lawsuit from Disney, but it was released on
video on demand
in October 2013.
[13]
Clark: A Gonzomentary
was a 2012
gonzo journalism
-styled mockumentary about an amateur filmmaker documenting a
Philadelphian
eccentric artist and his creative process. The guerrilla-style techniques implemented were used as part of the story itself, to represent the amateur production within the story. It was shot with a budget of less than $3,000 with a
Canon XL2
and a
Panasonic AG-DVX100
. The director opted out of using a
steadicam
purposefully to achieve more shakiness. It was awarded Outstanding Lead Actor in a comedy or mockumentary by The 2013
LA Web Series Festival
and deemed "a gonzomentary truly realized" by Mark Bell of
Film Threat
.
[14]
Super Demetrios
(2011), the first
Greek
superhero
film, made on a budget of €2,000, won the audience award at the 52nd
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
with the highest number of votes in the history of the festival and became an instant cult classic,
[15]
"proving that Greek guerrilla cinema can survive without state funding injections" according to Giannis Zoumboulakis of
To Vima
newspaper.
[16]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"For Release"
. Archived from
the original
on 15 January 2005
. Retrieved
23 October
2006
.
- ^
Maslin, Janet (23 September 1994).
"FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW; Ode to a Director Who Dared to Be Dreadful"
.
The New York Times
.
Archived
from the original on 29 November 2014
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Ebert, Roger
(11 June 2004).
"Baadasssss!"
.
RogerEbert.com
.
Archived
from the original on 21 February 2015
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Sisario, Ben (20 January 2010).
"He's Got It Bad, or 'Baad,' for His Art"
.
The New York Times
.
Archived
from the original on 5 May 2018
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Henderson, Stuart
(13 January 2008).
"She's Gotta Have It"
.
PopMatters
.
Archived
from the original on 3 December 2014
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Martin, Sharon Stockard (13 December 1987).
"PLEASE BABY. PLEASE BABY. PLEASE ..."
The New York Times
.
Archived
from the original on 29 November 2014
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Levy, Emanuel
(1999).
Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film
.
New York University Press
. p. 467.
ISBN
0-8147-5124-5
.
- ^
Broderick, Peter.
"THE ABC'S OF NO-BUDGET FILMMAKING"
.
Filmmaker
(Winter 1993).
Archived
from the original on 8 October 2015
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
"Production Update"
.
Filmmaker
(Winter 1997).
Archived
from the original on 20 June 2017
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
"Pi"
.
The Numbers
.
Archived
from the original on 5 December 2014
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Takahashi (8 April 2011).
"Steal this movie: cult film maker lets digital pirates share his content"
.
VentureBeat
.
Archived
from the original on 29 October 2014
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Cieply, Michael (20 September 2009).
"Thriller on Tour Lets Fans Decide on the Next Stop"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
Guerrasio, Jason (9 October 2013).
"How the Director of 'Escape From Tomorrow' Made a Crazy Guerrilla Movie in Disney World ? And Got Away With It"
.
Indiewire
.
Archived
from the original on 10 January 2015
. Retrieved
25 November
2014
.
- ^
"Reviews"
.
filmthreat.com
.
Archived
from the original on 2 January 2013
. Retrieved
5 May
2018
.
- ^
Kranakis, Manolis (18 April 2012).
"Ο "Σο?περ Δημ?τριο?" θα σ?σει την Ελλ?δα απ? την κρ?ση!"
[Super Demetrios will save Greece from (debt) crisis!].
Flix
(in Greek). Athens, Greece.
Archived
from the original on 15 August 2016
. Retrieved
15 August
2016
.
- ^
Zoumboulakis, Giannis (20 November 2011).
"Η γοητε?α του αντ?ρτη"
[The charm of guerrilla (filmmaker)].
To Vima
(in Greek). Athens.
Archived
from the original on 6 April 2012
. Retrieved
17 August
2016
.
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