Guerilla filmmaking is a type of independent filmmaking with an ultra-low budget. These films are unique because they use a small crew, avoid permits, and shoot on location.
In this article, we will define this genre and break down the elements found within these films. We will also provide examples of guerrilla filmmaking and its impact on cinema.
What is Guerilla Filmmaking?
Guerilla filmmaking is a shooting style of low-budget films made without permits and with a bare minimum of crew. The term ‘guerilla’ comes from guerilla warfare, which has common traits due to its lack of organization, fast outcomes, and disregard for the rules.
In the late 1970s, filmmakers were able to make films for the first time without studio backing. They shot on portable cameras, with non-actors, and in real-life locations instead of studio sets. By doing this, they could cut costs and have more creative freedom. Once completed, they would sell their films to cinemas and on VHS.
Main Elements
As mentioned, there are many factors that make a guerrilla film stand out. These films will all follow similar filmmaking methods as a means to save production costs. Below are some key elements you will find in these films and why filmmakers use them.
Low Budget
The most important aspect of Guerrilla filmmaking is that it is an independent film shot on a low budget. Often, filmmakers will self-fund these films through donations or crowdfunding. Even so, the budget is very low and only includes essentials such as camera hire.
Filming Locations
Another common feature is that the filmmakers don’t play by the rules. Although they don’t do anything illegal, the filmmakers will cut costs in any way possible. One of the easiest ways to save money is to shoot on location instead of hiring a studio and avoid paying for permits.
Actors and Crew
Actors and crew are paid a low wage or not at all. In addition, they are usually non-union shoots, and the crew might consist of students. The crew is also a small ‘skeleton crew’ and only contains essential people such as the director, DOP, and sound recordist.
Film Examples
Guerilla filmmaking is a way of making films with as low a budget as possible. These films were popular from the 1980s to the 2000s and even competed with studio films in the cinema. Let’s look at some examples of these films and what made them low-budget.
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Spike Lee made his first full-length film She’s Gotta Have It using guerilla filmmaking techniques. He funded the movie through donations from family and friends. To cut costs, the script had minimal locations, no major props or costumes, and Lee himself starred in one of the roles.
Filming took place in New York over twelve days, and the final production budget was $175,000. Originally, it only had a VHS release but later became a classic cult movie and has since made $7.1 million.
El Marichi (1992)
Another notable example is Robert Rodriguiez’s first feature film El Marichi. He made it with just $7,000, half funded from taking part in medical tests. To save money he used a wheelchair for dolly shots and shot on location without permits.
Rodriguez originally made the film for the Latino video market, but it later had interest from major distributors. The film made $2 million at the box office and was awarded a Guinness World Record for being the first low-budget film to gross $1 million.
PI (1998)
Darren Aronofsky made his debut feature film PI using guerrilla filmmaking. He funded the $134,800 budget through donations from friends and family. He managed this by sending letters to everyone he knew, asking for $100 and promising to return $150.
To save money, the actors and crew took low pay and shot on minimal locations without permits. The film was a financial success at the box office, grossing $3 million in the United States. It was also the first film sold as a pay-per-view download on the internet.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
One example of a modern low-budget film is Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity. The budget was $10,000, and the director described the production as guerrilla style. Shooting took only seven days, and editing and VFX took place during the same week.
The film did well in film festivals and found distribution with a major studio, which invested more money into a re-edit. After the film had a worldwide cinema release, it made $194 million at the box office. It’s one of the highest-grossing low-budget films ever made.
It’s Impact On Modern Cinema
In the early 2000s, low-budget filmmakers were able to sell their films for profit. They would take their films to festivals and film markets to find a distributor. If the film didn’t do well in the cinema, they always had DVD sales to fall back on.
Then, the prevalence of the internet and streaming changed the dynamics of the film industry. Steaming didn’t offer as much pay-per-stream as DVD sales. As such, filmmakers made fewer low-budget films and began uploading them online to video hosting platforms like YouTube.
You can still make a guerilla film today using low-budget techniques. In fact, with digital cameras and smartphones, anyone can make a film without the need for a studio or distribution deal. However, to make a profit, you now need to rely on streaming platforms.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, guerilla filmmaking paved the way for many popular films and has influenced modern techniques. Filmmakers had to find clever ways to reduce the budget and cut costs wherever possible. However, some of these filmmakers were still able to make substantial profits.
However, these days, it’s much more difficult to make a low-budget film that has financial success. Cinema attendance is at an all-time low, and DVD sales are no guarantee of profit. Still, it is possible to make a low-budget film that does well in the cinema if you have a clever idea.
