1 – Cut your own hair. I bought a pair of thinning scissors two years ago for £8 and I’ve been cutting my own hair since. Numerous compliments have followed. One woman was so impressed she even tearily said “thank you”. The result of cutting one’s own hair for two years? I’ve saved £200+ which is almost the budget of my earlier feature films alone, and I have my hair exactly as I want it.
2 – Give up/cut down on drinking. Once you face the fact that you don’t need alcohol at all and acknowledge that spending, on average, £30 per night out adds up very quickly; stopping altogether not only benefits your health, it also means you can save £1500 if you usually go out once a week. I’m not suggesting you cut it out altogether like I did, but you can make three to five films with that amount. So even if you go out three out of four times a month, you’ll still be saving around £300…enough for a no-budget feature film.
3 – Borrow money. I’ve never done this as you are obliged to pay it back, and will no doubt feel a responsibility towards those you borrowed from, to make a great film. If it isn’t great you’ll probably feel worse.
4 – Steal it. Not recommended for obvious reasons.
5 – Get a second job. Self-explanitory.
6 – Kickstarter.com – a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors and explorers. Check out the site for more.
Doing these things (minus numbers 3 and 4) a few years ago meant that I had enough money to shoot two films in the space of a year, whilst at the same time, saving money for travelling. Doing these things hasn’t stopped me doing anything I’ve wanted to throughout the years either; I’ve still visited and gone out with friends, been to the cinema, and been able to eat. Perhaps it’s time for a rethink?
