DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

How to shoot a no-budget horror short film

Apr 29, 2021 by John Aldred Add Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Shooting short films is one of the greatest creative outlets for many video shooters, especially those that might otherwise be trapped in the corporate world, always shooting to a brief. But shooting a film, even a short one, can be quite expensive, depending on what that story is, and how you think you need to tell it.

This short film above, Whispers, shot by filmmaker Joris Hermans, however, was shot on no budget at all. Of course, there are some prerequisites. You need to have a camera (Joris used the Canon EOS M50) and other basic gear, but they’re things that almost all those interested in shooting with video will have already.

Despite the film only lasting for a minute and a half, a lot went into it, as Joris explains in the fifteen-and-a-half-minute behind-the-scenes video where he talks about the gear used, the actors and location, lighting and other tricks used to bring everything together.

Mounted to the Canon EOS M50, Joris used the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens, a variable ND filter, some Pixel RGB lights, and an inexpensive Neewer gravity-based handheld stabiliser. Overall, a very inexpensive set of gear that’s well within the means of most people who want to pursue video. And it’s not like you’d be buying the kit and only using it for your one short film. You’d be using it over and over again. So, they’re not really part of the budget.

“Budget” in film terms typically applies to expenses specifically for that production. It might be paying actors, hiring locations, renting equipment, hiring a crew, etc. The equipment you already own and the equipment you may have to buy and will continue to keep using isn’t really included.

But to save money on the budget, Joris used his girlfriend as his actor, the location was a local park and he used minimal lower end equipment he already owned. As for the little window on the tree… Well, that was already at the location. He has no idea how it got there or why it’s there, but it’s there, so he used it. Joris also covers a bunch of the tricks and techniques that he used to shoot the film and how to get around gear limitations in order to be able to create certain effects and it all results in a pretty cool short.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

This beautiful short film takes you on a tour behind the curtain at Ilford’s film factory Wedding Photographer Couple Shoot Horror Movie Trailer To Announce Their Pregnancy How to shoot Halloween horror in a small home studio “Dreaming” is a 4K short film shot on the Nikon Z6

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: cinematography, filmmaking, Joris Hermans, production, short films

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Helsinki City Museum shares over 65 000 images online for free use
“Disaster Girl” meme sold as NFT earns its owner $430,000 »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • The real problem with 2,400 watt LEDs
  • Feast your eyes on this colorful stellar fireworks of the Trifid Nebula
  • People are praising this photographer for not forcing little girls to smile
  • Retailers report Pentax 645Z discontinued without a successor
  • DIYP talks: The truth about cine lenses revealed

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy