# Would You Make a Movie If... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032 "2019-02-05T22:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/1 "2019-02-05T22:29:39Z")
you were given funds ONLY to make the movie? Small budget, 5 figures. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/2 "2019-02-05T22:37:02Z")
Yes. Is there a follow-up question? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/3 "2019-02-05T22:38:43Z")
No. It would be a waste of money and everybody’s time. I know nothing about making movies. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/4 "2019-02-05T22:43:06Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Yes. > Is there a follow-up question? Not really. I sort of left it up to anyone who wants to respond with what they want. I don’t wanna sound like I’m trying to steal ideas. I think about making one all the time. I almost did, but people are not dependable. But I didn’t have a budget when I tried. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/5 "2019-02-05T22:43:41Z")
Which movie? ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/6 "2019-02-05T22:44:27Z")
Yes. Would it be a good movie? Probably not. Do I get to pick the genre? If so, a documentary of my weekend in Vegas could suck up 5 figures easily. just keep the cameras rolling at all time and I think it meets the criteria of the OP. To be serious, Robert Rodriguez famously made his first film, El Mariachi, for about $7000 (only 4 figures), so it can be done with creativity. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/7 "2019-02-05T22:54:35Z")
Sure, assuming it’s a message I agree with. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/8 "2019-02-05T22:55:31Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > Not really. I sort of left it up to anyone who wants to respond with what they want. I don’t wanna sound like I’m trying to steal ideas. > > I think about making one all the time. I almost did, but people are not dependable. But I didn’t have a budget when I tried. Alright, leaving it open to creativity. You say “small budget, 5 figures” but since you didn’t specify the movie, I’ll note that 5 figures could be a pretty impressive porn movie budget. 5-figure documentaries could also have some legs. I’d also like to see how well one could make a movie using a video game engine. I admit to having trouble answering the question because I don’t really what costs what in the film-making business. I could easily have an idea for a scene but finds that actually doing it halfway decently starts at 6 figures. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/9 "2019-02-05T23:12:02Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > To be serious, Robert Rodriguez famously made his first film, El Mariachi, for about $7000 (only 4 figures), so it can be done with creativity. I served with Robert Rodriguez. I knew Robert Rodriguez. Robert Rodriguez was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Robert Rodriguez. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/10 "2019-02-05T23:38:47Z")
Sorry, I only make [billion dollar movies.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_KnUi3t2JI) ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/11 "2019-02-06T00:22:40Z")
Yes, I’ll make a movie. When do we start? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/12 "2019-02-06T00:52:40Z")
Of course! I would make it an homage to the crappy B-movies I love so much, so it wouldn’t require a big budget. It would look like a lost Hal Needham flick from the mid-80’s. Judicious use of cgi and modern editing would cheapen the cost a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/13 "2019-02-06T01:38:49Z")
Hey, Dark Star had a budget of $60k. Pretty good start for Dan O’Bannon’s career… ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/14 "2019-02-06T01:47:14Z")
I’d do it, and I’d go for a horror film. I can think of a handful of films made crazy cheap, besides El Mariachi…Primer, Blair Witch, Jahar Panafi’s Offside…mine would be massively worse than those, of course, but it would be fun. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/15 "2019-02-06T02:49:35Z")
Well, I know Oliver Robins (Poltergeist) who is today an indie film maker, so I’d give him free rein and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/16 "2019-02-06T03:08:21Z")
I’d write a movie script for that, sure. It would be a bitchy comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/17 "2019-02-06T03:56:09Z")
Sure. I’m starring and the soundtrack will have a whole lotta ‘Wah-Wah’ pedal in it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/18 "2019-02-06T08:36:43Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Sure. I’m starring and the soundtrack will have a whole lotta ‘Wah-Wah’ pedal in it. 😉 Uhhh… a biopic of the 90’s British band The Stone Roses. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/19 "2019-02-06T08:41:47Z")
You mean work for free? No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032/20 "2019-02-06T08:49:10Z")
I made a short film with about $5000. Almost nobody got paid, so that covered things like costumes and props. If I had had $50,000 I would have paid everyone, maybe stretched it to be a longer shoot and a longer storyline. Nobody I know can make even a fairly straight domestic feature-length film for less than half a million, and more likely at least $2m, if everyone expects to be paid decently for their time. The reason movies are expensive is because there are a lot of moving parts, many unexpected and hard to anticipate, and it adds up fast. Catering alone can eat up a big chunk of change. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-make-a-movie-if/829032.md?page=2)