What Is Micro Budget Film School?
Micro Budget Film School is a growing online resource for filmmakers. We study and teach ultra-low-budget filmmaking practices and techniques.
Our goal is to help emerging filmmakers create opportunities for themselves, and help them to produce high-quality films on extremely low budgets. We are less concerned with the ever-changing technical side of filmmaking (cameras, software, etc.) and focus more on universal practices, such as cast & crew management, film marketing, financing and distribution all from an extremely low-budget perspective.
The founder of Micro Budget Film School is Bradley Stevens, who has been teaching the 2-Day Micro Budget Filmmaking Class in Australia since 2015.
In 2018, this course was expanded into an 8-Week Online course called The Feature Filmmaker Program, and made available internationally. This highly-rated program is our flagship course and teaches students how to produce their own complete feature length film on a Micro Budget.
We have planned and recorded a PodCast for release in 2019 which will feature many interviews with Micro Budget Filmmakers. We also have plans to create a library of free online mini-courses, downloadable workbooks and guides, and write in-depth studies on Micro Budget film production.
To be notified of all upcoming teaching, content, podcasts and more, join our mailing list below and get the free Micro Budget Film Producer Pack at the same time:
Who This Is For?
Micro Budget Film School is dedicated to solving all the problems, from the creative to the logistical, from the financial to the managerial, to help you get your first feature film made and sold.
If you love film and you want to make film, whether you've been to a Film School or not, share what you find on this site, and contribute to the community of hungry filmmakers.
If you don't want to make film, if you just enjoy watching-- then maybe this isn't for you. There are many other sites which will interview famous actors and directors. But that's often useless to the start-up filmmaker. That's why Micro Budget Film School is different: We focus on what makes a difference earlier in your career.
What is a Micro Budget Film?
Micro Budget Filmmaking trims the fat. It's about making excellent quality films for budgets so small, you can afford them. It's about making thrilling cinema that stands its ground in a forest of big-budget garbage, despite being made for a fraction of the price. It's about making films that people are hungry for, films that people will talk about... but doing it without getting the latest Hollywood star.
Filmmaking is an extraordinary art form. So why should it be only accessible to the few people who are in the clique, or have the means to create big budget films? That's garbage. This industry shouldn't be owned by the 1%. Voices of dissent should be on the screen and minority groups should be able to share their stories with the same fervour and power as the rest.
But we know that money is, and always will be, the biggest hurdle. So that's why Micro Budget Film School exists. Not to pat filmmakers on the back. Not to swill wine and discuss poor plot points in the latest Marvel film.
But to gather, share and create resources that can show filmmakers how to do it, cheaply and effectively.
About Brad:
My name is Bradley Stevens, and I'm the founder of Micro Budget Film School. I personally teach the 2-Day Micro Budget Filmmaking Class and the Feature Filmmaker Program. I began making movies at 10 years old with an awful black-and-white video camera, a zombie mask, some friends and some fake blood. We sucked, but I was addicted.
At school, I focussed on being an actor, topped my class and went to university in 2005 to study acting. I was hungry to work on any film at any cost, and so worked on over 20 short films in less than 3 years. Some won awards (including a Best Actor award for me) whilst other films were so bad they probably shouldn't have been made. I got representation with my country's top acting agent, but was later told I didn't have the "leading man" look, and they stopped putting me up for work. It was clear my career was not someone else's responsibility... I had to make it work myself.
In 2009, some filmmakers and I committed to making a no-budget feature film for $400. It was all we could afford. I was a co-producer, assisted with story, composed the music, acted in it, and much more. We were young and naive... but we learnt a lot. Unsurprisingly, we cut too many corners and the film never found an audience. We had no strategy- we made whatever we could, and crossed our fingers. If only I knew then what I do now.
Having met so many passionate filmmakers over the years, I noticed that their talent wasn't what was holding them back from making extraordinary films and having a stable career.
It was always the same thing stopping them:
Opportunity.
Or rather, the lack of opportunity.
Micro Budget Film strategy was the missing piece. Filmmakers have passion, but lack the business skills to put their passion into purpose. Filmmakers need the solution to finding money for production, spending it correctly, and selling the films that they made. If Filmmakers knew how to do this, then they could create their own opportunities to do what they do best.
I'd already learnt that opportunities aren't found or given... they are made.
I don't pretend to be the shining example of how it's done right-- not at all. But I've worked extensively over the last 5 years to develop accurate, reliable and practical teaching on this topic, and that is reflected by the outstanding testimonials and reviews of our classes.
I believe in cinema. I believe in the power of film. And I'm here to help Filmmakers utilise that power.
Micro Budget Film School feels like my calling. I hope I can help you.
To get started, Click Here to download the Micro Budget Film Producer Pack