Film Courage: Why do you make movies for less than $50,000?
J. Horton, Filmmaker/Youtuber/Podcaster: I think most people that make movies for less than $50,000 are making it just me because that’s what we have to work with or that’s what we can raise. I would feel much more comfortable as far as production goes working around $200,000 or $300,000. Making a $50,000 movie is tough no matter how you cut it, no matter what the scale of it is. Trying to pay people fair rates and it’s next to impossible. I make $50,000 movies for one because that’s the ceiling of (close to the ceiling) of what I can raise myself or pay for myself, anything beyond that it starts getting a little hairier. Then as far as returns to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t feel 100 percent comfortable right now taking a hundred thousand dollars on a movie I wouldn’t be positive I could return that back. $50,000 for the right movie. I’m 80/ 90 % sure I can return that back or at least most of it, 100 I don’t know.
Film Courage: When you say the right movie, are we talking narrative, are we talking documentary?
J.: It could be narrative or documentary. When I say right movie, the genre that’s doing well in the market, a scale that I think would work at that budget level for example, I’m getting ready to do a horror movie and it’s called Craving. The budget is right around $50,000/$60,000 and it’s a siege picture. It takes place mostly in one location. It has some incredible creature effects and right now as far as independent films go, independent horror movies (creature stuff) is doing really well. If your creature is good, it can do really well. Let’s just say for example the movie turned out mediocre but…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
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BIO:
Filmmaker, Youtube Creator and Producer of many feature films and documentaries, J. Horton is known for boldly crossing genre boundaries and ‘getting it done.” In addition to his prolific work in the film industry, he’s gained a lot of traction in recent years as a Youtube personality. His Channel The J. Horton is a go to spot for filmmakers wanting to learn more about the business side of filmmaking.
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