Guerrilla filmmaking

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Guerrilla filmmaking refers to a form of independent filmmaking characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews, and simple props using whatever is available. Often scenes are shot quickly in real locations without any warning, and without obtaining permission from the owners of the locations.

Guerrilla filmmaking is usually done by independent filmmakers because they don't have the budget to get permits, rent out locations, or build expansive sets. Also studios tend not to use guerrilla filmmaking tactics because they could be sued, fined, or get their reputation hurt.

"Guerrilla filmmaking is driven by passion with whatever means at hand", Yukon Film Commission Manager Mark Hill. [1]

1 Guerrilla films
2 Technology
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Guerrilla films

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, directed by Melvin Van Peebles, was funded and distributed outside of the Hollywood system and broke conventions with its visual style, as well as its content.

Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It was a guerrilla film on a budget of $175,000 which had a box office of $7,137,502. This highly stylized film received much acclaim. It was Spike Lee's first feature length film and inspired Spike Lee to write the book Spike Lee's Gotta Have It: Inside Guerrilla Filmmaking.

Robert Rodriguez shot the action flick El Mariachi in Spanish, inspired by John Woo films. El Mariachi, which was shot for around $7,000 with money partially raised by volunteering in medical research studies, won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992. The film, originally intended for the Spanish-language low-budget home-video market, was distributed by Columbia Pictures in the United States. Rodriguez described his experiences making the film in his book Rebel Without a Crew. The book and film inspired legions of hopeful filmmakers to pick up cameras and make no-budget movies.

Pi, directed by Darren Aronofsky, was made on a relatively low budget of $60,000. It proved to be a financial success at the box office ($3.2 million gross in the U.S.) despite only a limited release to theaters. Aronofsky raised money for the project by selling $100 shares in the film to family and friends, and was able to pay them all back with a $50 profit per-share when the film was sold to Artisan.

Troma Entertainment is a film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces low budget independent movies, many of which have developed cult followings around the world. Many Troma films are intentionally produced in the Brechtian form which is vastly different to mainstream horror movies. Troma is also known for reusing the same props, actors, and scenes over and over again, sometimes to save money. Lloyd Kaufman has written the book All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger which outlines his philosophy of quick and inexpensive independent film.

[edit] Technology

The advent of digital cameras and home computer editing systems such as Final Cut Pro, Avid Xpress and Premiere are a contributing factor to the increase in guerrilla filmmaking. Avid and Final Cut Pro are the two most popular and critically acclaimed software. Avid Express is the industry standard and is run on PCs. Final Cut Pro is a Mac based program which is growing in popularity as the industry standard. Digital editing is a cheap and easy form of editing that allows the filmmaker to edit anywhere and at a low budget. Many digital effect programs that go along with these editing systems are: Apple's Motion, Adobe's Illustrator, and After Effects.

Many guerrilla filmmakers are now using professional quality digital cameras because of their cheap cost, and the ability to set up shots quickly. Popular digital cameras inculde the Canon XL-2, Thomas Viper, and Panasonic DVX to name a few.

Many films have used digital cameras in the place of film cameras such as: 28 Days Later , Miami Vice, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, and Sin City. One recent film shot on consumer camcorders that has received major attention and awards is My Date with Drew, directed by Brian Herzlinger.