How to Shoot a Feature Film for Under $10,000 (And Not Go to Jail)
Bret Stern started making feature films the day after college. He and some fanatical friends waited for the campus to empty out over Christmas break, and after taking the stuff in the school's equipment room, Bret and his crew spent seven days cranking out a feature film -- the only setbacks were the foreign students who raided the set for reading materials and the fake blood with chicken giblets that backed up the dorm's drainage system. After that there was only one alternative left -- to keep making movies. A brief stint as a location scout and then as Slaveboy at a New York commercial production company followed. Before getting fired Bret moved up from Slaveboy to Whipping Boy and then shot some commercials as Director of Photography. Once the hammer dropped, Bret had to decide which path to pursue, and although commercial work pays better, who could resist the opportunity to sleep in a cot in a bar for a week and take showers with a garden hose in the basement? What followed were the feature filmsPerfect LiesandDark Tides(where Bret got to sleep on a real bed but he had to share it with his Assistant Director). After much abuse, he felt back into his role as DP, shooting and directing many commercials. Days after he had enough money for the down payment on a house (and faster than his wife could say "Hutch and China set"), Bret was at work onRoad to Park City, which opened the 2000 Slamdance Film Festival and played in over fifteen others. What's next for Bret? After acquiring the grandfather clock for the house, it was time for the next feature -- a sci-fi extravaganza with a budget of $10,000, minus one cent.