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{{short description|Motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor}}
{{redirect|Low Budget|the album|Low Budget (album)|the song|Low Budget (song)}}
{{BMovie}}

A '''low-budget film''' or '''low-budget movie''' is a [[film|motion picture]] shot with little to no funding from a [[major film studios|major film studio]] or private investor.

Many [[independent film]]s are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced or unknown filmmakers can also have low budgets. Many young or first-time filmmakers shoot low-budget films to prove their talent before working on larger productions. Most low-budget films that do not gain some form of attention or acclaim are never released in theatres and are often sent straight to retail due to their lack of marketability, look, [[narrative]] story, or [[premise (narrative)|premise]]. No precise number defines a low-budget production, and it is relative to both genre and country. What might be a low-budget film in one country may be a big budget in another. Modern-day young filmmakers rely on [[film festival]]s for pre-promotion. They use this to gain acclaim and attention for their films, which often leads to a [[limited release]] in theatres. Films that acquire a [[cult film|cult following]] may be given a [[wide release]]. Low-budget films can be either professional productions or [[Amateur film|amateur]]. They are either shot using professional or consumer-grade equipment.

Some genres are more conducive to low-budget filmmaking than others. [[Horror film]]s are a very popular genre for low-budget [[directorial debut]]s. Jeremy Gardner, director of ''[[The Battery (2012 film)|The Battery]]'' says that horror fans are more attracted to how the films affect them than seeing [[movie star]]s. This allows horror films to focus more on provoking a reaction than on expensive casting choices. [[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]] films are also a popular choice for low-budget films, as they focus on narrative. [[Science fiction film]]s, which were once the domain of [[B movie]]s, frequently require a big budget to accommodate their special effects, but low-cost do-it-yourself [[computer-generated imagery]] can make them affordable, especially when they focus on story and characterization. [[Plot device]]s like shooting as [[found footage (pseudo-documentary)|found footage]] can lower production costs, and scripts that rely on extended dialogue, such as ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'' or ''[[Sex, Lies, and Videotape]]'', can entertain audiences without many sets.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10875377/How-to-make-a-low-budget-film-in-three-easy-steps.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10875377/How-to-make-a-low-budget-film-in-three-easy-steps.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=How to make a low-budget film in three easy steps|last=Billson|first=Anne|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=June 9, 2014|access-date=August 18, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The money flow in filmmaking is a unique system because of the uncertainty of demand. The makers of the film do not know how well the film they release will be received. They may predict a film will do very well and pay back the cost of production but only get a portion back. Or the opposite may happen where a project that few think will go far can bring in more profit than imaginable. A big gambling variable that is also involved is the use of stars. Frequently stars are brought on to a project to gain the film publicity and fame. This process can be profitable, but it is not a foolproof mechanism to successful funding.<ref>Mckenzie, Jordi. "The Economics Of Movies: A Literature Survey." Journal of Economic Surveys 26.1 (2012): 42-70. EBSCO. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.</ref> Well-known actors may join a low-budget film for a portion of the gross.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/hit-microbudget-pics-offer-healthy-backend-for-name-actors-1200349263/|title=Hit Microbudget Pics Offer Healthy Backend for Name Actors|last=McNary|first=Dave|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=April 11, 2013|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=May 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523175431/https://variety.com/2013/film/news/hit-microbudget-pics-offer-healthy-backend-for-name-actors-1200349263/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable low-budget films==
[[File:WayneWang1983.jpg|thumb|Wayne Wang directs actors in an early indie film (''[[Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart]]'') in San Francisco, California 1983. Photos by Nancy Wong.]]
[[Bruce Lee]]'s low-budget 1970s [[Hong Kong martial arts films]] were some of the most commercially successful<ref name="Thomas1994">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Bruce |title=Bruce Lee, Fighting Spirit: A Biography |date=1994 |publisher=Frog Books |location=[[Berkeley, California]] |isbn=9781883319250 |url-access=registration |page=247 |url=https://archive.org/details/bruceleefighting0000thom_d0z5/page/247 |quote=A month after Bruce's death, ''Enter the Dragon'' was released. (...) The film went on to gross over {{US$|200 million|long=no}}, the ratio of cost to profit making it perhaps the most commercially successful film ever made.}}</ref> and [[profitable]] films of all time.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bishop |first1=James |title=Remembering Bruce: The Enduring Legend of the Martial Arts Superstar |date=1999 |publisher=Cyclone Books |isbn=978-1-890723-21-7 |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zh0f8EsE5GUC |quote=Three weeks after Bruce Lee died Enter the Dragon was released in the United States and became an instant hit. The movie, made for around $800,000, made {{US$|3 million|long=no}} in its first seven weeks. Its success spread to Europe and then worldwide. It would eventually make over {{US$|200 million|long=no}}, making it one of the most profitable movies of all time.}}</ref> ''[[The Way of the Dragon]]'' (1972) grossed {{US$|85 million|long=no}} worldwide against a $130,000 budget (a {{formatnum:{{#expr:(85000000/130000)*100 round -3}}|}}% [[return on investment]]), while ''[[Enter the Dragon]]'' ([[1973 in film|1973]]) grossed {{US$|265 million|long=no}} worldwide against a $850,000 budget (a {{formatnum:{{#expr:(265000000/850000)*100 round -3}}|}}% return on investment).<ref name="Thomas2012">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Bruce |title=Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit |date=2012 |publisher=[[Pan Macmillan]] |isbn=978-0-283-07081-5 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Az31YkYFG2MC&pg=PT224 |quote=''Enter the Dragon'' cost just $850,000 to produce and by 2006 had earned more than {{US$|265 million|long=no}} at the box office. And with a mere $130,000 production budget, ''Way of the Dragon'' went on to gross more than {{US$|85 million|long=no}}.}}</ref> Another example of a very successful low-budget [[Asian cinema|Asian film]] from the same decade was the 1975 [[Bollywood]] "[[Dacoit Western]]" film ''[[Sholay]]'', which cost {{INR|20 million|link=yes}} ($400,000)<ref>{{cite web|title=Sholay |url=http://www.ibosnetwork.com/asp/filmbodetails.asp?id=Sholay |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630155123/http://www.ibosnetwork.com/asp/filmbodetails.asp?id=Sholay |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-30 |website=IBOS Network |publisher=International Business Overview Standard |access-date=2007-12-06 }}</ref> to produce and grossed {{INR|3 billion}} ($67 million), making it [[Indian cinema]]'s [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing film]] ever up until then.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sholay adjusted gross|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Box-Office-With-Rs-200cr-in-kitty-Ghajini-rewrites-records/articleshow/3965713.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105005642/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-12/india/28035919_1_ghajini-akshay-kumar-highest-grosser|url-status=live|archive-date=2012-11-05|access-date=2010-12-27 |work=[[The Times of India]]|date=2009-01-12}}</ref>

[[Wayne Wang]]'s film ''[[Chan Is Missing]]'', set on the streets of San Francisco's Chinatown, was made for $20,000 in 1982. [[San Francisco Chronicle]] columnist [[Herb Caen]] wrote that the budget would not have paid for the shoelaces in the film ''[[Annie (1982 film)|Annie]]''.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}

One of the most successful low-budget films was 1999's ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]''. It had a budget of around $60,000 but grossed almost $250 million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Blair Witch Project |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0185937/rankings/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=2024-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708183548/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0185937/rankings/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It spawned books, a trilogy of video games, and a [[Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2|less-popular sequel]]. Another successful low-budget film was 2007's ''[[Paranormal Activity]]'', with a budget of only $15,000, the film went on to gross more than $190 million.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} Possibly an even more successful low-budget film was the 1972 film ''[[Deep Throat (film)|Deep Throat]]'' which cost only $22,500 to produce, yet was rumored to have grossed over $600 million, though this figure is often disputed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deep Throat Numbers Just Don't Add Up|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-feb-24-fi-golden24-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 8, 2011|first=Michael|last=Hiltzik|date=2005-02-24|archive-date=2018-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023005332/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/feb/24/business/fi-golden24|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another film that not only had a major return on its investment but also had a huge cultural impact was ''[[Mad Max (film)|Mad Max]]''. ''Mad Max'' was made for $200,000 USD but returned over 100 million USD. It also started off a major franchise that resulted in another 3 movies.<ref>Mad Max Franchise - the numbers https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Mad-Max#tab=summary {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523175431/https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Mad-Max#tab=summary |date=2022-05-23 }}</ref>
''Mad Max'' held the [[Guinness Book of Records]] record for most profitable movie for 20 years, eventually beaten by ''The Blair Witch Project''.<ref>Vanity Fair "Mad Max History https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/mad-max-history {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516214206/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/mad-max-history |date=2021-05-16 }}</ref>

''[[Rocky]]'' was shot on a budget of $1 million and eventually grossed $225 million worldwide, making [[Sylvester Stallone]] a star.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-26-ca-55716-story.html|title=Sly's Once-Rocky Life|last=King|first=Susan|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 26, 2001|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=May 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523175431/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-26-ca-55716-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Rocky#tab=summary|title=Rocky (1976)|work=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=August 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817193440/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Rocky#tab=summary|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' was produced on a budget of $325,000 and grossed $70 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/10/john-carpenter-qa-halloween-sequels-michael-myers-861942/|title=John Carpenter Q&A: Why 'Halloween' Didn't Need Sequels & What Scares The Master Of Horror|last=Yamato|first=Jen|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=October 31, 2014|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=May 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523175431/https://deadline.com/2014/10/john-carpenter-qa-halloween-sequels-michael-myers-861942/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Halloween#tab=summary|title=Halloween (1978)|work=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=January 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117070302/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Halloween#tab=summary|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]'' cost less than $400,000 to make but its gross revenue was $46 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/10-profitable-low-budget-films/2/|title=Napoleon Dynamite|last=Lowe|first=Alexander|work=We Got This Covered|date=July 2, 2013|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=August 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150828161605/http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/10-profitable-low-budget-films/2/|url-status=live}}</ref> Divisions of [[major film studio]]s that specialize in such films, such as [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]], [[Miramax]], and [[New Line Cinema]], have made the distribution of low budget films competitive.<ref>{{cite book|title=American Independent Cinema: Indie, Indiewood and Beyond|last1=King|first1=Geoff|last2=Molloy|first2=Claire|last3=Tzioumakis|first3=Yannis|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2013|isbn=9780415684286|page=206|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ibUEeJMNCYC&pg=PA206}}</ref>

The UK film ''[[Monsters (2010 film)|Monsters]]'' is a recent successful example of bringing what was once considered the exclusive preserve of the big studios—the expensive, special effects blockbuster—to independent, low-budget cinema.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/movies/17monsters.html|title=Making Movies With Laptops and Ingenuity|last=Kohn|first=Eric|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 13, 2010|access-date=August 18, 2015|archive-date=May 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525143102/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/movies/17monsters.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The film's budget was reported to be approximately $500,000,<ref name="boxofficemojo1">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=monsters2010.htm |title=Monsters (2010) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=2010-11-21 |access-date=2010-11-27 |archive-date=2014-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714223942/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=monsters2010.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> but it grossed $4,188,738<ref name="boxofficemojo1"/> at the box office.

A considerable number of low- and modest-budget films have been forgotten by their makers and fallen into the [[public domain]]. This has been especially true of low-budget films made in the United States from 1923 to 1978 (films and other works made in the US during this period fell into public domain if their copyrights were not renewed 28 years after the original production). Examples include a number of films made by [[Ed Wood]] or [[Roger Corman]].

Some low-budget films have failed miserably at the box office and been quickly forgotten, only to increase in popularity decades later. A number of cheaply made movies have attained cult-film status after being considered [[List of films considered the worst|some of the worst features ever made]] for many years. The most famous examples of this latter-day popularity of low-budget box-office failures include ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space]]'' and ''[[Manos: The Hands of Fate]]''.

Additionally, some low-cost films that have had little (or modest) success upon their initial release have later been considered classics. ''[[The Last Man on Earth (1964 film)|The Last Man on Earth]]'' was the first adaptation of the novel ''[[I Am Legend (novel)|I Am Legend]]'' by [[Richard Matheson]]. Due to budgetary constraints, the vampires in the film were zombie-like creatures instead of fast and agile monsters portrayed in the novel. This approach (and film) was not considered a success at the time, but it inspired [[George A. Romero]]'s work in his film ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]''. Thus, ''The Last Man on Earth'' became a precursor to numerous [[zombie films]], and fans of those films later re-discovered the original, making it a cult classic.

==Micro budget==
[[File:Curtis Choy and Chris Chow prepare to interview Wendy Yoshimura.jpg|thumb|Preparing to record the 1976 [[Wendy Yoshimura]] documentary, "Wendy...uh...What's Her Name" in Fresno, California, 1976.]]{{Main|Microfilmmaking}}
A micro budget film is that which is made on an extremely low budget, sometimes as little as a few thousand dollars. An example of such would be the popular 1992 film ''[[El Mariachi]]'', in which the director [[Robert Rodriguez]] was unable to afford second takes due to the $7000 budget. Despite this, it was a success both critically and commercially, and started the young director's career.

Some of the most critically acclaimed micro-budget films were by the [[Cinema of West Bengal|Bengali film]] director [[Satyajit Ray]], his most famous being ''[[The Apu Trilogy]]'' (1955–1959). The first film in the trilogy, ''[[Pather Panchali (film)|Pather Panchali]]'' (1955), was produced on a shoestring budget<ref>{{Citation|last = Robinson|given1 = A|year = 2003|title = Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye: The Biography of a Master Film-Maker|publisher = I. B. Tauris|isbn = 1-86064-965-3|page=77}}</ref> of [[Indian rupee|Rs.]]{{nbsp}}200,000 ($3000)<ref>{{cite magazine|title=50 years of Pather Panchali|author=Pradip Biswas|magazine=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen Weekly]]|date=September 16, 2005|url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/archive/archive_fullstory.php?content_id=11150|access-date=2009-04-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602000402/http://www.screenindia.com/old/archive/archive_fullstory.php?content_id=11150|archive-date=June 2, 2009}}</ref> using an amateur cast and crew.<ref>{{Citation|last = Robinson|given1 = A|year = 2003|title = Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye: The Biography of a Master Film-Maker|publisher = I. B. Tauris|isbn = 1-86064-965-3|pages=78–9}}</ref> The three films are now frequently listed among the [[Films considered the greatest ever|greatest films of all time]].<ref name=bfipoll>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/history/1992.html |title=The Sight & Sound Top Ten Poll: 1992 |work=[[Sight & Sound]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=2008-05-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309164155/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/history/1992.html |archive-date=2012-03-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/take/one/full_list.php3?category=10 |title=Take One: The First Annual Village Voice Film Critics' Poll |access-date=2006-07-27|year=1999 |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826201343/http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/take/one/full_list.php3?category=10|archive-date= 2007-08-26}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222124411/https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |date=2016-12-22 }} By the film critics of ''The New York Times'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', 2002.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050523235033/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 23, 2005|title=All-time 100 Movies|access-date=2008-05-19|magazine=Time|publisher=Time Inc|date=2005-02-12}}</ref> All his other films that followed also had micro-budgets or low-budgets, with his most expensive films being ''[[Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne|The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha]]'' (1968) at Rs.{{nbsp}}600,000 ($12,000)<ref>{{cite news|title=The university called Satyajit Ray|author=Mohammed Wajihuddin|newspaper=Express India|date=September 7, 2004|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=98548|access-date=2009-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041014033023/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=98548|archive-date=October 14, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari]]'' (1977) at Rs.{{nbsp}}2 million ($40,000).<ref>{{cite web|title=Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players)|publisher=Satyajit Ray official site|url=http://www.satyajitray.org/films/shatran.htm|access-date=2009-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026200942/http://satyajitray.org/films/shatran.htm|archive-date=2018-10-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another example would be the 1977 [[cult film]] ''[[Eraserhead]]'', which cost only $10,000 to produce. Director [[David Lynch]] had so much trouble securing funds that the film had to be made over a six-year period, whenever Lynch could afford to shoot scenes.

''[[Slacker (film)|Slacker]]'', a 1991 comedy-drama film written and directed by [[Richard Linklater]], was produced for $23,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/08/08/low-budget-slacker-attracting-cult-following/|title=Low-budget 'Slacker' attracting cult following|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=August 8, 1991|access-date=August 17, 2015}}</ref> The film was inducted into the [[National Film Registry]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2012/12/18/dirty-harry-the-matrix-library-of-congress-national-film-registry-2012/1777691/|title='Dirty Harry,' 'Matrix' added to National Film Registry|last=Truitt|first=Brian|work=[[USA Today]]|date=December 19, 2012|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401184026/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2012/12/18/dirty-harry-the-matrix-library-of-congress-national-film-registry-2012/1777691/|url-status=live}}</ref> Influenced by the success of ''Slacker'', ''[[Clerks (1994 film)|Clerks]]'' was written and directed by [[Kevin Smith]] for $27,575 in 1994 which he paid for on his [[credit card]] and grossed $3.2 million in theatres. ''Clerks'' launched Smith's career as a director and he has made several considerable higher budget films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/10-profitable-low-budget-films/4/|title=Clerks|last=Lowe|first=Alexander|work=We Got This Covered|date=July 2, 2013|access-date=August 17, 2015}}</ref>

In 1998, [[Christopher Nolan]]'s first film ''[[Following]]'' was filmed on a budget of £3,000. Nolan then received another £3,000 to "blow it up to 35mm".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2003/07/29/christopher-nolan-3373951/|title=Christopher Nolan|date=29 July 2003|website=metro.co.uk|access-date=18 March 2018|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107030016/http://metro.co.uk/2003/07/29/christopher-nolan-3373951/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Primer (film)|Primer]]'' is a 2004 American science fiction film written, directed and produced by Shane Carruth, a former mathematician and engineer, who also starred, and was completed on a budget of only $7,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/01/26/7000-movie-wins-top-sundance-prize/|title=$7,000 movie wins top Sundance prize|last=Caro|first=Mark|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=January 26, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2015}}</ref>

Also in 2004, the [[Documentary film|documentary]] ''[[Tarnation (2003 film)|Tarnation]]'' had a budget of $218.32,<ref>{{cite news |title=Micro-budget film wows Cannes |author=Ian Youngs |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3720455.stm |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=18 May 2004 |access-date=24 November 2012 |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525145052/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3720455.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New and Noteworthy: iPod industry standard?: Wired's Vaporware 2003; iMovie movie at Sundance |author=CNET staff |url=http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10343682-263.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119095706/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10343682-263.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 January 2013 |newspaper=[[CNET]] |date=21 January 2004 |access-date=24 November 2012 }}</ref> but grossed $1,200,000.

In 2007 the [[Tribeca Film Festival]] premiered the first film shot in a cell phone. Dutch avant-garde filmmaker [[Cyrus Frisch]] shot the 70-minute film, titled [[Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me It Would Become This Bad in Afghanistan]] for only $200 on a Sharp 903 cell phone, with its built-in 3.2-megapixel camera.

''[[Paranormal Activity]]'', a 2007 horror film written and directed by Oren Peli, was made for $15,000 and grossing about $193,355,800 (adjusted by inflation: ${{Inflation|US|193,355,800|2009|fmt=c}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity.htmid=paranormalactivity.htm|title=Paranormal Activity|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=2011-11-23|archive-date=2013-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526204403/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity.htmid=paranormalactivity.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' critic [[Owen Gleiberman]] gave ''Paranormal Activity'' an A− rating (A being the highest mark) and called it "frightening...freaky and terrifying" and said that "''Paranormal Activity'' scrapes away 30 years of encrusted nightmare clichés."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ew.com/article/2009/10/23/paranormal-activity/ |title=Paranormal Activity |author=Owen Gleiberman |date=October 23, 2009 |publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=30 October 2010 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200440/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20309083,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[One Cut of the Dead]]'' (2017), a low-budget Japanese [[zombie comedy]] film, was produced on a budget of {{JPY|3 million|link=yes}} ($25,000) and went on to gross over {{JPY|3.12 billion}} ({{US$|{{To USD|3120|JPN|round=yes}} million|long=no}}) at the Japanese box office, where it made history by earning over a thousand times its budget.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Hanh |title='One Cut of the Dead': A Bootleg of the Japanese Zombie Comedy Mysteriously Appeared on Amazon |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/12/amazon-one-cut-of-the-dead-zombie-bootleg-movie-pirated-1202031415/ |access-date=2 March 2019 |work=[[IndieWire]] |date=31 December 2018 |archive-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026101608/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/12/amazon-one-cut-of-the-dead-zombie-bootleg-movie-pirated-1202031415/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2018 |url=http://www.eiren.org/boxoffice_e/index.html |website=Eiren |publisher=[[:ja:日本映画製作者連盟|Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan]] |access-date=2 March 2019 |archive-date=4 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104035530/http://www.eiren.org/boxoffice_e/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Johannes Grenzfurthner]]'s horror films ''[[Masking Threshold (film)|Masking Threshold]]'' (2021) and ''[[Razzennest]]'' (2022) were both made for a budget of EUR 20,000. Both films premiered at [[Fantastic Fest]] and were well received. Grenzfurthner talks about his productions and financing in lectures and interviews.<ref>{{cite web |title=Geld für den Kino Kardinal |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000144910565/geld-fuer-den-kino-kardinal-und-die-preise-der-diagonale |website=Der Standard |publisher=Der Standard |access-date=28 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326163259/https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000144910565/geld-fuer-den-kino-kardinal-und-die-preise-der-diagonale |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fantastic Fest 2022: Razzennest |url=https://thetwingeeks.com/2022/09/26/fantastic-fest-2022-razzennest-subversive-festival-darling-has-something-new-to-say/ |website=The Twin Geeks |date=26 September 2022 |publisher=The Twin Geeks |access-date=28 March 2023 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328110244/https://thetwingeeks.com/2022/09/26/fantastic-fest-2022-razzennest-subversive-festival-darling-has-something-new-to-say/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Geld für den Kino Kardinal |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/masking-threshold/ |website=Film Threat |date=28 September 2021 |publisher=Film Threat |access-date=28 March 2023 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328110245/https://filmthreat.com/reviews/masking-threshold/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Academic research on low-budget film production (economic)==
Only a small amount of academic research has been conducted on the economic impact of low-budget feature-film production. Two studies conducted from a British perspective includes Steve Chibnall's ''Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film''<ref>Chibnall, Steve (2007). [http://www.screeningthepast.com/2015/01/quota-quickies-the-birth-of-the-british-%E2%80%98b%E2%80%99-film/ ''Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203221445/http://www.screeningthepast.com/2015/01/quota-quickies-the-birth-of-the-british-%E2%80%98b%E2%80%99-film/ |date=2020-12-03 }}. London: British Film Institute. {{ISBN|978-1844571550}}.</ref> and [[JC Crissey]]'s doctoral thesis ''The UK low-budget film sector during the 'digital revolution' between 2000 and 2012: a quantitative assessment of its technological, economic and cultural characteristics''.<ref>[[John Crissey III|Crissey, John C. III]] (21 June 2019). [https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-uk-lowbudget-film-sector-during-the-digital-revolution-between-2000-and-2012-a-quantitative-assessment-of-its-technological-economic-and-cultural-characteristics(cdea825b-c258-494b-bcb7-e05325558592).html ''The UK low-budget film sector during the 'digital revolution' between 2000 and 2012: a quantitative assessment of its technological, economic and cultural characteristics'']. Ph.D. thesis. Royal Holloway, University of London.</ref>

==See also==
*[[No-budget film]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Independent production}}
{{Film genres}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Budgets]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]

Low-budget film - Revision history

imported>2003 LN6: fix formal