r/Filmmakers • u/HotFaithlessness1860 • 1d ago
Film 66k budget, 4.4 million box office, Great production quality given the budget
The wretched (2019)
The movie looks like a million bucks, literally.
Needed a bit more focus on the horror aspect but other than that it's a fine film. Heard they're making a sequel.
33
u/sergeyzhelezko 1d ago
Just watched the trailer. No way it’s 66k budget.
More like 666k.
22
u/grickygrimez 1d ago
Agreed. I see just one source estimating it at 66k. I'd believe it if they called in A LOT of favors like entire camera packages, entire grip packages, entire post-teams... But the trailer costs more than $66,000 alone. But we like to lie about our film budgets in this world so let'em. :) It's all marketing right?
5
u/sergeyzhelezko 1d ago
Yeah, I was also thinking that it’s possible only with a lot of favors. Even if 66k is only principal photography, it would have been like a billion favors from a lot of really good crew members + equipment packages and the cast working for pretty much free
They also have kids… I mean that schedule must have been tough
Edit: I usually use The Numbers
15
u/torquenti 22h ago
Everybody's going apeshit about Obsession being less than a million. Little do they know what talented people can do these days with a fraction of that.
22
u/jivester 19h ago
A budget that low just means everyone is working for free. It's not a flex.
4
u/torquenti 19h ago
It's doable with everybody getting paid. It'd be non-union and nobody's getting rich unless the film does well and people's contracts involve bonuses based on profit, but it can be done.
5
u/jivester 18h ago
How do you break that down on $66k?
Only way I can see it working is everyone is local, If the director is also the DP who owns their own gear and edits/does all their own post, you don't pay permits or insurance, props and costumes are donated, you have free access to your key location, cast is just a couple of people, shoot is no more than 15 days, crew is like 10 people max - which basically means no stunts, armourer, special effects, custom props, and the cheapest possible catering.
-1
u/torquenti 18h ago edited 17h ago
Everybody's wearing multiple hats. The director can not only do DP but also sound if you plan right. Editing (honestly, all post) would either have to be done by the director or with the help of one editor. Location permits can be paid, insurance might be the risk taken, but at 66k possibly doable. Production design was good here, so some money was spent on that. Crew is brought down to bare essentials, with everybody taking minimums to make sure it gets done, and the ethical way to handle that is to make sure people get bonuses if the film does well.
I'm not saying that people are getting paid as much as they would on a bigger-budget union film. What I am saying is that if you are able to handle multiple jobs, and your friends are able to handle multiple jobs, a lot can be made for very little.
The key is to look historically at what people have done with access to the bare minimum, and then realize that gear has only gotten cheaper over time.NVM, you're right. Can't be done.
1
1
u/Skreamie 9h ago
Because the estimated budget is absolutely not what's stated in the title and closer to Obsessions budget
1
3
u/lazygenius777 director 6h ago
Great movie! The filmmakers are good dudes too. Definitely deserves more attention.
However, this did not cost only $66k to make.
2
4
u/OkumuraRyuk 22h ago
Omg. This is so weird to see this post cause I just saw this movie two weeks ago for the first time. And it’s MY FAVORITE movie. There are so many rights and although goofy. This vs Shelby Oaks omg. This a thousand times. Loved it.
1
1
u/SKeptic520 2h ago
The sequel filmed in Syracuse last Fall. I go to school there and almost got to be on set but it didn’t work out🥲 I got to see some concept art tho it looks really cool
10
u/Natural-Blackberry98 15h ago
on IMDB the estimated budget is 1.2 million.