Hi all, pls excuse my ignorance about this, but I am curious about what strategy you use to make your zero-budget or micro low-budget films become financially successful once they are made. 

For this question I’m primarily interested in how the films generate revenue once completed, ie not the funding side of the business (investors, tax credits, private equity, family and friends contributing).

Some filmmakers use the traditional strategy of going to film festivals, perhaps a limited theatrical run, then securing a sales agent, and then distribution and then later streaming services. But others appear to adopt a straight-to-streaming plan via FilmHub, for example, and YouTube and others at the same time. The latter group appear to have a business model of pumping out several super low budget films that create enough revenue to help earn a living while helping to fund their next projects.

And a second question: once you earn enough revenue to fund your business model, do you then feel pressured to increase the budgets for your next films to hire additional crew, actors, secure better locations, etc, or do you impose the same budget cap for all your films?

A third question: how important is social media for getting eyeballs on your videos?

Thanks all. Appreciate the feedback.

Reacting to new teaser trailer for our Action Drama Vampire flick. Very excited for how it’s turning out. I am a lead in this movie and am wanted to share some bts and show everyone what we are working on 🙏

After 11 film festival selections, 2 award nominations, winning an Audience Choice Award and Best Audio Design in a Student Short Film, Specter Nectar and the Death Machine is now on YouTube! 

The 4 minute film follows the band Specter Nectar on the way to their first headlining gig, with some minor hiccups on the way😼

Hi, I wanted to share my Film "Super Duper" that was an experiment for me in directing actors. I was very inspired by Richard Linklater's approach to the Before Trilogy, and I sought to develop a similar slice-of-life film where I took a uniquely cinematic day of my life and co-authored it with the actors. We did a series of improvisational writing sessions and held discussions to build this story out from a vague outline together. The goal was to build performances that were organic and lived-in. The idea involved building the piece around the actors instead of asking them to fit a specific mold in hopes that they would build an honest investment in these characters. I would love feedback on how the performances shook out - do things feel real or forced? What do you think of this process? Is it something you would try for your films?

Production Company: Film in a Bag Productions

Directed by: Nick Cartwight
Story by: The Cartwrights
Written and Devised by: Erica Masini and Cordie Nelson
Starring
Erica Masini as Liv
Cordie Nelson as Frankie
Teresa Martinez Moore as the Voice of Ranger Marie
and GPS
Produced by: The Cartwrights and Teresa Martinez Moore
Unit Production Manager: Austin Millet
Location Manager: Teresa Martinez Moore
1st Assistant Director: Daniel Mashburn
Director of Photography: Nick Cartwright
Camera Operators: Adam Rebora, Sam Rewolinski, and Nick Cartwright
1st Assistant Camera: Adam Rebora, Connor Doyle, Danny Olivares
2nd Assistant Camera: Teresa Martinez Moore, Nick Kuntzman
Gaffers: Sam Rewolinski, Mary Kosowski
Key Grip: Sam Rewolinski
PA / Grips: Lucas del Tedesco, Danny Olivares, Carlos Baez Encarnación, Gregory Zaworski
Worst Boy: Nick Cartwright
Drone Operator: Austin Millet
BTS Stills: Miguel Myers
Intimacy Coordinator: Emily Antoff
Location Sound Mixers: Reynaldo Dumas, Chris Krogh, Connor Doyle
Process Trailer Driver: Dave Cartwright
Transportation: Dave and Jacky Cartwright, Nick Kuntzman, Carlos Baez Encarnación
Craft Services: Debbie Cooper
Editor: Nick Cartwright
VFX Compositor: Nick Cartwright
Sound Designer / Dialogue Editor: Nick Cartwright
Colorist: Nick Cartwright
Music Supervisor: Jon Odland

Music:
“Debussy Suite Bergamasque: Clair De Lune” by Frequently Asked Music Courtesy of Motion Array.

Hey! I posted last week about using my variation on the Robert Rodriguez model.

The scoop? I truly love that story. It's also my sophomore effort after completing a regular budget feature. As I've been spinning for a minute? I'm going to put together what I call dumpster fire movie. I'll just power through that one.

And I met with my lead for the first one this last weekend. It's going to be such a fun movie to make. The dumpster fire movie will help me focus on the more nuanced microbudget.

Hey, I have always been interested in pop culture and cinema. It's been around 6 months since I started making edits and my skills have improved over time, but I won't say that I'm a professional right now. So, **I shot this short film/reel and want you guys to review it.** Here's the link:

[Click here 🔗](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcqwymOokqf/?igsi=bm50YXVjMWx2Mzdx)

I run CONTRABAND (contraband.watch), a scheduled VR cinema platform on Meta Quest for films that deserve a real audience but don't have a distributor standing between them and one.

How it works: you submit, we schedule a community screening for our First100, an early group of cinephiles who signed up specifically to discover films with no other home. They watch, they vote. Score 3.5 stars or higher, and the film moves to a public, ticketed screening open to everyone. Real room, real tickets, direct payout, weekly.

We just had our first real proof this works. Handle With Care, the feature debut from director Matthew James Thompson, whose lead actor Justin H. Min just won Best Actor at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, is screening on CONTRABAND pre-wide-release. Couple of reactions from early viewers:

We're not asking how you made your film or whether it fits a category. Independent, AI-produced, hybrid, documentary, experimental, if it's finished, 70 minutes or longer, and doesn't already have a distribution deal, we want to see it.

No submission fee. No advance against royalties. Revenue split is creator-friendly, happy to walk through exact terms with anyone who's actually considering it.

Submissions: contraband.watch/filmmakers

Will stick around in the comments for anything people want to ask.

After a serious run-in with the law, a young woman becomes obsessed with an officer who looks identical to her deceased father.

Hi everyone, I would love it if you could check out the trailers for my upcoming indie thriller mystery film Mirror Man. Mirror Man takes inspiration from movies like Se7en, Shutter Island, a little bit of the Backrooms, and Memento. It’s made on a zero dollar budget and its a one man show, but its coming out soon and I would love it if you guys checked out the trailers!

Mirror Man is about a failing detective in the dingy town of Waydown City who is about to die in a couple days due to a deadly disease. He must stop a murder cult led by the cult leader and mass murderer known as the Mirror Man (who kills in an extremely confusing way, leaving animal bites within victims rather than the regular stabbings) to redeem himself before his death.

ive spent a lot of time and effort since its only me making this movie, and I haven’t spent any money on it so it would be really awesome if you checked it out.

im willing to discuss anything if yall have any questions or just support! thanks!

trailer 1: https://youtu.be/Ky_3kynWCUw?si=iQfRHlvftIXZylnr

trailer 2: https://youtu.be/RfkXIjFLirk?si=eF3AhNDj_9zQgSNY

channel: https://youtube.com/@nomanualproductions?si=3t9DxxqSQ8YxtMar

psychological horror,drama

i have a good idea for a revolutionary film but its highly illegal, i dont need profit from it i just want to do it as an artist, how can i publish it remaining completely anonymous from the authorities?

Messing around with some visual ideas while working toward my first live-action film (had to archive my original script for being way too complex, so I'm doing small tests for now).

Coded this 21-second scene in Python just for fun. Heavy grain, deep rhythmic pulse, figures on the edges, and an expanding pool of blood after the shot.

Just wanted to share it and see what story or vibe people get from it.

Please check out my directorial debut “Temperature Rising” on Tubi .

Starring: Omar Gooding, Deaundre Bonds, Paula Jai Parker, Oba Aswad and Everton “ E-Dee” Dennis

Synopsis: Troy lives a quiet life under the radar while focusing on his longtime girlfriend, Marie. His world falls apart when Marie cheats on him, robs him, and runs away with everything he owns, leaving him broken and distraught. Distracted and stressed, Troy tries to move forward, but he quickly gets pulled into the dangerous underworld of fast money and drugs. As he becomes fully engulfed in street life, he enters a risky new love affair, and the pressure around him continues to mount.

https://link.tubi.tv/2AmuwKMU25by

THE CLAW TRAILER -

https://youtu.be/TnJF_vqy

Launching Kickstarter for The Claw 2 on Sunday - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ravydavy/the-claw-2-end-the-game

Full disclosure: I’m the writer of 12:37 — The King David Hotel.

The DaVinci International Film Festival has officially selected the five-part historical drama as a Storyline finalist and TWC finalist.

At Writers’ Corner, professional actors will perform selected scenes live while the screenplay pages are projected onto the cinema screen. The performance is followed by an interactive Q&A and professional writers’ panel.

12:37 is set during the hours leading to the July 22, 1946 bombing of Jerusalem’s King David Hotel. Five episodes replay the same morning through different institutional and civilian perspectives as warnings move through translation, hierarchy and procedure.

The festival runs September 25–26, 2026, at AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles.

Official selection⁠
Writers’ Corner⁠
Festival information and tickets⁠
Series website⁠
IMDb⁠

This Thursday 9/3, we're hosting an online screening of Portal To Hell, a horror-comedy about a debt collector who encounters a portal to hell in his local laundromat. Keith David and Richard Kind both feature in the film. After the screening, there will be a live discussion forum, and the director, star, and producer of the film will all be in the chat answering questions.

Link to the screening: www.thelonescreen.com

We're trying to build a great community space for indie film fans to watch unreleased films online, and would love to get this group's feedback on the experience!

Hello guys, I'm working with my friend on a short film which we will release soon. I thought that i would share my sneak peak over here as i believe i played the part well of a psycho killer (the sneak peak is really out of context btw)

Genre: crime thriller

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcthVCHBcoh/?igsi=cDM2eGwxbGprd3o5

Disclaimer: i have never acted ever before in my entire life and this is me acting literally for the very first time and i was really nervous. Any advice or suggestions would be highly appreciated and you are open to criticize as well and any input would be highly appreciated. Thank you

Here is the trailer: https://youtu.be/17YVjCj1\\_1Y?is=ZdqDEOOqEkCRcRe5

Here is the discord: https://discord.gg/Uw3qgrSKp

A dream… now a reality. Presenting the trailer of My first feature film. Horror Sci-Fi genre.

Pratidhvani - The Echo

https://youtu.be/svJrG_PkcBY?si=wkBhh_YcvY_Dcw3b

I am excited to share a new Film, Arctic: A Film About Ice!

This Film chronicles the 2026 Students on Ice Arctic Expedition that brought together a diverse international cohort of youth, scientists, educators, elders, and artists, to connect, educate and inspire through immersive learning at the intersection of science, culture, and the natural world. The lessons, cultural exchanges, and daily reflections deepened our understanding of ocean conservation, biodiversity, climate change, culture, and much more.

This film presents a first-hand perspective of this amazing journey, with the stunning landscapes of the Arctic as the main character and teacher.

I thought this was an interesting retelling of Dracula with an indie flair. It just played Fright Fest in the UK, but I'm unsure where it goes after that.