10 Amazing Movies Made On Shockingly Small Budgets
9. El Mariachi - $7,000
Robert Rodriguez is a hero to any aspiring low budget filmmaker, getting his start with this great movie about a musician who has hitmen sent after him when he's mistaken for a criminal. It was shot entirely on 16mm film for $7,000, and Rodriguez financed it all himself. In fact, about half of the budget came from money he got volunteering for experimental drug testing. That’s how dedicated he was to getting this thing made.
Rodriguez stressed the need to cut costs at every turn. The movie didn’t even use a slate, instead having the actors indicate the scene number with their fingers. Instead of a dolly, he put the camera on a wheelchair. And instead of professional lighting, he used regular desk lamps. There wasn’t even a production crew at all, with the actors helping out behind the scenes when they weren’t on camera. Oh, and for the special effects of people being shot, he just filled condoms with fake blood.
Hearing Rodriguez talk about the movie is always entertaining just for all the stories like these he has from behind the scenes. He’s a true genius, putting together a pretty great looking movie with just a whole lot of ingenuity and clever workarounds. And even though it cost just $7,000, the movie ended up making $2 million, or nearly 300 times its budget.