S3 E28 | Making Movies with $20K
What does it actually take to make a feature film for under $25,000 — and then shoot the sequel in Ireland? This week Garrett and Daren sit down with filmmaker Rob York (Magellan, Curse of Crom) to talk about how he got his start editing for Aero Storm, why post-production is where low-budget movies go to die, and the scrappy decisions that turned a YouTube web series into an Amazon top-3 streamer.
Rob gets into the real economics of micro-budget filmmaking: writing to your assets, building trust with actors over time, choosing locations that do the heavy lifting, and why going over budget on visual effects isn't always a disaster.
Topics covered:
→ How Rob's first feature Magellan was greenlit for $20K
→ Writing scripts around locations, actors, and assets you already have
→ Why budgets above $250K change the entire distribution equation
→ Filming in Ireland on a shoestring — and shooting dialogue scenes on the actual plane
→ Distribution deals, minimum guarantees, and a theatrical run in Afghanistan
Curse of Crom 2 is coming soon. First film is streaming free on Tubi.
Truly Independent is produced by Three Coin Productions and supported by the Help Them See Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection. Learn more at helpthemsee.org.
Subscribe so you don't miss the rest of Season 3 — all about getting from script to screen.
Rob gets into the real economics of micro-budget filmmaking: writing to your assets, building trust with actors over time, choosing locations that do the heavy lifting, and why going over budget on visual effects isn't always a disaster.
Topics covered:
→ How Rob's first feature Magellan was greenlit for $20K
→ Writing scripts around locations, actors, and assets you already have
→ Why budgets above $250K change the entire distribution equation
→ Filming in Ireland on a shoestring — and shooting dialogue scenes on the actual plane
→ Distribution deals, minimum guarantees, and a theatrical run in Afghanistan
Curse of Crom 2 is coming soon. First film is streaming free on Tubi.
Truly Independent is produced by Three Coin Productions and supported by the Help Them See Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection. Learn more at helpthemsee.org.
Subscribe so you don't miss the rest of Season 3 — all about getting from script to screen.
