Filming a movie is more than just an artistic endeavor; it’s a challenging and learning process for an independent filmmaker. This time, I’ll share the most painful lesson in my filmmakers’s path, which cost me over 27% of my initial budget.
Picture this; it’s been three months pulling all-nighters to write the script, another three to prepare for filming, and finally, three tough days of shooting your dream project. You’re so excited and full of energy and inspiration, you forget anything else exists in the world that could shock you.
Weeks after wrapping up the shoot, I received an unexpected message from the priest of the cathedral where we filmed one of our pivotal scenes. His message was stern and foreboding: “You committed a blasphemy. If you publish this, I will sue you.” The message was a photo from the scene, where coffin was on altar of the church, someone pulled it on Instagram. Placing a coffin on the altar—a significant taboo that I was completely unaware of.
This oversight was not just mine but a collective one, involving my stage designer and the church’s representative, who, unbeknownst to us, was merely a security guard with no real authority on church protocols. The real cost of this mistake came not just in dollars but in time and stress. Facing legal threats, I was presented with two choices: fight in court or reshoot the scene. Opting for the latter, I dipped into my savings—funds from selling my car—to cover the unexpected expenses. And you what? I did it almost with 0 regrets, because I was thinking: “I love filmmaking – I have some money – hell yes, let’s do it!”
The reshoot was not just a logistical nightmare (I needed to call 50 people on set once again); it was a creative opportunity. With edits already underway, we were able to make significant improvements to the scene, making the final product looking even better. It taught me two critical lessons: know your shooting environment inside out, not just for creative reasons but to avoid potential legal and ethical issues, and secondly, control what gets published from your set. Unvetted social media posts can lead to unexpected disasters.
While an expensive lesson, this experience was an essential teacher in my making of films. It reinforced the necessity of thorough pre-production research and heightened my awareness of the impact of every element on set. For fellow filmmakers, let this be a reminder: every detail counts, and every scene you shoot without fully understanding the context can lead to significant unforeseen consequences. So, research, double-check, and then check again. Your budget, and your peace of mind, will thank you.
