{"id":102223,"date":"2018-05-22T07:00:26","date_gmt":"2018-05-22T12:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=102223"},"modified":"2018-05-21T15:19:22","modified_gmt":"2018-05-21T20:19:22","slug":"shooting-period-film-tight-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/shooting-period-film-tight-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Shooting a Period Film on a Tight Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

We chatted with the filmmakers behind The Iron Orchard about shooting a feature set in the 1920s on a tight budget \u2014 and a few extra tips and tricks.<\/h2>\n

At their recent world premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival<\/a>, the filmmakers behind The Iron Orchard<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(director Ty Roberts<\/a> and producer Houston Hill<\/a>) beamed in front of a crowded theater full of pearl snaps and cowboy hats. The film, which was set in the dusty oil fields of West Texas, spans several decades from the early 1920s through the 1940s \u2014 in stunningly accurate detail.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0period clothing, buildings, and technology\u00a0\u2014 and flashy sports cars of the era, to boot \u2014 the film is a rags-to-riches tale filled with gritty and flashy period-appropriate sets, props, and performances. When chatting with both Roberts and Hill, it quickly becomes apparent that\u00a0even though they shot on a tight budget, creating a historically accurate film was a top priority.<\/p>\n

If you’re\u00a0looking to shoot period projects of\u00a0your own, these filmmakers stress attention to detail, as well as some innovative tips to get creative on set\u00a0and bring\u00a0your era to life on-screen.<\/p>\n

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1. Pick Your Time and Place<\/h3>\n

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“For our film, we knew when and where we needed to recreate, so we went out to West Texas early to meet the people, make connections and build our production base locally.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For Roberts and Hill, their project was already set\u00a0in a specific time and place.\u00a0They based their film\u00a0upon already-published source material from West Texas in the 1920s. However,\u00a0if you’re starting from scratch, you can base the decision on factors you can control. Hill suggests actually going to the area you intend to evoke, if possible. The team behind The Iron Orchard<\/em>\u00a0did this, and they established community ties\u00a0during location scouting and while setting up the production.<\/p>\n

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2. Connect with Historical Resources<\/h3>\n

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“Once we were on the ground in\u00a0the town of Big Spring, we connected with the chamber of commerce and local historical communities. This led to our connection with a historic hotel downtown, which eventually became our home base and served as a major part of our production”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When\u00a0situating\u00a0your film in a historical setting, accuracy becomes a major\u00a0concern for the production. Connecting with historical resources is a great first step to ensure\u00a0authenticity for\u00a0your production, but it also gives you additional resources for production needs down the line. From research help to small props to big sets and in-kind donations,\u00a0these efforts\u00a0can go a long way.<\/p>\n

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3. Small Details Matter<\/h3>\n

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“Cars and vehicles were a big part of our production plan. While we found some private dealers who donated some vintage cars for some of the flashy scenes, we actually had to work in post to CGI out some different non-period cars on the road.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While the big aspects will seem obvious\u00a0when setting a period scene, the small details can quickly pile up if you’re not vigilant. Things like power lines, stripes on the roads, and even license plates need to reflect\u00a0the era appropriately.<\/p>\n

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4. Filming Period Looks<\/h3>\n

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“We looked into shooting on film but chose to shoot digitally. It gave us more control of the process, but we did want more of a vintage look, so besides shooting on vintage lenses, we added some grainy overlays in post to give it a period-appropriate look.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In an ideal world, for filmmakers as authentic as The Iron Orchard<\/em> team, you’d be shooting a period movie on as-close-to-period-appropriate gear as possible. While film is a great look, it has its challenges and expenses. The Iron Orchard<\/em> shot on an Alexa Mini with some Panavision Anamorphic vintage lenses,\u00a0and they\u00a0added some grain in post-production.<\/p>\n

Here are some great quick tips for finding and working with film grain in your projects.<\/p>\n