One of the biggest bottlenecks with no-budget filmmaking is navigating the camera department.

Often, a writer / director will have a script that works perfectly for a DIY production, but things get out of hand once they start to work with a dedicated DP.

Most cinematographers (rightfully so) will always push for more gear and more crew. Especially on low budget productions, where they may not be getting paid much, or at all.

In their mind – if they aren’t getting their normal rate, they at least want the footage to look the best that it can. And they want their lives to be easier on set with a supportive crew.

This is of course totally understandable, and exactly what they should be asking for.

But on a truly no-budget DIY film, there’s never enough to go around. Which leaves only two options when working with a DP:

1. Allocate the majority of your resources to the camera department, and cut from other areas.
2. Ask your DP to work without their usual crew and gear, and scale way down to fit your budget.

Neither option is ideal. Both hurt your production (and production value) in different ways, and make the process a whole lot less enjoyable.

For those of you finding yourself in this situation, there is a simple antidote:

Shoot the movie yourself. Be your own DP. 

It might take a minute to wrap your head around the idea, especially if you don’t come from a camera background.

But with a little prep, and the right approach to your crew and gear setup – it is entirely feasible. Even for an amateur DP.

I’ve seen first time filmmakers shoot stunning movies on their iPhones or old DSLRs. Often with little or no crew support at all.

More commonly, I’ve seen many directors pull double duty as DP by hiring a really great support team (namely a 1st AC), and keeping their gear to minimum.

I shot my entire feature film Disappearing Boy on a Fuji X-T4 and 50mm prime lens. By minimizing the gear to an extreme level, I was able to work insanely quickly, while giving the film a very specific visual look.

That’s the key to shooting your own material – at least on this budget.

Keep it as simple as humanly possible, and lean into minimalism to find a unique visual tone for your film. Use it as an advantage.

I love working with dedicated cinematographers, and will certainly continue to do so in the future.

But that is one department that can stop a no-budget production in its tracks, both from a logistics and cost perspective.

So if you find yourself in that situation, keep an open mind to shooting your own film.

We tend to overemphasize the importance of perfect visuals on screen, and underemphasize our own abilities behind the camera. Re-calibrating how you think about your role as a filmmaker can change everything.

It may be unconventional, but it could be exactly what you need to get your film off the ground.

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