The recent independent sci-fi thriller “Dust of War” was shot in 30 days on an under-$200,000 budget, director Andrew Kightlinger told BU Today. That’s peanuts compared to the average Hollywood film production budget of $100 million-plus. But for a recent film school graduate on a shoestring budget, even $200,000 sounds insurmountable. Fortunately, some successful independent filmmakers have shared their financing secrets to help aspiring independent producers raise the money they need.

Streamline Your Budget

Independent video editor Oliver Peters provides a guide to film-budgeting basics that includes some useful cost-cutting strategies. A film budget breaks down into costs for preproduction, production, postproduction, distribution and marketing. Paying actors and a crew represents the biggest production expense, followed by items such as catering, lodging, transportation, insurance, equipment and maintenance.

Peters suggests cutting costs by partnering with regional film schools, working with personnel who have their own gear, negotiating with local vendors for reduced costs and reserving extra production time to address editing gaps. He also identifies common mistakes to avoid, such as poor planning of scenes, film length or visual effects.

Demonstrate You Can Deliver

If you can demonstrate success on smaller projects, you’re more likely to attract investors for a bigger production. The site 4Filmmaking.com suggests practicing on a weekend short with a $1,000 budget, using a small crew willing to work for food. Building on such low-budget beginnings, the site provides guidelines for scaling up to $100,000 and $1 million productions.

When you’re starting out, your main financing source for your first production may be a credit card. Use this resource conservatively, considering how easy it is to exceed your budget when expenses such as marketing are included. Consider tapping into alternate resources to avoid damaging your credit rating. For instance, if you’re entitled to regular payments from a structured settlement or annuity, you may be able to sell your future payments for a lump sum of cash now, which you could then use to help fund your project. Visit J.G. Wentworth on Google+ to learn more about selling your future payments.

Expand Your Financing

To finance bigger-budget projects, independent producer Cassian Elwes provides an experienced overview of proven strategies on NoFilmSchool.com. He says a presale distribution deal can attract a bank loan. Selling tax credits for cash is another strategy he uses. A third method is courting equity investors for partial funding and then offering low-risk investments to other parties to make up the difference.

Crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo can provide additional resources. A variety of films have been funded this way, including the Sundance success “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.” Some films have solicited large Twitter followings for small donations, while others have attracted a smaller group of higher-paying donors by offering high-value collectible rewards.

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