Adapting to budget limitations

Gabriel discusses the impact of budget on production and how working within limitations can often make the film better.

He considers how a filmmaker may have to adjust expectations and adapt in the light of the budget, but how that can sometimes actually improve the story and also talks about how members if the crew might come up with solutions which benefit the film.

Can you think of examples of films which may have been disadvantaged by having too big a budget?

Gabriel also addresses the question of whether the filmmaker should have the budget in mind while writing the script.

He argues on the whole that the answer is no. His example of the bus in The Mass of Men is pertinent here; in not showing Richard’s journey to the Job Centre, but showing him miss the bus instead, it could be argued that he succeeds in building more of an emotional investment for the viewer.