From $100 to HELLMARE: Victor Gabriel on Making Micro-Budget Feature Films

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you want to make a feature film but don't have much money? Filmmaker **Victor Gabriel** joins The Honest Filmmaker to talk about the making of **HELLMARE**, his horror feature that cost roughly **$10,000** and was shot in just **13 days**. Victor started out by making a tiny **$100 found-footage film**, using friends' houses, borrowed locations and the equipment he already owned. That first experiment wasn't something he was particularly proud of, but it got distributed, made its money back and, most importantly, taught him to actually make films. For HELLMARE, Victor took things considerably further. He talks about raising money through Indiegogo, putting his own money into the production, spending six months in pre-production, finding locations for free, building a crew around friends and family, renting professional camera and sound equipment and creating practical effects on a micro-budget. We also get into the complicated world of **film distribution**, after HELLMARE found a home with **Troma**. Victor explains what it meant to sign the film away in perpetuity, why he was comfortable with that decision, how the deal helped him break even and why sometimes getting your film into the world can be more important than holding onto every single right. It's a brutally honest conversation about **making feature films without much money**, learning by doing, building a filmmaking team and figuring things out as you go. If you're a filmmaker trying to get your first feature made, there's plenty here to steal. Watch the trailer for HELLMARE: https://youtu.be/cjlTDfbA\_kI?si=jq9vWl1kOaY4JCC0 Check out Victor on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15973777/ #MicroBudgetFilmmaking #IndieFilmmaking #IndependentFilm #LowBudgetFilm #FeatureFilm #Filmmaking #FilmFunding #HorrorFilm #FilmDistribution #Troma #Hellmare #VictorGabriel Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv\_dp\_share\_cu\_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk