The Rise of The Micro-Budget Filmmaker

When I found out the school I started a film program at was closing, I knew things weren’t going to be easy. I have been around long enough now to know that anything that comes easy, isn’t worth sticking around. So when I say we all need support, I mean it, and for the first time in my creative journey it feels like it might be for real.

If you had a chance to watch the video from my last article then you already know that I started small, just like all of us do. A video camera, whatever is near by, and a willingness to persevere throughout each no you will receive. I can’t even count the amount of times I have heard “That will never work”, only to find out it can and it will but it will take your time and energy to make it come to life. This includes putting my films on physical media, getting into Raindance, or premiering at the Chinese Theatre. Eventually you will also get a distribution deal, if you knock on enough doors and soon you realize there is no money in that realm for small creators. So how else can you fight through the noise?

Before I go much further, this path is not easy. I have been creating for 15 years through hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt (thankfully all paid off), and with teh 8 places I have called home have given me stories. This is what wakes me up, knowing that someone is on the journey behind me and will have access to more tools than I could have ever imagined. I certainly know that if I would have had Chat GPT before college I may have changed my approach on student loans. As for using it to create a script, maybe not. See what I learned below.

Over the past week I have seen an influx of people asking about physical media and the future of small theatres for filmmakers. This combined with the NonDE movement of Ted Hope and others, made me remember the Dogme inspired film I made a few years back. We made “Seize The Carp” with our stipulations “The 7”, but however you want to shape it we are in a new era of creating. A new era where you and a few friends can make a feature film over the weekend and have professional tools for free in your editing program. These tools are allowing us to create whatever we want so lets see what would happen if we invest in the creator, instead of the platform.

With all of this talk popping up around Netflix, Warner Brothers and Paramount I started thinking about my pipe dream from ten years ago, an indy theatre for indy filmmakers in Los Angeles. You might be asking doesn’t this already exist? While you can rent a screen, which is quite pricey, there is no place that exclusively spotlights this type of work. If you know of someplace that will screen local work without charging up front please comment below. I would love to partner with someone who is already working on this.

If this is the first post you have read, I urge you to go check out some of the other articles to see how this has come to be. I started a physical media journey last summer, only hoping to get my films on board. A year later I am getting emails from filmmakers that want to do this as well. This is humbling to say the least, and now I know that this pipe dream can be a reality and others are also hungry.

Over the past few weeks I have been asked what exactly Bronson Creative is, and this changes all the time. Bronson started as a way for me to experiment with these ways of distribution and production. What came from it was an unexpected teaching career that was brought on by my creative approach to filmmaking. What happens when a small group actually owns their work? What happens if you control the presentation and distribution through physical media? All the while I was always working in the background to create a collective of filmmakers that are more interested in storytelling than technology and this year I found that group.

So here’s the plan for next year, knowing that its always ok to change your mind as you are presented new information. This time next year, who knows what Bronson can be.

1. I will be bringing back my podcast in video format to highlight independently produced micro-budget films. Think of it as an interview show, not a podcast. We will chat about how your film came to be and highlight filmmakers works with a new audience.

2. I am looking to license physical media rights of finished films that are self produced with a clean chain of title. If this is you, head over to www.bronsoncreative.us and submit your trailer etc. I’m very excited to see what you have created. If you don’t know if you have a clean chain of title then lets chat about how to fix that asap.

3. I am looking for independent screening venues to create a recurring screening opportunity for local filmmakers. LA is the still the hub of creating, yet we do not have proper channels to share work. If you know someone with an open space projector and chairs, lets talk.

As we move into 2026 I want to meet more artists that are not interested in the “Industry”. I want to meet artists that are interested in working together and sharing space with other creatives. From Experimental, to Documentary, to NonDe, I want to see better films. This is coming and now is the most creator friendly era I have lived in. I don’t know if films will make any money, but if we are supporting each other then it doesn’t matter.

To those of you that have supported me over the years, be it financial or just sharing my work, it means the world to me. The internet spends so much time focusing on everything we despise, but what happens if we focused more on what we love. Thats what I am doing more of these days and its led me to meet some absolutely wonderful humans, including you. Thank you for being a part of my story.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to spend time with my work. This past 6 months has been full of changes, but it has also allowed me to experiment and see what is possible for the next wave of artists, and I am grateful to have found someone as excited about this opportunity as I am. Have a great day, and chat soon.

Bronson

If you find value in what I am creating then I would like to ask for your support. This can come from purchasing one of my films on physical media, or becoming a paid subscriber on this substack. Your contributions allow me to keep providing everything I am doing for free without gatekeepers. I don’t know how long I can do this, but I do know the road is much longer with your contributions. We are at a crossroads of what art can become if we support it as much as we support the corporations trying to take connection away from us.

Check out www.bronsoncreative.us to purchase a copy of my films on physical media

Check out youtube.com/@bronsoncreative to learn how to make your own film

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