Is Low Budget Sci-Fi Films the Latest Trend? Roland Emmerich in 'The Zone'

As CG and special effects technology improved drastically in recent years, filmmakers are benefiting from the decreasing costs in making a visually appealing film.  Before, sci-fi had been a genre only reserved for big budget films.  But now, everyone from amateur filmmakers on YouTube to big time hollywood directors can stretch the dollar more than ever before.

Most recent example of this, is the film Skyline, which reportedly had a budget of $10 - $20 million despite the fact that the action sequences look like it's from a film with a nine-figure budget.  Attempting to one up this feat is Roland Emmerich who will create a sci-fi film with a large-scale alien invasion called The Zone for under $5 million.  To fit the budget, Emmerich looks to use found-footage technique and work with an unknown cast.  The exact plot is under wraps.  If you're wondering what found-footage means, it's basically how they filmed Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity 2 where the audience sees the movie through a "found footage" in a video camera.  If done stylishly, this can be both inexpensive yet realistic and gritty.

Whenever there is technology innovation that makes producing a product cheaper, it invites the masses to come up with the most creative products.  It's really a win for us consumers.  A prime example of this is the video game industry where before only the big game studios with Microsoft sized budgets can create a great looking game.  But now, its amazing to see the creativity of Flash game programmers and amateur game makers alike come up with new and innovative game concepts for online and mobile devices.

I really hope that this is more than just a fad.  I wish that it is the first step to opening the floodgates to produce better films that take advantage of the creativity from the masses and we get to a point when we're not relegated to choose between just two movies per weekend.  Rather, I'd love to be in a world where you not only have more choices in the titles of movies, but also choices of different platforms.  With new stuff like "Demand It!", Amazon, and YouTube streaming feature-length films it seems we're headed that direction.  

Comments

[rk]

I'm a sucker for the "found footage" genre, so bring it on.

[Brix]

Cloverfield was awesome! I love all of Roland Emmerichs films so lets get it done. It will be interesting to see what he does with this when usually he is making special effects movies with budgets over $100 million.

[J.Bradley]

It could also be to play this idea out, so people become tired of it and turn back to the bigger productions. Certainly though after "District 9" and "Children of Men" and the other "found footage" and "one-camera" horror and sci-fi movies it's a new idea to be explored. Also too, is the cultivation of new talent for the industry in terms of directors, producers, actors - so on and so on, down the line, which the industry needs to carry on.
I'd say though this is more than likely Emmerich's chance to show he can DO something low budget, or else he might price himself out of work.

[Z]

There is magic in going to a theatre, don't forget that.

[J.Bradley]

I wonder really how much directors think about these kind of movies being on a big screen. I think they're satisfied with 'em as they're watching them on the 20-30 inch editing array, but sitting in a large theater? I don't think they do that, because if they did that they'd probably get motion sickness like a lot of other people. I almost walked out of "Quarantine" because of it. I still got it on "Cloverfield" even though I watched it from BEHIND the front half of the theater. I think early in the decade after "Blair Witch", these kind of movies seemed to emerge from and compete with the reality tv phenomenon. NOW I think they really have to play with the idea and ask WHY are you doing this story, this way?