In “Low Budget Film 101,” your mentors probably taught you how to make cheap and effective jelly blood, but did they teach you how to make cheap and effective organic jellyrolls to treat a cast and crew of fifteen? Or what if there are only seven people working on your film but the location is an incredibly desolate area with one stoplight and a truck stop? As a director, providing meals for the workers has suddenly become a glaring issue.
A: Analyze This
Pre-Production Survey: The initial task is to send around a survey to indicate everyone’s food preferences, food allergies, and special requests. Special requests are not mandatory to fulfill, but only to take into consideration. Unless it’s a life or death situation, anything “special request” is contingent upon the film’s budget. Divide your tallies into categories such as: general (eats anything), vegetarian, vegan, food allergy, and other (if needed). After collecting the data, the goal is to think creatively, inexpensively, and health consciously. Whether filming for three days or three weeks, take a few hours to Google sample meals and recipe ideas, making sure to take into consideration your survey results. Jot down the easiest recipes and reusable ingredients. Meal planning can seem like a production in itself; but with a little research, the effort and money conserved will be well worth it.
B: Bulk Up
Non-Perishables: Whether filming is taking place across the country or across the street, go to a local wholesale superstore such as BJ’s, Sam’s Club, or Costco, or order food online. Search for the non-perishable snack foods first, and think like a kid. Cheap, healthy snacks for the cast and crew include: popcorn, peanuts (or soy nuts), trail mix, granola bars, baked potato chips, dried fruits, Nabisco’s 100 Calorie Packs, Nestle’s Juicy Juice, and Goldfish. The next step is to head for the canned foods section for staples such as beans, soups, broths, and tomato paste. Bags of rice and whole-wheat pasta are also great bulk buys. Here’s a list of healthy, non-perishable items from Wellspheret to use for an example.
Fruits and Vegetables: Not all fruits and vegetables are created equally, and if bought locally, the quality is better and the prices are lower. Buying frozen is the next best thing as opposed to eating something shipped from far away; that is, if cooking frozen food is part of your meal plan. Furthermore, the “organic” factor may complicate the “how to eat wisely and cheaply” issue. Yes, some foods are worth paying extra for if you’re a die hard for the “organic” label, but according to msnbc it’s necessary to discriminate when paying for organic versus non-organic fruits and vegetables. Check out the Organic Consumers Association for further information on farmer’s market locations, co-ops, vegetarian restaurants, affordable choices, and Canadian resources.
C: Consider
The same way you would plan the best low budget scenario for your film, estimate the best low budget scenario for feeding your workers three healthy meals a day for the duration of the shoot. When first reviewing your choices be generous, and then make decisions based on what’s in the actual budget. Consider the following to dictate what meals are the most feasible and appropriate: appliances, simple cooking tools (or lack thereof), film location, season and weather, indoor or outdoor film shoot, access to grocery stores, delis, farmer’s markets, fast food restaurants, a kitchen, or even the help of family and friends.
Furthermore, bringing coolers and making a “road kitchen” a good choice if the circumstances are right. Kris, a blogger from Brooklyn, has low budget travel tips (applicable to the needs of an independent film production) listed on her blog, Cheap Healthy Good, providing numerous resources from website links to simple ideas like “asking for discounts” for a large group of people (some restaurants, even franchises, offer competitive group rates), and how to pack food efficiently.
