But it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to making an indie film. Plenty of independent Filmmakers have produced highly successful projects… And here are just a few.
Horror movies commonly top the list of successful indie films because they generally necessitate more modest budgets in comparison to other film genres. Perhaps one of the most successful indie horror films was John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978). The original slasher was made for approximately $325,000, which was a hefty amount of money in the late 1970s. But that investment turned into a $47 million global box office return.5 Not too bad, eh?
Similarly, horror films The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Paranormal Activity (2007) also made a big splash from small budget. The former was made for approximately $60,000 and made back $248 million.6 The latter was made for just $15,000 and made back $193 million.7
But what if you’re not a horror Filmmaker? There’s plenty of indie film success to go around. From Good Will Hunting (1997) to My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) to Black Swan (2010) and more, other indie films of various genres and budgets have earned back and then some what they spent to get the project made. And in many cases, it’s the indie films that get the majority of the awards season love.
Which is another way to define success outside of monetary revenue. Because many indie films focus on unique stories and unusual characters that often studios and production companies don’t want to take a chance on, when they resonate with audiences, they also get great critical acclaim.
While acclaim alone won’t pay the bills, many Filmmakers who started out in the indie space have been and still are carving out creative and fulfilling careers for themselves by either remaining in independent film or branching out with more mainstream projects. Some well-known indie Filmmakers include John Cassavetes, Richard Linklater, George Romero, and John Sayles.