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Bigger is better doesn't apply when it comes to filmmaking. In fact, some of the greatest cinematic masterpieces were made on a virtual shoestring budget. Fortunately digital cameras, computer software, and crowdfunding websites make it easier than ever to produce a feature-length film cheaply. Of course not all of them are Oscar-worthy, but then a multi-millon dollar budget doesn't mean unbridled success either. Great storytelling is great storytelling at $1000 or $100,000 or $100,000,000 - all you need is some serious imagination. Take a look at our 14 favourite low budget film that took on Hollywood and won.
Tiny Budget, Big Box Office Hit
Mad Max(01 of13)
When: 1979Budget: $200,000Estimated gross: $99,750,000This Australian film featured Mel Gibson back when he was relatively unknown and unscathed by scandal. The action-packed result quickly became a template for post-apocalyptic movies. (credit:Alamy)
Napoleon Dynamite(02 of13)
When: 2004Budget: $400,000Estimated gross: $46,000,000The ultimate in noughties cult comedy. Filmakers Jared and Jerusha Hess edited the whole film on a MacBook in their apartment and completed production in just 22 days. A bidding war broke out after the film's premiere at Sundance, Fox won the rights, and the rest is Napoleonic history... (credit:Alamy)
Halloween(03 of13)
When: 1978Budget: $325,000Estimated gross: $70,000,000John Carpenter's slasher classic turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a cult star - even though he could only pay her $8,000 for the role. At the time of the film's release, Halloween was the highest-grossing indie movie ever made. (credit:Alamy)
Paranormal Activity(04 of13)
When: 2009Budget: $15,000 Estimated gross: $193,000,000The low budget 'found footage' horror film is a relatively new genre thanks to advances in accessible technology. The makers of this film nailed the DIY aesthetic, and the jittery film achieved profits beyond a film exec's wildest dreams. (credit:Alamy)
Eraserhead(05 of13)
When: 1977Budget: $20,000 Estimated gross: $7,000,000 The surreal parade of nightmarish sequences by up-and-coming director David Lynch initially opened to small audiences, but the film steadily gained momentum over several long runs as a midnight movie, bringing in a total of $7 million and putting Lynch on the map. (credit:Alamy)
Night Of The Living Dead(06 of13)
When: 1968Budget: $114,000Estimated gross: $30,000,000George Romero's classic tapped into audience's insatiable appetite for the living dead. From Resident Evil to Shaun Of The Dead, Romero’s vision of zombie apocalypse is the film that started it all. (credit:Alamy)
American Graffiti(07 of13)
When: 1973Budget: $777,000Estimated gross: $140,000,000Before George Lucas was CGI-ing all over the shop, he made American Graffiti: a low budget coming of age film that referenced his own smalltown teen years. (credit:Alamy)
Rocky(08 of13)
When: 1976Budget: $1,000,000Estimated gross: $225,000,000The film that launched the career of Sly Stallone's abs might not have been made for peanuts, but the reported $224,000,000 profit it made is an undeniably impressive return. Inspired by Chuck Wepner’s fight agianst Ali and made for a very modest amount, Rocky won Best Picture, gave audiences a memorable character and, of course, spawned five sequels.Read more at http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2009/06/15/15-great-low-budget-movies-that-made-a-relative-killing/#W087IH1asCcQvau2.99 Perhaps this exchange epitomizes the reason for the classic boxing movie’s success and overwhelming cult status. It provided a cinematic classic for a largely male audience who needed a hero; one that wasn’t heroic because of his moon walk or falsetto, but for his fighting spirit. With a budget of $1 million, Rockynotched up an impressive worldwide gross of $225 million, giving a percentage return of over 11,000%. Knockout.http://www.businesspundit.com/10-most-profitable-low-budget-movies-of-all-time/ (credit:Alamy)
Clerks(09 of13)
When: 1994Budget: $27,000Estimated gross: $3,900,000The indie comedy recounts a day in the life of a 'slacker' 22-year-old grocery store attendant and his friend. It quickly achieved cult status with its disenfranchised Gen X audiences. (credit:Alamy)
Super Size Me(10 of13)
When: 2004Budget: $65,000Estimated gross: $29,500,000A documentary about the American fast food industry might not scream runaway success, but Morgan Spurlock's experiment to eat nothing but three McDonalds meals a day every day for 30 consecutive days turned out to be utterly compelling - if nauseating - viewing. (credit:Alamy)
Enter The Dragon(11 of13)
When: 1973Budget: $850,000 Estimated gross: $90,000,000The martial arts masterpiece saw Bruce Lee kung fu-ing his way to the big time, despite a very tight budget. (credit:Alamy)
Friday The 13th(12 of13)
When: 1980Budget: $500,000Estimated gross: $59,000,000The horror film franchise now has 12 slashers under its belt, with the most recent, the Friday The 13th remake, released in 2009. But it all started more than three decades ago on a modest budget of $500,000. The film didn't fair too well with the critics, but blood-thirsty audiences couldn't get enough of it. (credit:Alamy)
Blair Witch Project(13 of13)
When: 1999Budget: $22,500Estimated gross: $248,300,000First-time filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez did excellent - and at the time innovative - groundwork for their found footage classic with a creepy viral marketing campaign that included online reports and interviews. Combined with the improvised performances and shaky camera work, it left audiences unsure whether the film really was a genuine video diary created by missing teenagers. (credit:Alamy)