American Graffiti -One of the best examples of lean filmmaking
American Graffiti, a film that released in 1973 is one of the most profitable films of all times. Produced on a budget of $777,000, this film has since then garnered close to $140 million.
George Lucas, the director of this coming-of-age cruising film went through a series of failed attempts to finance the film. No big studio was willing to invest in a comedy that had seemingly no storyline, just a bunch of out-of-school kids cruising all night before they make some important decisions for their future. Finally, Universal Studios came on board with a condition to shoot this film within a tight budget, which could have stymied the director.
However, the skilled and ingenious director found ways to make this work on a shoestring budget. For example, he shot scenes that involved conversations between actors in different cars using two cameras simultaneously by fixing them between the cars. This enterprising technique saved him and his team a considerable production cost and time!
Actors on sets complained about the absence of chairs for them to sit in between shots. When one of them pointed it out to the director, Lucas simply said ‘We don’t have the budget for chairs’. All the actors shared a common trailer for makeup and costume which eventually brought them close, just like they were supposed to be, in the film.
American Graffiti has achieved a cult status in film history, being one of the most unusual film for its time. What’s now regarded as a norm, in terms of filmmaking, style, sound and direction was pioneered by this underdog piece of cinema that was shot in just about 28 days.
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