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When a NEET Made a Movie with 100,000 Yen, It Got a Nationwide Screening

村上リ子

※The original article was written in Japanese on June 13th, 2021 on NOTES and translated into English.
(See original here: https://note.com/murakami_riko/n/nb100d6c5c5e8)
Having met more people at international film festivals and, after three years, finally reaching my goal of coming to Cannes, I decided to translate this article into English to reach a wider audience.


Currently, I am a film director and screenwriter.

This time, the short film “THE NOTES” which I directed and wrote will be screened in over 50 theaters nationwide, primarily in Aeon Cinemas.

Actually, until last October, I was living a life completely unrelated to movies.

I had never attended any film schools or worked at a production company, and I started making this film with no experience, no funds, or no connections.

In the end, the total cost was only about 100,000 yen.
I involved about 30 people.
The whole production took about only four months.

“Even though it's a short film, it's amazing that you were able to create something of quality to be screened in theaters with just 100,000 yen despite having no experience!”
“How did you make it?”

I get asked these questions a lot, so I'd like to write about how I made this short film.
I hope this will reach to:

-Those who want to know how to make a film
-Those who have dreams but can't take the first step
-Those who are despairing as NEETs
-People in the film industry looking for a director

Failed Entrepreneurship! Becoming a NEET

The story begins in April last year.
After graduating from university, I decided not to get a job and instead worked diligently on creating a mockup for an app with the intention of starting a business. However, communication with my co-founder gradually ceased, and after various ups and downs, my startup failed!

While many of my friends were shining at big companies, I ended up becoming a NEET.
My family is not wealthy, and our house is in the countryside.
While others were boasting about receiving bonuses or buying gifts for their parents with their first salary, I was feeling anxious, thinking, “I need to do something...”
My savings from university were running out, and I was becoming poorer by the day. I felt left behind and those days were tough.

I thought I might as well get a job, so I applied to a design company but was rejected due to lack of skills. I tried telemarketing but developed sudden hearing loss within a month, and was even turned down for a job at a supermarket.
Despite my spirit of challenge and willingness to work, reality was harsh. I felt like I didn't fit into society and it made me cry.

I decided to try freelancing and started working in video production, which was a hobby of mine. I used my remaining money to buy a 300,000 yen camera and decided to handle all the work myself, from sales to planning, shooting, and editing.

I immediately went to negotiate with a female entrepreneur. When I explained the fees, she said, “I can't tell what your work is like just from your portfolio. If it’s good, I'll definitely pay properly next time, so please do it for free the first time!”. Thinking that she would become a customer next time, I spent time filming and editing. She contacted me saying, “I was moved by the amazing work!” and even used the video on her website. However, in the end, she said, “I have friends who do it cheaper at a friend’s rate,” and I never received a paid request. (Later I learned this is common for freelancers) I couldn't make as much money as I had hoped.

Deciding to Become a Film Director 

However, in October 2020, I realized something while watching Instagram.
“There are so many people better at filming and editing than me…!?”
Of course, at that time, I had just started filming and editing, and my skills were still amateurish. Recently, the number of video creators has increased, and there are many people on YouTube and Instagram who post more beautiful videos than I do. Additionally, to improve the quality of filming, investing in equipment is essential.

So, I began to think about what my strengths were. Reflecting on my life, one thing stood out. “It's creating stories!” I had been writing novels since I was 12 years old and had once won the Tanabe Seiko Award, the top prize among 20,000 entries nationwide.

Although this was a past glory, I felt that what I naturally did from childhood was often what I truly wanted to do. So, I thought that in a film with a story, a movie, I could utilize my strengths.

However, I had never touched film production until I was 23 years old after graduating from university, which is quite a late start for someone aspiring to be a film director. Although I was anxious, I tried to find reasons why I could do it rather than why I couldn't. My favorite movie is Christopher Nolan's "Memento", and when I researched, I found that Nolan directed his first feature film at 28. Since I was 23 at the time, I thought, “If I hurry, I might catch up!” and solidified my decision to become a film director. I realize now that I was overly optimistic.

Aiming for the Cannes Film Festival

Upon researching, I found that there were several paths to becoming a film director. One could become a TV drama director and then transition to film, start as an assistant director at a film production company and move up, create commercials at an advertising agency and then direct films, or make independent films and win awards at film festivals. As a NEET, the last path seemed the most feasible, so I decided to make a short film.

Make a short film
 ↓ 
Get selected for an award 
↓ 
Be given the chance to make a feature film

With that decided, the next question was what do I need?
A script? Staff? Actors?
No, a deadline!

Based on my extensive experience with summer homework and university reports, I knew I needed a deadline to motivate myself, so I set a deadline first. A self-imposed deadline is weak, so I utilized deadlines set by others by choosing an award to submit to.

After researching various awards online, I found out that the famous Cannes Film Festival's short film section is open to anyone for free! Amazing! So generous! Moreover, the deadline was in March, which was tight but doable if I rushed, perfect! Thus, I set Cannes as my goal.

Looking back, I’m glad I set Cannes as my goal. When recruiting members, the seriousness and quality I wanted to achieve naturally came across, and as a result, many people applied. The crew also aimed to raise the quality despite limitations by thinking, "If it's for Cannes..."

Next, I needed to prepare the essentials for making a film.

Script
Staff
Cast
Equipment
Locations
Persistence

In this note, I will especially talk about how I prepared the script, staff, and cast. As you will see if you read to the end, the most important thing was persistence, no joke.

Preparing Before Writing the Script: Trends and Strategies

1.Studying Award-Winning Short Films 

First is the script. Of course, I wrote it myself.
By the way, have you ever watched a short film?
Many might say, “Not really, where can you even watch them?” I was one of those people too.
So, to know the enemy, I watched as many award-winning short films as possible.
↓I mainly used this site to watch about 30 works available online.
Brillia Shorts Shorts Theatre Online
YouTube surprisingly has many short films too. Rather than just watching, I analyzed to find common points among award-winning films, much like studying trends and strategies from past exam papers. The script for this film incorporated the common points found in these films.

2.What Can Be Done with a Low Budget? 

While watching award-winning short films, one thought kept coming to mind. “These look expensive.” And rightly so, many award-winning short films are made by already active professionals. There's no way I could imitate them with my budget.

So, I next researched highly-rated low-budget films. One particularly helpful reference was Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi", which was made for 770,000 yen and grossed over 200 million yen.

A singer is mistaken for a gangster and chased by enemies in this action movie. The main feature, as well as the bonus audio commentary by Rodriguez on the DVD, were extremely interesting! Remarkably, the commentary was longer than the film itself, detailing "how to keep costs low"!

-Borrowed guns from the police for free
-Used real locations for sets as there was no budget to build them, including a real jail
-Local notables acted as actors, who then naturally promoted the film during gatherings
-To reduce the burden on actors who couldn’t be paid much, scripts were given on set and lines were communicated on the spot
-To spread the burden of composing music, five composers were hired instead of one, as adequate fees couldn’t be paid

Though I realized many of Rodriguez's methods were not applicable in contemporary Japan due to legal and social differences, his enthusiasm and creativity greatly inspired me.

3.Studying Plot Twists 

I love surprising people and have always included plot twists in my novels. Wanting to include a twist in this film as well, I reviewed famous twist-heavy movies like "The Sixth Sense", "Fight Club", "Who Am I – No System is Safe", and "The Best Offer". I also read several highly-regarded screenwriting books.

Writing the Script 

I first created a plot and a proposal to recruit people and worked on completing the script in parallel with other preparations. The setting was decided quickly, but it took weeks to finalize the twist ending. I remember the joy when the perfect ending idea finally came to me after much deliberation. The script went through nine revisions, with the final one completed the day before shooting.

Entering the Filming World 

Since I knew nothing about film production, I read “The Filmmaker’s Handbook”. It's highly recommended for absolute beginners in film production.

However, books alone couldn't cover everything, so I decided to infiltrate filming locations.
The goal was to observe the filming process and logistics.

Lacking the experience to join as staff, I applied mainly as an extra in independent films through online platforms. I played roles like a high school girl in a sailor uniform and a runner in a park.

I really enjoyed this photo shoot. Since I wore a blazer in middle and high school, it was my first time wearing a sailor uniform. I also made friends with other extras.

This turned out to be very helpful. Seeing is believing, and the first-hand experience in filming locations, with their unique terminologies and customs, was overwhelming but educational.

Incidentally, my first set was notorious for its chaos. (This is from a different set than the photo above.) Witnessing a massive argument among staff members was terrifying but a learning experience.

Recruiting 30 Members Online 

Films cannot be made alone. Film production involves numerous roles, including screenwriting, directing, acting, cinematography, lighting, sound, hair and makeup, costumes, editing, music composition, assistant directing, and production.
In independent films, directors often handle multiple roles like screenwriting, filming, editing, lighting, and sound. However, I decided to enlist others to take on these tasks for two reasons:

1. To concentrate my resources and focus
2. To ensure the quality of the visuals

For reason 1, if I tried to master everything, it would take too long. By focusing on screenwriting and directing, I could raise the script's quality in a shorter time.
For reason 2, aiming for Cannes required high-quality visuals. I needed professional equipment operated by professionals.
With no money, I sold my 300,000 yen camera, using the proceeds as production funds. This strategy ultimately raised the visual quality of the film. (Note: I still accept video editing and　photography jobs!)

Where to Recruit Members? 

A challenge was that, having never attended film school or worked in the industry, I had no film-related contacts. Wondering where to look, I discovered a site called “Cinema Planners”.

It's a site for recruiting cast and crew for films and plays, with no fees. Most postings are for independent films or small-scale commercial projects. I posted an ad titled "Staff Wanted for Cannes Film Festival Entry". As I couldn't immediately pay adequate fees, I proposed “sharing prize money” as compensation. To my surprise, I received an overwhelming number of applications! Tears. I conducted Zoom interviews every day, hearing passionate stories from many. Among the applicants were editors of famous films and TV shows, and even a composer for Nogizaka and Hello! Project! I felt very unworthy of selecting, but finalized about 20 staff members and created a group chat. However, an incident soon occurred.

Five of Six Assistant Directors Quit 

A shocking event occurred. After introducing themselves in the group chat and assigning tasks, I lost contact with five of the six assistant directors and production members.

Although saddened, I understood as I couldn't provide sufficient payment. Even part-time workers sometimes quit jobs, so it wasn't surprising.

Still, it was a problem. Assistant directors and production members have a ton of work. Even before shooting, they handle tasks like creating schedules (called ‘call sheets’), selecting locations, preparing props, and negotiating with external parties. One staff member mentioned that even with multiple assistant directors and production members, they all end up like ragged towels before filming begins. I ended up taking on all these tasks myself, which were originally planned to be shared among seven people.

The Nightmare of Finding Child Actors 

The most challenging part was finding actors. My script featured all foreign characters.

-A European man over 60
-An Asian girl around 10

It was uniquely set, requiring residents around Tokyo who were also good at acting. Despite using various platforms like Cinema Planners, social media, and Tinder, I struggled to find suitable actors. As the filming date approached, I searched desperately every day, worrying about what to do if I couldn't find anyone. Thanks to a tip, I found the elderly actor in a Facebook group for foreign actors!

However, I couldn't find a child actor… After about three weeks of searching, I finally found the perfect child actor! I literally shouted “Yes!!!” From there, I began coordinating with the child's guardian.
However, the most grueling three weeks began. Every day, my mental health was drained. While the assistant director and production tasks left me swamped, most of my day was spent replying to the child's guardian. I have my faults, as my care was insufficient and I couldn't meet their expectations. For the sake of privacy, I can't detail much, but here's the outcome:

Six Days Before Filming, the Child Actor’s Guardian Quit 

I woke up one morning to find the guardian had left the group chat. It was six days before filming, and the day before a meet-and-greet and rehearsal I had set up to accommodate them. I had to find another child actor by the next day to avoid inconveniencing others. But it had taken a long time to find just one actor. A friend, aware of the situation, cried for me as I showed them the message on LINE. While I had become mentally tough from daily crises, I spent an hour creating flyers and hit the streets of Shin-Okubo looking for a child actor.

"I don't think your work is capable of winning an award." 

That day, I faced another mental blow. One of the assistant directors who had been out of touch contacted me asking how they could help. This person worked for a major production company. Grateful, we spoke on the phone, but during the conversation, they said: “I don’t think we can win any awards this time,” I thought, “Why say that right before filming, after ignoring my messages…” “Why do you think so?” “A film that can win awards wouldn’t be in such a mess just before filming.” We had a conversation like that. “I don’t think it’s good to tell others that you don’t believe we can win. It could demotivate others working hard, believing we can win. Some staff believe we can win, and I appreciate if you consider that.” I think they understood.
This straightforward remark was quite a shock. Conversely, it made me realize how kind others had been to me.

Even after this, there were times when others dismissed the project without seeing it, saying, “It’s impossible”. Each time, it hurt. “I’ll prove them wrong with the film and its success!” I thought.

Words That Supported Me 

With so many hardships, it wouldn’t be surprising to want to quit, but there were reasons I persisted.
When members read the script's plot, several praised it. During the toughest times, I saved their words and re-read them to cheer myself up.

I have read the plot.
I know it's rude of me to say this, but it was much better than I expected and I was surprised.
I am truly sorry for my rudeness.
However, until now, I had very little information and honestly didn't know how serious you were about this, so I hope you can forgive my rudeness.

Did Riko write this?
It's really amazing!
I read it all at once and was so moved that I cried...

It's incredibly good, interesting,
Thank you very much.
I want to work on completing it together.

Ahh, I can't stop feeling moved...Let's definitely win an award!!!!
Let's apply for all the film awards and win them all!! Haha
And let's definitely win the Academy Short Film Award and the Cannes Short Film Award! I think we can do it!

Hearing such praise from professionals made me determined to bring this project to fruition! When the child actor quit, many people sent encouraging messages in the chat. If they hadn't expressed their support, it would have been much harder. I am truly grateful.

Miraculously Finding a Child Actor 

Back to the child actor story, unsurprisingly, I didn’t find one on the streets of Shin-Okubo and night fell. Returning home, I reviewed all the email applications received so far. I found a child who fit the role better than I initially realized from their headshot. That night, I contacted the agency and arranged a Zoom meeting with the child the next day. The child was adorable and smart! They were able to attend the meet-and-greet the next day and we secured their participation! Even when things seem impossible, persistence can pay off. (Note: I paid the child actor a fee.)

At our first meeting, the actor playing the grandfather was performing magic tricks for the child actor. It was so heartwarming...

The Grand Overload 

I had been managing casting, location scouting, creating call sheets, script revisions, and more all by myself for a long time, but finally reached my limit. There was too much to handle alone.
Here, the team members came to my rescue. I am deeply grateful to the members who stayed with me till the end. Everyone was amazing, and I want to write about all 30 of them, but that will have to be another article.
To give some examples, Assistant Director Mr. Takamura helped organize tasks over long phone calls and coordinated with others for help. Costume designer Ms. Izumi created props herself using Illustrator and 100-yen shop items, filling a gap when we had no prop designer. These props, including the dictionary, bankbook, and notices, were all handmade. Incredible, right?
Many others offered a helping hand in countless ways.

Filming Day! 

Finally, we made it to the filming day. The first shoot was a series of reflections for me. I was too picky about takes, causing filming to drag on, and struggled to convey my direction clearly. These are points to improve for next time.

The filming initially planned for four days extended to 8.5 days, pressing on everyone's schedules. I felt deeply sorry. Despite this, cinematographer Mr. Fukui, sound engineer Mr. Shibata, and makeup artist Ms. Maiko participated every day from morning till night without scheduling other jobs. Other staff members also made considerable efforts to attend. I am truly grateful to all the staff and cast.

Filming was physically demanding, with days starting at 4 AM and ending past midnight, with little sleep in between. Despite numerous incidents like a staff member disappearing from the group chat on the morning of the shoot, or rain interrupting sunny scenes, we managed to complete the filming with everyone's support. At the wrap-up, I felt it was a miracle we finished shooting.

Post-Production 

After filming, we faced numerous tasks like voice-over recording, offline editing, music composition, CGI, subtitling, end credit creation, color grading, and sound mixing. Each task involved professional help, and I have memories with each person, but this note is getting too long, so I’ll share those stories another time.
As for the costs:

-Production costs (HDD and SSD for storing footage: 31,000 yen, gifts for the team on the last day: 52,000 yen, props: 15,000 yen, etc.) were about 100,000 yen
-Film festival entry fees were about 200,000 yen 

Total: around 300,000 yen.

Roughly the cost of the camera I sold back then.

In a Shinjuku Chinese Restaurant 

After completing the film, I submitted the script to various competitions while helping out on other directors' sets, editing videos, and working part-time for a friend's startup. One day, while eating 290 yen ramen with a friend at a Chinese restaurant in Shinjuku, my phone lit up. It was an email notification from the “MIRRORLIAR FILMS PROJECT” team. The email stated that my film was selected for MIRRORLIAR FILMS initiated by Takayuki Yamada and would be screened nationwide. I couldn’t believe it and reread the email several times. The friend who had cried for me when the child actor quit said, “I always believed you’d get selected.” After a moment of excitement and celebration, I felt a warm sense of gratitude.

Future Prospects 

Thank you for reading this far.
Today, my debut short film will have its world premiere! It will be screened at the opening event of the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), the largest film festival in Asia recognized by the Academy Awards.

I will also be participating in a talk event with actors Takayuki Yamada and Shinnosuke Abe, producer Chikara Ito, and other directors! The event is sold out, and I feel like I’m dreaming. I am truly grateful to the MIRRORLIAR FILMS team for this amazing opportunity.
I’ve always wanted to repay the staff and cast involved in this project, and I feel this is a small first step in that direction. I will continue to work hard to repay them through prize money distribution and other means.

I wrote this note hoping it would reach not only those interested in film production but also those with dreams who feel it’s too late or lack the courage to start.

If someone can become a film director in four months from scratch, maybe you can too. If you still lack courage, feel free to contact me, and I’ll be your all-positive bot. (Unless it’s clearly a scam or involves criminal activity, of course.)

My next goal is to make a feature film! I’d also like to work on music videos and commercials. I’m open to offers for directing, screenwriting, editing, or on-set assistance. I have many proposals ready. Whether you’re in the film industry or not, please feel free to contact me via Twitter or Instagram!

Likes on this note, likes on my pinned tweet, and follows on Twitter, Instagram, and note are very encouraging! If you found this interesting, please support me!

See you somewhere!

Riko Murakami

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