Acclaimed horror director Eli Roth, known for movies like “Hostel” and “Cabin Fever”, shares his views on the challenges of directing low-budget and big-budget films. He’s worked in both arenas, starting with low-budget horror before taking on larger studio projects like “Borderlands”.
At a Fan Expo San Francisco panel, Roth reflected on filmmakers like Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan who began with modest budgets and moved to bigger productions. He said it’s hard to tell if a director is good with a huge budget as there’s too much money, but when someone makes a great low-budget movie, it shows their directing skills. Low-budget work demands ingenuity and improvisation, and many successful directors started in horror with small budgets, like James Wan and Jordan Peele.
Roth also noted that low-budget filmmaking encourages creativity under pressure, while blockbusters bring other issues like increased studio oversight affecting creative freedom. Horror classics like “The Evil Dead” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” thrived on small budgets.
Roth’s insights highlight the importance of resourcefulness in filmmaking, especially early in a director’s career. Low-budget films test directors in unique ways, and the essence of great filmmaking is creativity rather than just resources.
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