Locations You Can Film for FREE
BTS- "May I Put You On Hold?"
A lot of new filmmakers make the excuse that they don’t have any money to make their first short film, specifically for locations.
Stop.
You have locations.
Here are 15 free places almost anyone can use for their first short film.
And yes… I added some quirky titles to get your brain moving.
Your Living Room
Film Idea:
“The Couch That Knew Too Much”
A couple buys a used couch. It whispers secrets about the previous owners.
A Friend’s Apartment
Film Idea:
“Roommate From the Future”
A new roommate claims he already lived this week… and knows how it ends.
Your Garage
Film Idea:
“DIY Exorcism”
Two teens try to remove a demon using tools they found in the garage.
A Local Park
Film Idea:
“Park Bench Prophecies”
A stranger sits next to people and predicts exactly how they will die.
A Car
Film Idea:
“Trapped in the Drive-Thru”
A couple realizes they’ve been in the same drive-thru line for six hours… and it hasn’t moved.
A Backyard
Film Idea:
“Alien In The Tool Shed”
A kid finds a glowing creature hiding behind the lawn mower.
A Rooftop
Film Idea:
“Last Text Before Midnight”
Two strangers meet on a rooftop after receiving the same mysterious message.
A Laundry Room
Film Idea:
“The Sock Conspiracy”
A man discovers his missing socks are being stolen by a secret underground society.
A Hiking Trail
Film Idea:
“The Trail That Loops Forever”
A group of friends realize they’ve passed the same tree six times.
Your first short film doesn’t need money.
It needs a contained location and a strong hook that makes people curious enough to show up at a festival or hit play online.
If you can describe your film in one sentence, you’re halfway there.
Stop waiting for the perfect budget and start with a good idea in a free location.
Remember this:
The biggest difference between an aspiring filmmaker and a filmmaker…
Is that the filmmaker actually did something.
