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For a crime thriller screenplay, I would also like to produce myself, I am trying to make changes to save on budget. The theme at the end of the story is how the police detective protagonist feels guilty about getting other people killed and harmed in the third act, such as a SWAT team he was working with, as well as his own wife, becoming one of the hostages.
However, in order to save on budget, I was thinking of cutting out the SWAT team and the wife character, from being there, which just makes it, the protagonist vs. the antagonists only, but no supporting characters now.
But removing those characters does change the theme and now the theme would be that the MC was successful in getting the crooks, and it all worked out with no damage to innocent cops or bystanders.
So it goes from a feeling guilty of violence begetting violence theme, to the system worked, and justice was served more so, theme. But is that theme very different and I am wondering is changing the theme of a story to save on budget a bad thing most likely therefore? Or will there just be an audience for this different theme, and that's okay, perhaps even better?
The budget is 150 K at the moment. I can make it less complicated, budget wise, but I am afraid if I do that, that the story will be less compelling, if that's a good point?
If you're doing the writing AND the producing, then you have to wear both hats. Every producer or producer/director or producer/writer/director runs into that. Just look at how Roger Corman handled things. In fact, I think he's STILL producing movies and he was born nearly 100 years ago! I'll bet he never would have got to that age if he was worried about the budget. Make it fast and make it cheap, then move on to the next one.
I recommend calling your film "The SWAT Team From Mars vs The 50' Naked She Devil Hostage". Then figure out how to make the movie for $97 in 3 days. Roger got a lot of people in the seats like that.
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