West Eldredge On Making An $80,000 Debut Feature Film

In this episode, I’m joined by filmmaker West Eldredge to break down how he made his debut feature Take From Me on a budget of $80,000 - and turned it into a real-world release on major platforms.

We talk candidly about what actually moves the needle on an ultra-low budget feature: prioritizing casting, building a crew that can adapt under pressure, using festivals as a testing ground, and leveraging a strong trailer to start distribution conversations early.Topics covered include:

• Why West chose micro-budget filmmaking as a solution to finally making a feature
• How crowdfunding, personal investment, and favors helped build an $80K budget
• Why he prioritized casting above almost everything - and what 4,000+ submissions taught him
• Chemistry reads, ensemble casting, and avoiding the “name actor trap” on low budgets
• Skeleton crew realities and what happens when a key crew member is suddenly gone
• Festival strategy lessons and how audience feedback helped define the film’s genre
• Pitching distributors andwhy a great trailer matters more than you think
• Post-production burnout, bringing in new collaborators, and staying motivated

Links from the show:

West Eldredge - Instagram

West Eldredge - Website

Take From Me - Watch on Prime Video

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