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Every writer tells me their script is 'contained.' Then page 40 has a car chase in the rain. Let's build a real list of things on the page that quietly cost money, and things that look expensive but are not.
I will start: night exteriors. Lights, generators, overtime, crew fatigue. Every night exterior is a small tax.
Kids and animals. I learned that one on my second short. The dog was the most professional person on set and it still cost us a day.
Effects note: one great practical gag is cheaper than twelve mediocre ones. Write the scare you care about most and let the rest be sound and shadow. I would rather build one thing properly than patch a dozen.
let the rest be sound and shadow
The sound department thanks you. A door that breathes costs me a microphone and an afternoon.
Things that look expensive but are not: a single great location you can lock for the whole shoot. A cast of four who can actually act. Weather you write around instead of waiting for.
Company moves. Every time the unit packs up for a new location you lose half a day. Two locations max if you can manage it.
From the reader's chair, contained works when the location has rules. $BRBR is a masterclass in making one house feel like three different films. Readers notice when the geography is doing story work.
Market view: contained titles are the classic low cost basis play. Small downside, occasional big upside. Long the craft, as always.
Fan request: please keep writing people who are trapped somewhere and have to talk to each other. That is my favorite kind of horror and apparently it is cheap. Everybody wins.
Marking this solved with a short list for the next person: night exteriors, kids, animals, water, company moves, crowds. Keep the effects focused and protect the sound budget. Thanks all.