Movie making is an undeniably expensive art form, but that does not mean it is an impossibility for those dedicated filmmakers whose budget may not allow for helicopters and lasers.  Creativity, commitment, and courage are what drive the low-budget filmmaker.  Sturdy pillars these, but the independent road will be rough.  It will require, above all else, sacrifice.  Low-budget horror directors and their crews are often left quite bloodied in the middle of the road.  An inexperienced crew and a script weighty with special effects often render a shooting schedule near impossible to finish, and help to materialize the spectre of a cancelled film, which looms in the distance.       

    Whether or not to lie upon that altar, 90 printed pages clutched in one hand and a very worn ATM card in the other, is the first decision every low-budget horror filmmaker needs to face.  How much of a couple’s vacation fund will the other half consent to contribute?  Does borrowing have an ethical limit?  Then there’s debt.  Should the majority of a film’s cost be placed on credit cards?  It’s been done.   A strained budget will be an adversary until the end.  It will exacerbate and multiply the unavoidable stresses and problems that fester beneath all production offices.  Few will be surmountable with money because there is simply not enough.  Surviving will take decisions, perseverance, and some guidance from a master of the genre.  

    Lloyd Kaufman, 35-year independent film veteran, horror icon, and splatter messiah, is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, Inc., directing 25 feature films and producing even more.  He tours with his own filmmaking course, publishing two books on the subject with two more currently being finished.  Troma has remained fiercely independent since its inception, and Lloyd is recognized worldwide as one of the fathers of independent horror cinema.  He possesses high intelligence and a humorous and vivacious screen presence.  In the style of reality rescue programs such as “Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmare” and “Tabitha’s Salon Make-Over,” this movie medic will visit and triage low-budget horror, suspense, and action sets that are having difficulties.  He will diagnose the major problems that are paralyzing the production and provide immediate, legitimate fixes, hopefully resuscitating the project.  Some projects may not be revivable, which will provide for show variation based on real-world possibilities.  Each episode will feature a special guest invited from Lloyd’s extensive address book of industry friends and colleagues.  Technical guests will include special effects make-up artists and pyro-technicians, while such renowned directors as Eli Roth, Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Rob Zombie, who all cite Lloyd as an influence, will offer their counsel from the helmsman’s viewpoint.  All will add insight to the show and certainly draw an audience, particularly to those young filmmakers interested in pursuing one of these industry positions.  Lloyd will also offer aid in the form of approximately $4,000 of production supplies and services, such as meals and craft service, which will provide a convenient opportunity for product integration.  He provides artistic and logistical help, as well as actual sustenance for the set. 

    The pre-production subject search will be aided by Backseat Conceptions’ extensive festival database, its own festival now in its eighth year, ensuring that the most interesting film sets are found. 

    The viewing public will want to track the progress or regress of a shoot, prompting them to watch multiple episodes, and establish a fan-based relationship with the filmmakers and their crews.  Save My Movie! will appeal to horror fans, which are among the most zealous in entertainment loyalty and spending, as well as anyone interested in the art of filmmaking or the struggle to achieve a creative dream.