From concept to screen: A comprehensive Q&A on micro-budget filmmaking and creative process with artist filmmaker Robert Iolini
Self-Financing as Creative Autonomy
Q: Why did you choose to self-finance and produce ART e FACT independently?
In many ways, it was the most practical decision. My aim is to produce and release at least one feature per year, building an ongoing series of films. But as an outsider to the traditional film industry, I faced two options: spend years cultivating industry connections in the hope of securing backing, or simply start making the work myself, using whatever limited resources my partner Emi and I had. I chose the latter. Once you accept that no one is coming to save you, it’s very liberating. At 63, I wasn’t going to spend years trying to break into traditional industry networks.
That said, we did receive some valuable in-kind support. In 2022, L’Estruch Fàbrica de creació de les arts en viu — an experimental performing arts organisation in Sabadell, Barcelona — offered us an artist residency. That allowed us to develop and shoot a 22-minute proof-of-concept short film. That short essentially proved to us that a high-quality micro-budget feature was not only possible, but creatively preferable.
Remote Casting Across Borders
Q: The film was shot in Barcelona while you were based in Liguria, Italy. How did you handle casting remotely?
The earlier short film had already given us some experience with remote casting, so we simply expanded that process for the feature. We cast six principal actors entirely online, using platforms like e-TALENTA, local Barcelona actors’ groups on Facebook, and good old-fashioned Instagram searches. We avoided agents and agencies completely. It was highly direct — I reached out to the actors myself.
Auditions were very informal. Most of the time, I would have extended conversations with the actors via video calls, in line with David Lynch’s casting philosophy — simply talking, seeing who they are, and visualising them as the character. A few actors sent self-taped scenes when necessary, but often a strong showreel was enough.
Q: Did you have a local pre-production team in Barcelona to help with locations and logistics?
We didn’t have a formal pre-production team in Barcelona. Our lead actress, Andrea Tivadar, who was based there, scouted six excellent locations. We ended up using around fourteen. Most required minimal set dressing, and L’Estruch provided four spaces through a second artist’s residency. Our DoP, Santiago Becker, who shot our 2022 short, organized camera and lighting gear. Emi and I prepared key prop items in advance from Italy.
Adapting the Script to Real Locations
Q: I understand you had to make some major script changes late in pre-production once the locations were finalised?
Yes. That was always part of the design. The script had flexibility built in, so once we locked locations, sometimes only days before shoot, I made necessary adjustments to the script. For instance, in the original version, Yu (the protagonist) was supposed to flee into a forest, living rough in nature and encountering various people and situations. Instead, we secured access to an abandoned industrial factory space, which fundamentally altered those sequences. The forest journey became a period of psychological isolation inside the factory.
Another example was Café Fallible — originally envisioned as a countryside hideout with agents searching for it — which was rewritten for an urban location that provided a more intimate, almost theatrical setting.
This adaptive process actually made the film stronger, tightening its structure and giving the story a more contained, urban atmosphere.
Minimal Gear, Maximum Precision
Q: What technical setup did you use to shoot the film?
Our Director of Photography, Santiago Becker, operated both camera and lighting with the help of a gaffer. He shot on a Sony A7S III with Ninja V recorder, using a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens and a Tiffen Glimmerglass 1 filter, along with ND filters for outdoor balance. It’s a very simple rig, but we were extremely happy with the image quality, especially with the slight diffusion from the Glimmerglass. It gave us the subtle, textured aesthetic we wanted.
Lighting was limited to simple three-point LED setups. What made it work was Santiago’s skill and experience — knowing how to get maximum value from minimal gear.
We had one sound recordist who had a basic boom and lapel mic system.
Originally I planned to work with an ultra-minimal crew, as we had for the short film: just DoP, gaffer, sound, my partner Emi and myself. But Andrea offered to contribute funds for a slightly expanded crew, which we accepted. Ironically, the days where we reverted to the smaller team ran even more smoothly. If anything, those minimal setups confirmed my belief that fewer people often result in a more focused atmosphere on set.
A Deliberate Rhythm in Performance
Q: How did you approach working with the actors during the shoot?
My approach is quite restrained. On the first take, I let actors play the scene freely without much direction. Then I offer small adjustments. Most scenes were completed within two or three takes. I wanted to avoid over-rehearsing and keep the daily shooting schedule humane — under nine hours per day. This maintained energy levels and kept performances natural.
We typically used one camera position per scene, rarely shooting multiple angles or coverage. This allowed for very clean, straightforward editing — essentially selecting the best full takes rather than piecing together fragments.
Of course, in retrospect there are always little things one might want to refine, but I prefer to preserve a certain rawness. Imperfection creates life in cinema.
Realistic Scheduling for Micro-Budget Success
Q: What was your actual shooting schedule like?
We shot for 10 days spread over 3 weeks, keeping each day under nine hours. The schedule I worked out beforehand proved surprisingly accurate, which was satisfying since this was my first feature. My partner Emi helped double-check the logistics, but knowing the material intimately allowed me to make fast decisions and adapt quickly when needed.
Fast, Focused Post-Production
Q: Was editing equally streamlined?
Very much so. I edited the full 100-minute feature in about a month. The first fine cut came together quickly, and only minor tweaks followed. I did remove one or two scenes that simply didn’t work in the overall rhythm, but largely the final cut follows the original script closely.
This efficiency was made possible because I had already visualised the film extensively during writing and pre-production. There was very little guesswork in post.
Music as Narrative Structure
Q: The music plays a key narrative role. Can you elaborate on how the soundtrack was developed?
Absolutely. In ART e FACT, the songs function as an inner voice for Yu — expressing her thoughts, emotions, and psychological transformation as the story progresses. They’re not just background; they’re part of the storytelling structure.
Interestingly, these songs originally came from another screenplay I wrote — effectively a prequel to ART e FACT . Within the film, a comic book containing secret information triggers Yu’s creative response. She begins composing songs inspired by this material, which mirror both her own arc and the embedded narratives of the comic.
The songs were composed several years earlier for a larger transmedia project that exists within the same fictional universe. I recorded and produced the tracks in Kyoto with my partner Emi performing the vocals. I handled all the music, programming, and mixing.
Beyond the songs, I also composed the ambient score and sound design, often synchronising scenes precisely to musical structures. The sound design was assembled quickly once I had a picture lock, within another month.
Bypassing the Streaming Ecosystem
Q: You’re self-distributing ART e FACT. How are you approaching release and audience-building?
We did a soft release in early 2025 and are taking a deliberately slow approach: direct sales through our website, four months of social media promotion, and now pivoting toward earned media opportunities – interviews, reviews, and audience-focused events rather than traditional industry festivals.
The film is not available on any streaming platforms, intentionally so. It’s not designed for passive, background viewing. The structure is demanding, the dialogue often cryptic; it requires active attention. We want to connect with a niche international audience who appreciate films that challenge as well as entertain.
Given the current state of the streaming landscape and the limited financial risk of our micro-budget model, we feel this slow, organic approach is more viable both creatively and economically. Over time, as we produce more films, we hope word-of-mouth and the cumulative nature of the series will attract a dedicated following.
Building a Cinematic Universe — One Film at a Time
Q: Where do you see the ART e FACTs series heading from here?
Our vision is to continue building this world for as long as we feel inspired by it – ideally one film per year. Whether audiences connect immediately is less important than the long-term contribution. Films, literature, and music are often only fully discovered years or decades after creation.
What drives us is genuine passion for the process and the belief that we’re contributing something meaningful to cinema with an optimistic philosophical message about humanity’s future.
The next film, Café Fallible, which we’re developing for 2025, explores another dimension of the ART e FACTs universe. It involves a quantum communication device, an underground experimental performing arts troupe, an idealistic anti-technology cult, and mysterious Cold War-style figures. Like ART e FACT, it blends mystery, speculative fiction, and philosophical reflection through a minimalist approach.
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