Create Your Own Lead Role - Make a Feature Film for Just $1K
What if you could make a whole feature film for the price of a headshot session?
No, seriously. AJ Romero did it. And not just once—he built a creative career out of it.
In this episode of Act Bold, I sat down with AJ to talk about how he went from hustling as a production assistant and booking bit parts to writing, directing, acting in, and producing full-on movies for just $1,000. A legit $1K feature film.
Spoiler: it’s not about waiting for the cavalry. It’s about grabbing a camera, calling your friends, and using what you do have instead of waiting around for permission.
Let’s break down how he did it—and how you can, too.
Why Waiting Isn’t a Strategy (and the Cavalry Isn’t Coming)
AJ’s story hits home for a lot of us. Moved to LA. Started auditioning. Got a few small roles. Did the whole hustle. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the career he pictured. He didn’t want to be “guy with the clipboard.” He wanted to be telling the story.
So instead of waiting for someone to cast him in the perfect role, he created it.
After watching a Mark Duplass talk that challenged filmmakers to make a feature for $1,000, AJ and his wife got to work. What came out of that was Go Crazy Go Mad, an improvised film shot in five days using a sparse outline, borrowed locations, and a couple of hungry actors. Welcome to the world of micro-budget filmmaking.
That single $1K feature film launched a whole movement—and a company: One Grand Film.
Reverse Engineering: Build the Film Around What You Have
The magic of AJ’s method isn’t just the budget. It’s how he reverse engineers filmmaking.
He starts with what he already has: access to actors, locations, and basic gear. From there, he builds the script—not the other way around. This is how you create compelling stories with limited resources and zero excuses.
Have an apartment, a car, and a couple of talented friends? You’ve got yourself a movie set, a cast, and a shot at making something real.
It’s the definition of DIY filmmaking, but with structure, strategy, and repeatable success.
Scaling Up: From $1K to $250K
One film became the foundation for many. AJ moved from making a movie on a micro-budget to producing higher-budget indie films, including End Trip (a $50K horror feature), and eventually $250K projects.
Each step was proof of concept. He showed that he could finish what he started, deliver something powerful, and tell a story that connected. He’s helped others do the same through his program—supporting creatives in building a filmmaking team from scratch, writing their own roles, and acting in their own films to save costs.
He’s turned one feature into a full-on filmmaking career strategy.
What Trained Actors Can Learn From All This
This isn’t just for filmmakers. It’s a game-changer for actors who are tired of waiting.
If you’ve been working for a few years and feel like you’re still not being seen for what you can do, building your acting career by creating your own films might be your next step.
It gives you footage. Real footage. Not just self-tapes.
It helps you define your actor branding through filmmaking.
It opens doors to real festivals, real casting, and real leverage.
This is a roadmap that works—for real people with real talent and real limitations.
Inside the One Grand Film Method
So if you’re wondering—yes, AJ teaches this stuff. Not as some polished film school guru, but as someone who’s actually been in the grind and figured out how to build momentum without waiting around.
His 90-day course helps people go from “I’ve got an idea” to actually having a film in the can. It’s built on the same approach that launched his career: reverse engineering your film around what you have, casting smart, using improvised dialogue, and keeping it simple without sacrificing story.
He walks you through the nitty-gritty too—things like editing tools, gear, finding your crew, and how to make something real without burning yourself out.
If you want to learn more about that, you can find him on Instagram or check out onegrandfilm.com.
Want to Make Something Bold Happen in Your Career?
If this conversation got you thinking about your next step—and you're a trained actor who’s been doing the work but still feels a little overlooked—maybe we should talk. Book a free discoery call with me. It’s just a chance to chat, no pressure. We’ll talk through what’s going on, where you’re getting stuck, and if I can help, I’ll tell you exactly how. And if I can’t? I’ll point you to someone or something that can.
Keywords:
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