Zero budget filmmaking

You didn't give up on films. You just never found your team.

A city by city crew list for zero budget films. Writers, actors, editors, cinematographers, sound, music. People who create for credit, portfolio, and the love of it. Not a paycheck.

Join the crew list Free · 30 seconds

Walk the set ↓

Scene 02 · What this is

Work on films you believe in.

Build a filmography that's
actually yours.

Meet people as obsessed as you are.

Scene 03 · The problem

Every unmade film in India dies the same death. Not from lack of talent. From lack of a team.

A director with a finished script.

An editor with free weekends.

An actor waiting for a role worth doing.

Same city. They've just never met.

Scene 04 · Why this exists

Ten years ago I made a short film in a small town, and nearly drowned finding actors, editors, musicians. Not because they didn't exist. Because there was nowhere to look.

▶ Watch that short film

First Take exists so the next filmmaker doesn't shoot alone.

Junaid · Founder, First Take

Scene 05 · The plan

Step I

The crew assembles

Now

Every craft, every level, every city. Onboarding now.

Step II

Connections open

At 100 members per city

When your city hits 100, the doors open there: search by craft, see real work, message who you need, get found. Every profile is reviewed by a human before that day.

Step III

Films get made

Zero budget · Full credit

Every project makes the next one easier. This is how filmographies begin.

Now assembling: Mumbai · Delhi

Progress updates weekly on @bollylivescoop

Take your seat early. Your sign-up
moves your city up the queue.

Scene 06 · The call

Someone in your city needs exactly your skill.

The chair is still empty.
Take your seat.

Keep scrolling
the call sheet is next ↓

The Q&A

Is this free?

Yes. Free to join now, free when connections open. This is a community, not a subscription trap.

When do connections open?

When your city reaches 100 members. Progress is posted every week on @bollylivescoop.

I'm not in Mumbai or Delhi. Should I still join?

Yes. Every city unlocks at 100 members. Your signup literally moves your city up the queue, and you'll be the first to know when it opens.

I haven't worked on a film yet. Can I join?

Yes, that's what "Not yet" is for. Everyone's filmography starts at zero. This is where first films come from.

How do I know the people here are real?

Every profile is reviewed by a human before connections open: work links checked, obvious fakes removed. There's a code of conduct, and reports get acted on, not archived. This has to be a safe place to meet strangers and make things, or it's nothing.

Who owns the films we make?

You do. Your team does. First Take takes zero rights to your scripts, footage, or films. We're the place you met, not a producer with a claim.

Is this for paid work?

No. Zero budget means exactly that: nobody's hiring, nobody's paying, nobody's profiting off anyone. You collaborate for credit, portfolio, and the film itself. Real costs like travel and food do exist on any set. Agree openly with your team on how to split them before you shoot. If you're looking for paid gigs, this isn't that platform.