This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Entertainment Trend for 2014: Low-Budget Movies=Big Business Artistically bankrupt, low-budget films like Sharknado are big business.

By Daniel Dumas

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Entertainment

There's a scene in Sharknado in which a great white shark, flung into the smoggy L.A. air by a freak tornado, is bisected by a chainsaw-wielding hero. This was, perhaps, the least shocking thing about the film. What's more amazing is that Sharknado was seen by more than 1 million people, and 300,000 tweeted enthusiastically about it the night of its premiere on the Syfy network.

Sharknado is one example of a "mockbuster," a new genre of film defined by the internet generation's insatiable demand for quirky, cheap content. Call it the filmmaking version of the web's BuzzFeed. These movies resemble contemporary popcorn flicks but are produced in a fraction of the time (months instead of years) with a budget (usually less than $500,000) that would qualify as a rounding error on a big studio production. Despite shoddy quality, such films are finding an ever-growing audience and becoming a booming business.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

Bank Accidentally Deposits $86 Million Into Woman's Account, Freezes Her Assets

The incident occurred at the Malaysian bank, Maybank.

Business News

Google Accidentally Sent This Man a $250,000 Payment

Security engineer Sam Curry was in for quite the treat when he checked his bank account around a few weeks ago.

Living

Get 24 Roses for $35 with This Holiday Deal

Order these roses by December 7 for on-time holiday delivery.

Starting a Business

This Couple Started Renting Rooms in Their House As a Side Hustle. Now They Run 11 Airbnb Units Full Time.

In the new book, "Start Your Own Airbnb Business," Airbnb Superhosts share how they have grown lucrative rental businesses.

Side Hustle

This Millennial Dad Just Wanted to Help His Daughter Care for Her Bearded Dragon. Then His Cricket-Breeding Side Hustle Exploded — Earning $27,000 in One Month.

It wasn't Jeff Neal's first attempt at a side gig, and before long, the "prototypical millennial side-hustler" realized his product had major potential.