C.R.E.A.M ("Cash Rules Everything Around Me" —Wu Tang Clan)

When John Hughes began to make The Breakfast Club, he was still sort of inexperienced—he was a seasoned writer, not a director. The only movie he'd actually directed was Sixteen Candles (which was a hit, after all, but the movie gods are fickle). But he justified himself to the studio bigwigs, explaining that it was only going to cost a million bucks to make the movie (which, by movie standards, isn't that much) and they were only going to use one location for the shoot. The movie gods relented: They agreed to give him a shot.

Hughes obliged by filming the movie in a straightforward way—nothing risky or daring, but still fundamentally solid. He kept everything confined to the high school, which made the budget naturally low. The movie eventually made $50,525,171 at the box office—more than justifying Hughes as a salable director. The movie gods were pleased.

Low Budget = Innovation

Despite the low budget, Hughes still manages to do some pretty cool things. He puts a David Bowie quote on a black screen at the beginning of the movie and he cuts to the scene outside the high school by having the black screen shatter. Hughes also uses the soundtrack to create a specific emotional mood—Bender's triumphant fist in the air at the end of the movie, accompanied by Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)," has become an iconic moment.

Sure, there are some parts that might seem a little dated and a little too '80s… like the dance sequence (although it has its charms). But, overall, it's a good example of how to successfully direct something with a small amount of characters and a limited location. It shows that having limited resources can actually make you innovate as a director.