What is the best way to get a film made for low cost?

What would be the best way to find someone who can make a quality-looking short film for low cost, such as finding someone who could even do so by using an iPhone? I've read that such was possible, but how could you even find someone with that type of talent who won't charge thousands to do it?

You fiund smoene with actual talent who can make a film of QUALITY on a low budget.
For one, you're forgetting that for a film to actually look good quality you need more than a decent camera. You also need decent lights (plus someone who knows how to use them) and decent sound recording equipment (and someone who knows how to use it). YOu also need good actors. Actors with actual talent.

You can't get anything for a low cost unless you totally rip some poor person off who does all the work. Some things cost money.

You're talking about indie. But indie is not a service. It doesn't work that way. You don't pay to have a product made for you.

That said, you've got a few options, and it depends on what your goal is and how serious you are. The higher you aim, the higher the quality of the product - keep that in mind.

Before jumping in to the options, do you have a screenplay written out or are you the producer? Or both? If you're the producer but not the writer, you'll need to hire a writer. You could take the professional route and hire a professional writer or you could go for an amateur. Just remember, you get what you pay for. A well-written screenplay (professional, rewritten several times, proofread, etc.), even a short one, costs a lot of money. Since it takes many years of hard work to turn in a professional-level work, if you're not an experienced (screen)writer, writing one yourself will result in a poor-quality product. Take that into account.

Now. The options in front of ya:

1. The cheapest option: film it yourself. Grab your smartphone or get a good one, grab a few friends, and just start filming.

2. Invest some money if you're looking to make something more serious. Buy or rent good equipment, costumes, props, book locations, hire a crew and cast members with some experience, etc. Work on getting funding. Either save up for a while, get a (second) job, beg to your relatives or friends for money, or try crowdfunding. If you crowdfund, the catch is you will need to at least make a teaser for the pitch when asking for backers'' money and that chances are good you will not reach the goal. If you're serious about making indie films, learning how to get funding is essential for a producer. That's YOUR job.

3. Collaborate. Same as no. 2 but the film belongs to all crew members involved. With this option you get to save some money if, for example, one of the crew members has the equipment at home or they own a business where you can film your scene. The cast and crew do it for the experience rather than the money.

4. IF you have a fully-written script, there are indie production companies. Some are bigger, some are smaller. Some local, some not. Some work with a bigger budget, some with smaller - and it often depends on the genres they produce. Some, slasher horror is their expertise, some have CGI experts working for them. Some only produce comedy, some will never touch comedy. Some buy scripts, some only use in-house writers, some only use friends and people they know. Some will not take unsolicited submissions. Some will take ultra-amateur scripts, some will not even read a script that's less than professional. Some produce with the goal to submit to film festivals, some are no more than a bunch of amateurs who do this for fun. Some will pay you $100 for your script, some will not pay you at all (for the most part you will not get paid at all). Some will let you take part in the production, some will not even let you near the set.
So what I'm saying is, you need to do your research on the indie realm. Then on specific companies. -Are they legit? Have they won any film festival awards? Which festivals, prestigious ones? What genres do they produce? Is your script one of those genres? What budget, is your script that budget (research budget to know how to determine)? How long have they been around? Where are they located? Do they produce quality work? What about the tone and the style, are they right for the story you're trying to tell? Do you like it? Do they accept unsolicited submissions? How do they like to accept submissions (email, snail mail, fax, form on the website?) And so on.
Again, it's not a service. They don't have to produce anything even for a fair payment. It's not about you - it's about them. It's THEIR business. So once you've got a few companies well-researched and targeted, and their contact info, research how to write a kick-*** query letter. You never send anyone the script itself unless they ask for it! The point of a query letter is to ask if they would like you to send over the script for a read. If they say yes, then you send over the script and wait. If you don't hear back after a few weeks, that's a pass (they're not interested). If you do and they would like to move forward with the script and/or with you, they will get back to you. Keep in mind that once you sell your script (or give it away), it does not belong to you anymore. It all depends on the contract, but in general you're not the one who will be making decisions such as casting, lightning, editing, wardrobe, etc. The producer may want you to do a few rewrites based on their notes or they may hire a new writer(s) to rewrite your script. Basically, it's not your movie. You're the writer, and chances are you will get your credit, but it's the producer's movie. The good news, you shouldn't be paying anything, you're the one being paid for your material and/or your job - as opposed to a service.

5. Not an option that's available to you at the moment, but I'll include it anyway. -Pursue a professional screenwriting career by working your *** off for many years to get to a professional level and write a few professional-level screenplays (full-length features and spec pilots mostly). Then try and get a manager, move to LA, do assignments and other writing gigs to get experience and connections in the industry while you continue to write your own material and try to pitch to serious companies (they do not take unsolicited submissions). Chances are you will never sell a single script, it's just that hard, but who knows. That's in short. If you want to know more about pursuing a screenwriting career or selling to serious companies look for my answers on the subject.

Hope this helps.

One location only. Pro actors. Great script.