Budget-Conscious Writing: How Early Should Location Limits Influence Creative Choices?

Hey everyone,

I'm Nina Kowalski, a screenwriter, and I'm grappling with something on my current project, a sci-fi thriller. The concept is pretty ambitious, but my gut tells me it's likely to be a lower-budget affair. I've heard the advice about minimizing locations to save money, and it makes complete sense from a production standpoint.

However, I'm wondering how early that consideration should genuinely factor into my creative process. Right now, in the early outlining phase, my imagination is running wild, creating all sorts of diverse settings.

I've tried consciously limiting myself to just a few locations from the get-go, but it feels like it's stifling the story's potential and making it feel a little claustrophobic. Should I just write the best story I can and then figure out how to consolidate locations later, or is it better to build those budget constraints in from the very first draft if I want a film to actually get made? How do you experienced writers balance creative freedom with budgetary realities from the jump?