Micro-budget docs: Balancing creative vision with 'production-friendly' scripts?

Hey everyone, I'm Amara Okafor, a documentary filmmaker currently wrestling with a new project. I'm deep in concept development for a doc about forgotten historical figures, and my head is swimming with grand ideas for visual storytelling, complex timelines, and intricate character arcs. The problem is, I know this will be a micro-budget production, and I keep hearing the advice to create 'production-friendly' scripts and lean into low-cost software. I've been trying to streamline locations and minimize complex setups in my outline, but I feel like I'm constantly compromising on the creative ambition that excites me. How do you all approach balancing your initial creative vision with the harsh realities of a tiny budget during concept development? Do you scale back early, or find ways to achieve big ideas cheaply?