Documentaries are more popular than ever. No longer are these films the world of small grants and shoestring budgets. Instead, demands are rising, so are the production quality and budgets. Filmmakers need to lay a solid groundwork in their finances to ensure they have everything they need for the long haul.

Documentary filmmakers have a vital role in entertainment and social causes. The passion you have to tell an important story or bring awareness might be all that matters to you, but have you thought about what it’s going to cost to make it?

As demand for documentaries grows, so do the quality and budgets. To stay competitive, you’ll need to create a budget that’s accessible without forsaking quality.

In this Stage 32 webinar, you’ll walk away knowing every element you need to be accounted for in your budget and why it’s there.

You’ll learn:

• How to construct a schedule
• Your essential story elements
• Your variable and fixed costs
• How to build a budget from the ground up
• How to budget against the schedule
• How to maintain your records and cost reporting
• And more

You’ll also have foresight into the potential pitfalls to avoid in budgeting feature documentaries.

From not paying yourself, to not planning for enough shoot days, to not understanding what you’ll need to get through post-production and marketing.

Guiding you exclusively through Stage 32 is the acclaimed co-founder and co-president of CreativeChaos vmg, Ilan Arboleda. CreativeChaos and Ilan produce feature films, documentaries, and television rooted in social action.

He is currently in production with Viacom on a documentary series, and he’s in post-production on THE GREAT DIVIDE and THIS IS PLANET Z. His most recent projects include KING OF COOL (TCM), THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING (Starz, Netflix), BLEED OUT (HBO), LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE AT FOLSOM PRISON (Netflix), THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE (Hulu), KEDI, and CASTING BY (HBO).

Ilan’s films have been nominated for an Emmy award and have won the Latin Grammy, the National Board of Review, two Critics Choice Awards, three LA Press Club awards, and two Gracie awards.

Most importantly, his films have inspired industry change, policy overhaul, and legislation at the state and national levels, with Ilan co-writing legislation with Congressman Seth Moulton that became part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Ilan’s ability to treat documentaries as both a business and art allows him to continuously produce fantastic projects that audiences love and lead to a larger impact.

With Ilan’s guidance in this webinar, you’ll have everything you need to create an expertly made budget so that you can focus on telling the story you want the world to see.

Visualizing Your Movie with Numbers

The Schedule

• How to construct a schedule

The Assumptions

• What is the assumption set?
• What are the essential story elements?

Costs

• What are our variable and fixed costs?
• What are our assets?

Building the Budget

• From the ground up

Cash Flow

• Understand your budget against the schedule
• Understanding how to stay cash positive

The Business of:

• Incorporation and compliance
• Maintaining records
• Cost reporting

Crucial Often Overlooked Elements

• An accountant
• Delivery
• Marketing

Q&A with Ilan

"I enjoyed the webinar and look forward to revisiting the recording." -Timmia H.

"Good guy, very proficient, clearly experienced." -Rob C.

"He answered lots of questions and appreciate the detail in the presentation" -Shannon B.