Learn how to create and maintain a budget for a television show with a producer who has worked on DEXTER for Showtime, SWINGTOWN for CBS, HELP ME HELP YOU for ABC, and GOLIATH on Amazon, and more! 

Get a downloadable Amort Sample Budget, Pattern Sample Budget, Cost Report Example, Cost Report Summary Example and Hot Cost Sample

As a television maker, one of the most difficult aspects of your job is creating and managing the budget for your project. Budgeting a feature or a short can be complicated enough, but at least you have all of the information at your fingertips. You have a script, schedule, rates—all of these things are at your disposal. However what happens when you need to budget a TV show? You don’t have all the scripts, there’s seemingly no way to create a schedule and, on the surface, no way to generate a budget. And once that budget is established, how do you handle decision making and cost tracking over a many, many months long process? These seemingly unsolved issues do have answers, and ones that may be simpler than you think.

Successfully producing a TV show to get on screen requires that you understand not just how to build a TV budget, but also how to operate it. Knowing the ins and outs of Movie Magic and the various tools within as it relates to television is key. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and drown in the details of creating and managing the budget of a series. Through thorough research of the software, what it does and how it affects your project, you will be able to create TV budgets with ease. Presenting a solid TV budget will help you gain the confidence of those who can ultimately invite you into the inner circle of TV producing and allow you to advance your career to new heights.

To help you on your path is Rami Rank who has produced on Amazon's GOLIATH, DEXTER for Showtime, SWINGTOWN for CBS, HELP ME and HELP YOU for ABC, as well as features such as the remake of APRIL FOOL'S DAY. Through his storied career, Rami has produced and budgeted for all types of television shows, including some of the biggest ones out there. He knows intimately what goes into the vital aspect of creating a budget for these projects and is ready to share all he’s learned exclusively with you.

In this 3-session on-demand class, Rami will offer detailed, practical, and exhaustive guide to creating and managing a successful TV budget. In session one he will review the basic starting point of a TV budget: where the information comes from and how to utilize it. He will review some basic concepts like Budgeting and Scheduling Software, Rate Guides and the two types of budgets you’ll be creating – Patterns and Amorts. Session 2 will be a deep dive into the Amort budget. Students will receive a copy of an Amort budget to use as reference as we walk through all of the departments, positions and costs to consider in preparing the Amort. In the final session you will receive copies of a pattern budget to use as reference as he teaches how this budget is transformed into an episodic budget and then tracked using hot costs and cost reports.

You will leave these three classes with the knowledge base and confidence to tackle any TV budget.

PLUS! this class comes with downloadable handouts that you can use for your own projects including:

• Amort Sample Budget
• Pattern Sample Budget
• Cost Report Example
• Cost Report Summary Example
• Hot Cost Sample

"As a long time producer, I know how important a solid budget is for any television show, and I know just how challenging it is to create one successfully—much harder than for features and shorts. I’m excited to empower producers and creatives in the Stage 32 community to do the same. Get ready to learn more about TV budgets than you ever have before!"

-Rami Rank

SESSION 1 – GROUNDWORK

In session one we will review the basic starting point of a TV budget: where the information comes from and how to utilize it. We'll review some basic concepts like budgeting and scheduling software, rate guides and the two types of budgets you’ll be creating – Patterns and Amorts.

• The Unknown Void of TV Budgeting
• The art of balancing and forecasting
• Honesty as a priority
• The budget as a living document
• Where do you get your information?
• Creative concepts
• Nuts and bolts
• Tools of the Trade
• Movie Magic budgeting
• Movie Magic scheduling
• Calendar program
• EP Paymaster or Pay Rate Guide
• What and How Do I Pay People
• The Roles of Unions / Guilds
• Minimum Rates
• Minimum Staffing
• Pay Hours
• Overscale Employees
• Fringes / Eventual Savings
• General Concepts
• Pattern and Amort Budgets
• Out / In Pattern
• Hero Sets
• Cast
• On Production vs. Off Production Roles
• Hot Costs
• Cost Reports
• Projections
• Q&A with Rami

SESSION 2 – THE AMORT BUDGET

Session 2 will be a deep dive into the Amort budget. Students will receive a PDF copy of an amort budget to use as reference as we walk through all of the departments, positions and costs to consider in preparing the Amort.

• What is in the Amort Budget?
• Prep Costs
• Wrap Costs
• Seasonal Costs
• Non-Episodic Costs
• Fixed Costs
• ATL - A Walkthrough of the Above the Line Costs / Departments in the Amort Budget and some basic estimation tools
• Writers
• Producer
• Director
• Cast
• ATL Travel
• BTL – A Walkthrough of the Below the Line Costs Along with a brief outline of job responsibilities
• Extras
• Production
• Art Department
• Construction
• Strike Costs
• Grip / Set Operations
• SFX
• Set Dressing
• Property
• Picture Vehicles
• Set Lighting
• Camera
• Sound
• Costumes
• Hair / Make-Up
• Transportation
• Location Expenses
• General Expenses
• Tests
• 2nd Unit
• Stage and Backlot Rentals
• Editorial
• Main Title Sequence
• Stock Footage
• Miscellaneous Overhead
• Q&A with Rami

SESSION 3 – THE PATTERN BUDGET AND GOING FORWARD

In the final session students will receive PDF copies of a pattern budget to use as reference as we learn how this budget is transformed into an episodic budget and then tracked using hot costs and cost reports.

• The Pattern Budget
• Finding and Understanding Balance in the Pattern
• Managing expectations and realities of future savings
• New Items Not In The Amort Budget
• While most of the items in the pattern budget are already in the amort, there are a multitude of new costs purely related to the episode, here, we will review those
• Creating the Episodic Budget From the Pattern
• Concept Meeting
• Preliminary Budgets
• Department Meetings
• Tech Scout
• Production Meeting
• Final Budgets
• Tracking and Projections
• Hot Costs
• Cost Reports
• Seasonal Tracking
• Projections
• Q&A with Rami

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• This class is designed for beginner and intermediate students looking to learn the fundamentals of maintaining a budget-friendly project. This is an in-depth, practical, and detailed class with significantly more content than a standard 90-minute webinar.
• This class will consist of four sessions, each roughly three to four hours in duration.
• PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 class is now available to watch on-demand but we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

All levels of producers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of budgeting.

All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of budgeting.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of budgeting.

Actors looking to grasp an understanding of budgeting.

"Rami was great, good presenter, very experienced, good communication"

-Paul B.

"Terrific host, valuable content."

-Mark M.

"Rami was great. He was entertaining, and showed he knew what he was teaching. Webinar flowed well and was engaging for the whole timeframe"

-Nicholas B.

"Very helpful, good overview of the process"

-Angie L.