Learn what components of a script make your project more expensive - and they're not always what you expect - so you can write your screenplay with a budget range in mind!

PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help you keep expensive elements of your script in mind while writing!

Every writer has heard it - certain elements of your script end up too expensive for a production. When producers are generating their production plan, if the budget is too high they will either scrap your script all together or, if you're lucky, ask you to modify your work to lower the cost of your film or series. 

Whether you’re writing a low budget independent film or a large studio tentpole project, it’s important to keep in mind which elements of your script will drive up your budget. As an example, you probably can't write too many locations (or big action sequences) into a script that you hope to sell to the Hallmark Channel, whose budgets are usually in a specific range, or have too many child actors in low budget movie as that can require many additional hidden expenses. If you want to build a career as a screenwriter, it’s critical that you understand what elements of a screenplay make your projects expensive so you can pragmatically write with your budget range in mind.

In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, we will dissect and identify the elements of your script that can unexpectedly inflate production costs across various film genres. These elements are often hidden within the narrative and it falls on you, the writer, to write with these in mind. You will learn the secrets to crafting compelling stories while keeping a close eye on the bottom line, making your next film project attractive to investors and producers so you can get your movie made!

Teaching you everything you need to know about which elements of your script are deceivingly expensive is Rosi Acosta, former Film Commissioner for Puerto Rico, Unit Production Manager (UPM), and DGA member who has worked on over 75 film and television projects, including the feature films DRIVEN, SPEED KILLS, and IMPRISONED. As a seasoned physical production professional, advocate, spokesperson, mentor, content writer and film commissioner, Rosi’s career in the film industry has been driven by passion and her love of film and television. Rosi has firsthand experience developing scripts to fit a certain budget and is sharing the knowledge she’s learned from her extensive career exclusively with the Stage 32 community!

In this information-packed webinar, you will learn how each aspect of a script can potentially drive up the production budget - everything from legal, copyright, and set safety considerations to genre elements, casting considerations, stunts, and working with minors and animals. As a screenwriter, it is important you keep all these elements in mind when writing your project.

Whether you're a seasoned screenwriter looking to gain insights into the financial intricacies of your craft or a budding filmmaker eager to understand the factors that can make or break a film's budget, this webinar is a must!

PLUS! You will receive exclusive handouts to help you keep expensive elements of your script in mind while writing!

Praise for Rosi Acosta's Teaching with Stage 32

"Rosi Acosta is, in a word, awesome. She is a treasure of knowledge and easy to understand! Incredibly detailed." -- Lawrence W.

• Introduction
  • The importance of genre-aware screenwriting in budget management.
• Understanding Script Elements
  • Preview of how specific genres and elements impact the budget
  • MAPWACS and what this means.
• Legal and Copyright Considerations
  • Highlighting the importance of legal clearances.
  • How to navigate copyright issues without incurring additional expenses.
• The Safety Bulletins and Union Regulations and Best Practices
  • What are the Safety Bulletins
  • Various Film Union Best Practices and considerations when working on various genres
• EXPLAINING GENRES AND THEIR IMPACT ON BUDGET
  • Musicals
    • Elements of the musical genre-What it means to produce a musical film.
  • Aerials
    • Elements in aerial films and sequences
    • Discussing the unique financial considerations of aerial scenes.
  • Action Sequences
    • Elements of action films
    • Analyzing the financial demands and safety requirements of high-octane action scenes.
  • Period Pieces
    • Elements necessary for period pieces and/or historical films
    • Understanding the budget implications of historical settings and costumes.
  • Water Scenes and Water Work
    • Delving into the complexities of shooting in aquatic environments and the elements required.
    • Analyzing the financial demands and safety requirements in waterwork in a film.
  • Animals
    • Exploring the challenges of working with animal actors and elements required when working with animals.
  • Children and Minors
    • Addressing legal and logistical aspects when working with young actors and minors.
  • Sex/Nudity Scenes
    • Navigating the sensitivities and expenses associated with intimate scenes.
    • What is an intimacy coordinator?
  • Stunts and Special Effects
    • Unpacking the budgetary impact of daring stunts and visual effects.
• Q&A with Rosi Acosta

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn what elements of your script drive up the budget. 

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to sell their script.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to write a script with a certain budget in mind.

Producers who want to learn what elements of a script drive up the budget. 

Actors who want to take charge of their careers by writing a script with a certain budget in mind.