Has anybody here been at the table of a film's budget???
How's it like??? How does it go??? What do you look at for the budget??? How is the process really like???
Plz I need your views and experiences...
Screenwriting : Budgeting a film... by Felix Agyeman Boahen
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It's an art form in itself and a black art at that. I'm lucky enough to work with a producer who has been brought into the big studios to fix budgets. It requires a lot of experience, and knowledge along with software to manage.
The fundamental problem is that a new producer doesn't know how much things cost, especially if you aren't working with union rates.
The key factor is usually the number of production days, how many people you need for each of those days, and what those people need in terms of food and accommodation. That's usually where the bulk of your costs are.
Equipment (usually rented) is a fixed cost as are permits.
When I'm writing, I'm usually trying to keep this all in mind to keep the budget down.
Here's a list of items usually covered.
Above The Line
Story and Rights: $0,000
Producers: $0,000
Directors Unit: $0,000
Cast 1: $0,000
Total Above-The-Line: $0,000
Production
Accounting Staff: $0,000
Production Staff: $0,000
Extra Talent: $0,000
Art Department: $0,000
Covid Costs: $0,000
Set Operation: $0,000
Props and Vehicles: $0,000
Wardrobe: $0,000
Makeup and Hairdressing: $0,000
Set Lighting: $0,000
Camera: $0,000
Production Sound: $0,000
Locations: $0,000
Transportation: $0,000
Travel & Lodging : $0,000
Overtime: $0,000
Stunts and Second Unit: $0,000
Total Production: $0,000
Other
Messenger Elements: $0,000
Editing: $0,000
Music: $0,000
Post Production Sound: $0,000
Post Production Film & Lab: $0,000
Post Production: $0,000
Insurance: $0,000
Contingency and Fees: $0,000
SAG-AFTRA Bond Return: $0,000
Legal, & LLC Filings: $0,000
Total Other: $0,000
Total Above-The-Line: $0,000
Total Below-The-Line: $0,000
Total Above and Below-The-Line: $0,000
Total Fringes: $0,000
Grand Total: $0,000
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Well done, CJ... So glad to have you here...
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So how do you calculate your production days??? Is it adviceable to shoot many pages per day to cut the cost or a page per day??? Which one is really helpful???
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And the "ATL" cost, is it calculated on percentage (especially story&rights) or there should be an actual amount from the writer or wherever the story is from... An for the producer how do you do that???
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It's a complex formula but you ideally want to shoot as many pages per day that use the same locations and fits with actor's schedules.
Script pages tend to be broken down in 8ths for shooting and you need to have some scope as to how long they're going to realistically need to shoot when you factor in other things like makeup, wardrobe, probs, and everything else.
ATL costs can be done in a variety of ways that work best for everyone. There's no hard rule there at all. It's not usual for those roles to defer a fee or even wave it in exchange for participation on a really low budget production.
Thanks CJ...
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Preparing for a pre-production with a team on my first assignment done... "1983, Ghana Must Go"... Want to be sure of how things really work at table.
Uhmmm, So for the Story&rights which interest me most, is a percentage negotiation good or a fix amount said is better???
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Writers' fee is a very tricky conversation, especially once you get in low-budget films. Check out this article I wrote for some thoughts; A Screenwriter’s Basic Guide to Analysing Early Offers.
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Yh I'm going through it's really helpful...
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https://nofilmschool.com/film-budget-template
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The Film Finance Corporation also known as Film Australia has some great spreadsheets to download. But they are heavy duty.
Are you trying to figure out the cost of a film or figure out if what you have written is going to be costly? The spreadsheet help you estimate and keep track. But figuring out if a script costs is different.
This may help: https://youtu.be/HValrbMiAIU
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whatever the budget, there is usually a secret budget only ppl inside know and never shared publicly, and always add 15-20% contingency $$ funds! One time I was coordinating a rap music video and the artist wanted a pair of $300 timberland boots or else he didn't leave his trailer. Cheaper to buy Timbs than have crew wait & waste labor time. Gotta do what you gotta do on-set.
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You can also ask advice about budgeting in the Producing Lounge: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing
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Schedule goes hand in hand with Budget... and impacts the writer and what we write.
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First Draft I ignore budget. I write big! Then in subsequent drafts I figure out how I can achieve what I want to achieve in ANY budget. Check out the music video I made for €450...(€250 of which was "wages"). You have to think and write cinematically.
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Like William said, plus you have to break down the script and then do the schedule and then the budget. Lower budget films with few locations are easier. Here is a link that shows samples of different types. https://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/film-budging-basics/
Guardinho, I'm on with the script break down...
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The books From Reel to Deal and Shoot From The Heart has some good information about budgeting a film.
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I've done a few script beak downs and scheduling. I really like Gorilla 6 scheduling software. It works good with Final Draft and Movie Magic. I don't know if it works with other programs, but here is a link if you want to check it out.
https://www.junglesoftware.com/products/gorilla_sched_home.php
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For scheduling, or how many pages you can shoot in a day, the average is no more than 4 pages in a day, but there are factors that can take longer or make shooting much, much faster. The more setup (art direction/set dressing, stunt work, specialty shots), the fewer pages you can do in a day. If there's a single set up, like a dialogue scene, or simple camera language, then you can have more pages in a day. A 90-page RomCom for example could be shot in 4 weeks easily, especially if two of those weeks allow for 6-day work weeks.
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We shot a 90page RomCom DannyBoy in 21 days. You have to think smart and be ready to reimagine scenes to make them work WITHIN budget and time. I think the biggest mistake beginner screenwriters make is not realisinng that the script is a blueprint and a guide. You mostly will not be shooting EXACTLY what is on the page in every scene. Learn to compromise. It's a look sound and feeling you need to convey. The script is not god. Also communication between all depts is key to achieving this. You don't have to have staff in all depts but you must remember to think like each. If you the screenwriter thinks and writes smart for Costume, Lighting, Sound, Production Design, Props, Hair & MakeUp as well as story then you will easily make the right decisions when changing things due to a lower budget thus not compromising the final look.
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If anything, I hope this thread goes some way to show the script's impact on budget and how we can find a competitive advantage by being aware of that.
I detail some budget saving tips all writers should consider in this blog post; The One Rule Of Writing For Independent Film
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Thanks so such everybody... But I'm confused here with the wardrobe/costume;
"If the cast are to be in the same outfit/costume from a previous scene, should the same outfit be present in the current scene's break down sheet???"
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If they wear the same outfit in a different scene they have to know that because they don’t shoot film in the same order it appears in your screenplay. The more detailed your breakdown is the better because filming will go smoother.
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Thanks, Dan.
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Felix. You are welcome.