Michael J. Epstein is a Los-Angeles-based filmmaker, musician, and writer. Even on a low-budget contemporary film, you will need a make-up artist for applying basic cover-up and for keeping the actor's continuity in check. If you have team managers or department heads in place, check with them for estimates of personnel needs and materials costs. You don’t need a full breakdown to estimate crew salaries. One writer may simply say, “Frederick transforms into a wolf,” while another may describe each stage of that transformation in great detail for pages. Making money in film costs money and you can find a great film budget example of a $1 million independent feature film on Stephen Follows blog. A typical film production day is 12 hours long, for overtime you will need to pay additional wages. In short, the more experienced the producer the more they will charge. Best Spaghetti Western Movies of All-Time (Ranked), Arri Alexa Mini — The Camera of Choice for Hollywood DPs, Rules of Shot Composition in Film: A Definitive Guide, What is a DIT in Film — Definition, Job Description, and Salary. – Set design is often overlooked on indies but can make all the difference on screen. On larger sets hire a professional catering service. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques. ... with a budget of 1 million euros. Develop a budget estimate for each effect or stunt on your script breakdown sheet. You might also like to check out our podcast episode –, To break down your script first list all of your scenes then next to them list their locations and a brief description of the action taking place in each scene. By listing all of these elements, you can begin to estimate your film budget. He has written, directed, and produced three horror and sci-fi feature films in collaboration with his wife, Sophia Cacciola. It is also the first step towards creating an initial film schedule. For instance, if your script comes in around 90 pages and you’re shooting 5 pages per day, that means you’ll need your crew for 18 days. And how much time are you willing to spend acquiring that funding? The editing process will likely take several months even for a low-budget - you will have to discuss the turn over with your editor to have a more clear idea of how long this process will take. Film Budget Pro offers six film budget services that you can use in an all-inclusive production package or purchased individually, as needed: • Film Budget Top Sheet Service Often the first step in moving your script towards production, the Budget Top Sheet is a summary prepared by our experts after reading your script that includes all major line items from development to deliverables. A good budget reflects, and must serve, the fundraising process. Budget: $500,000. "The Blair Witch Project" is famous for being shot on only $25,000. Transport and Accommodation – You will need to pay for any transport costs of cast and crew. much easier. Typically screenwriters get 2% of the film's production budget, their payment will need to be negotiated before you start work on the film. Whatever the budget is, many independent projects have a similar distribution. Investors require a real film budget to finance. The most expensive costs are likely going to be your cast and crew wages. On larger sets hire a professional catering service. For low-budgets, you need to have an idea of how much you can afford to pay each actor. He wanted to learn how films are made, make something for his kids to see and have a fun time in the process. – Obtaining and gaining permission for locations can be expensive. – How many heads are you feeding? Welcome to FilmBudget.com. But yeah finding info on animated movie budgeting on the web is proving a challenge! Television series and independent feature films can apply for 25%, but their budget … For lead actors, several identical copies of the same costume may need to be bought. Determine how many pages you will be shooting each day, and, You can find our more detailed advice for, Now that you have an idea of how many days you will be filming, you can begin to break down your film production budget. So, you’re planning to make a film. The Finance Plan of a Film — A Breakdown. Effects-heavy sequences are not. Dialogue is typically easy to shoot. This following section will go through some of the key areas you need to be thinking about during this stage in your budget breakdown. Now that you have an idea of how many days you will be filming, you can begin to break down your film production budget. On low budgets, this can be done cheaply by having friends help out. A typical film production day is 12 hours long, for overtime you will need to pay additional wages. Director – Your director is the creative force and vision behind your film. Film crew members might have their own daily working rates and guidelines can be found on union websites. When there is little detail, treat the sequence as longer than the page count. Aryan Kaganhof, who has had an extensive career shooting independent low budget films and notably SMS Sugarman (the first mobile filmed feature), elaborates: "Until South African films start to make money and we start to produce far more films on lower budgets, we do not have a sustainable industry. I think it is fundamental that we embrace other models, like Nollywood and South Korea. Like stunts, these elements will require special estimates for appropriate crew, rental, insurance, etc. Once each character has a count from your script breakdown, use the earlier page formula. You are missing half the cost of making movies. Their films and music have won numerous festival awards and have been featured by such outlets as TIME, USAToday, SPIN, Curve, Starburst, Famous Monsters, Sci-Fi, and Fangoria. Editor – Your editor's wage will likely be the largest cost during post-production. VII: The Force Awakens: … Consider each scene in your film and how much money you be dedicating to set design. – Every actor appearing in your film will need costumes bought or made for them. You will need to find camera, lighting and grip equipment. Film festivals have fees to enter, you might also wish to have key crew and cast attend film premiers. Download your FREE ​Film Budget Template below.Just enter your email address and we'll instantly send it to you! Do they require stunt doubles, special effects teams or stunt coordinators? First up, we collated a dataset of 107 budgets, ranging from micro-budget movies right up to Hollywood studio tentpoles, to give you a sense of how budgets change as they increase. And If Am New In Film Industry Where Can I Get The Money For Budgeting? You will also need to make sure you have high-quality sound equipment. For low budgets and student films, you will be able to get away with more, especially if you have a small crew. Accommodation might need to be paid for several cast and crew. The editor might work independently or as part of a company. Typically, the distribution costs of a film are not included in the budget breakdown. Movie budgeting contains the key information that you must have for your production. Consider the following script breakdown example: "Scene 23b calls for two cast members, the crew, and an antique pistol.". During post-production the costs will vary depending on genre and if any computer effects are needed. Whilst hiring your crew consider if additional prep time is needed for each role during pre-production. Your crew will be able to help guide you on what they will need to be hired and sourced. Film crew might be members of unions, they might also have agents or their own daily working rates. We empower filmmakers to obtain financing with an accurate film budget breakdown by a professional movie & tv industry A-List Producer & DGA Line Producer. On many sets, the editor or assistant editor will be cutting footage alongside the shoot. The cost of costume will once again depend on the genre of the film. It's 100+ pages on what you need to know to make beautiful, inexpensive movies using a DSLR. Unless you are on public-owned land you will need to seek permission. For independent and guerilla filmmaking, the key is to identify the cornerstone elements of the film and build the budget around those items. What is Shutter Speed and Its Role in the Exposure Triangle? Very useful tips although please check the pro tips for copy and paste from previous points! As you can imagine, independent film budgets are somewhat harder to pin down. If your script totals 150 background actor days on your script breakdown and your background actors are paid $100/day, multiply 150 by $100 for a line-item total of $15,000. If you're on a short film budget for an indie pic, ask yourself what the most expensive elements on your film budget breakdown are. However, if you are an independent filmmaker you don’t want to get caught out later on in the filmmaking process. With all that pressure, we’ve compiled a few tips on how to use your script breakdown software to transform your script breakdown sheet into a film budget. If using fake guns and weapons in a public space you will need to inform the local police before you shoot. On larger film sets it is the line producer or unit production manager who prepares the film's budget, and to do this they may use film budgeting software such as Movie Magic. What will be the allocated budget for food each day? Rehearsals – The director might need several rehearsal days with the actors. Film Budget Breakdown Service. Major Hollywood films typically shoot about one page per day. Well-funded indie films often shoot about four to five pages per day. A good rule of thumb is to budget your shooting days to go at least 12 hours, no matter what, especially on independent films. But for most independent filmmakers, funds come in phase by phase—if they come at all! In the case of commissioned films, the full budget might be guaranteed upfront. On larger film sets it is the, For instance, perhaps you are hoping to make a, As such, your desired outcome for your film can help determine what range of budget you need when you fill out your, Some questions you need to consider are - How are you hoping to fund your film? Just some fundamental knowledge on how to use it effectively! However, if you are an independent producer (or don’t have a software budget), you can do this for free. Below is the $200k budget. 1st: NO-BUDGET Budget ($10,000-$40,000); a 1-week or a 4 weekend (4 months) shoot, with a 5-7 person Non-Union crew, shot in real time with 2 iPhones, a couple of apps, a better mike and a $195 lens. Create breakdown summaries and DOOD reports in a snap. Not to mention that the schedule of a film with a budget will look a lot different from that of a DIY venture. I have arranged for free access to 230 acres and a village. As with most production tips, there is no simple, quick formula for stunts and effects. Very helpful & really put together well. It is critical that the budget is in alignment with your schedule and script. If actor “X” is being paid $1000/day, has a total of 12 script pages on your script breakdown, and your shoot is planned for 4 pages per day, the line item for this actor would be: 12 pages / 4 pages per day = 3 days * $1000/day * 2x correction factor = $6000. It’s likely there will be several re-drafts of your budget during the making of your film. Ideally, you will want to hire your editor in advance even during the pre-production stage. There’s so much in a film budget (in the production side especially) that isn’t relevant for animated movies. During the early stages of pre-production, your budget breakdown is an estimate, you can re-draft later with the help of your crew and production staff. For example, a musical feature will have a longer prep time for actors to learn songs and dance sequences. 5600PRODUCTION FILM & LAB 1,150 5610Field Drives - LaCie Rugged Drives 42 TB Drives 250 1,000 (Assume max 4 hrs/~64 GB per day, 140 hrs total, need 2.5 TB total, x2 for mirror) 5620Tape Stock 0 tapes 0 0 5690Miscellaneous 1 allow 150 150 Note that the camera package is budgeted at 50% of the purchase because either (1) it will be rented from a crew – The producer can be the highest paid crew member, they are typically the first person to get hired and the last to leave a project. For an indie short film budget, most of the money may go towards finding a rare antique pistol, where as a bigger budget film's greatest expense would probably be two Hollywood leads. If you are low-budget, you can still ask producers with experience on shooting with budget restrictions for advice. Gaining the rights to well-known songs and music is expensive. IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, GET YOUR FILM BUDGET TEMPLATE HERE →, The Shreditor's Guide to Film and Video Pre-Production, The Ultimate Guide to Call Sheets (with FREE Call Sheet Template), How to Break Down a Script (with FREE Script Breakdown Sheet), The Only Shot List Template You Need — with Free Download, Managing Your Film Budget Cashflow & PO Log (Free Template), A Better Film Crew List Template Booking Sheet, Best Storyboard Softwares (with free Storyboard Templates). On low budgets, this can be done cheaply by having friends help out. The bulk of your expenses will occur during the 'production' phase It's worth noting that many projects don't follow these proportions. ... (calculated in the millions for big budget films) and the contracts signed with the camera crew, these rates can vary. - Firstly you need to pay your screenwriter. Once you’ve broken down your script, look at each cast member's featured scenes, and bundle them together. All Rights Reserved. Are there any notable props in your film that need to be created or bought. First, let’s look at the 7 basic Independent Movie Budgets. Here's a graphic breakdown of a typical independent film budget. The majority of films average about five pages, and a low-budgets can plan to shoot as many as ten. Also the costs of gear rental can add up to a big price tag. Assistants – Depending on the scale of your production assistant editors and other post-production personnel such as visual effects editors and colorists may be needed. This can be re-drafted as you get closer to production. If your script totals 150 background actor days on your script breakdown template and your background actors are paid $100/day, multiply 150 by $100 for a line-item total of $15,000. The bulk of your budget (unless you are shooting a CGI heavy film), will go towards the production costs. © 2020 NONETWORK, LLC. Did we miss anything about film budgeting? – Depending on your genre you might have a large budget towards make-up. Under this contract, actors must make a SAG day rate of $630, or $2,190 per week. Editors are paid union rates, they may also have own desired daily working rates. – You will need to pay for any transport costs of cast and crew. CHAPTER 4: Common Film Budget Mistakes (You NEED To Avoid) For those who are having problems with the budgeting the film with the above methods, don’t worry it happens to everyone. Feature film production; Independent films; Low-budget films; Pre-production of the film; Post-production of the film; Short films; It’s essential to plan the budget for the film ahead of time. For larger budgets hire a PR team, major festivals recommended that even smaller productions hire a sales agent. Depending on the project, story rights may also need to be obtained (for example, if you are making a film based on an adaption of a book, video game, or play). – Even if your film is low-budget you will need to have permission for all music used. The editor might work independently or as part of a company. Editors are paid union rates, they may also have own desired daily working rates. SWIT's New Pocket Battery is Light Enough for Drones and Gimbals, Yet Still Packs Punch, How Quarantine Actually Helped Us Get a Theatrical Release, How to Nail Your Festival Premiere in the Time of COVID, You're Going to Have to Pay More to Watch 'The Office' Past Season 2, 100 different ways to get your film funded. For each difficult sequence, examine page length. what about break downing cost related to Sets and locations? Plan to be shooting for a few more extra days than expected, in case pickups any are needed. You also will need to consider what you will pay if you shoot overtime. Here is our in-depth piece on locations and location agreements. On larger film sets all expenses will be covered, on low-budgets, you will need to discuss fuel expenses with crew before production. Look for the marks on your scene breakdown for vehicles and animals. They will also be creating dailies (rushes) for the producer, director and DOP to look over every night. How to Design Your Film's Shooting Schedule, Here's How to Produce, Prepare, and Budget Your Next Big Project [Video], Film Crew Positions And Why All Jobs on a Movie Set Matter. The SAG Low Budget Agreement applies to films with budgets between $700,000 and $2,500,000, making this the SAG pay scale of most independent films. Congratulations. Seek in advance what permission you need for filming in each location. You will need to reimburse make-up artists for the cost of any specialist make-up (such as fake blood). Budget Domestic Gross Worldwide Gross; 1: Apr 23, 2019: Avengers: Endgame: $400,000,000: $858,373,000: $2,797,800,564: 2: May 20, 2011: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: $379,000,000: $241,063,875: $1,045,663,875: 3: Apr 22, 2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron: $365,000,000: $459,005,868: $1,396,099,202: 4: Dec 16, 2015: Star Wars Ep. Above the line is all pretty similar and post tends to shift to mainly editorial and sound (foley vos, scratch etc). It will help ensure that all the tasks involved in the making of the film are on track. Typically screenwriters get 2% of the film's production budget, their payment will need to be negotiated before you start work on the film. As such, your desired outcome for your film can help determine what range of budget you need when you fill out your film budget template. Film budgeting, of course, is one of the most crucial aspects of the film process. You may also be required to pay for several rehearsal/prep days. That’s great, perhaps you are a producer or maybe an independent filmmaker. Production costs (cameras/equipment, actor salaries, crew, location) will probably be the most substantial, 50 percent or more. Catering – How many heads are you feeding? You may have several scenes in the same location that can be shot on the same day. This makes the budgeting process (and everything else!) For larger budgets hire a PR team, major festivals recommended that even smaller productions hire a sales agent. Low and micro-budget films may shoot eight or more pages per day. Whatever your job role and desired budget, this following guide will go through all of the areas of budgeting that you need to examine from pre-production to distribution. “Living In Oblivion” follows a director’s attempts at making a film, having to deal with narcotic actors, script changes, and nothing going quite right. Some questions you need to consider are - How are you hoping to fund your film? Who Needs Them and Why. Studio films get by on shooting only one page of script a day. Production Design – Set design is often overlooked on indies but can make all the difference on screen. This includes fuel if crew members make long trips back and forth during production. Gaining the rights to well-known songs and music is expensive. I am not saying that you can’t make a hit micro-budget film. Then there is self-distribution, you may wish to organize your own cinema screenings or DVD sales. Feel free to take a look at where we put our money, at least on paper, to give you an idea of where you should allocate funds in your own film’s budget. When it comes to the glitz and glamour of the movie biz, most people don’t mention film production budget planning–try saying that three times fast. For low budgets hire locally to avoid these additional expenses. On your film production budget template, record this expected number of days on set for each actor and then calculate salary. Multiple drafts of the budget may be required to whittle down costs. Depending on the project, story rights may also need to be obtained (for example, if you are making a film based on an adaption of a book, video game, or play). But on independent films, the director might execute this task. Even without your production completely planned out, it’s still possible to present a detailed and accurate film production budget estimate. – The DOP is traditionally put below-the-line, however, they are an integral part of the production. Production Design - depending on your shoot type you may need to book extra time during pre-production for the visuals in your film to be sourced and gathered. Have a look at costs for camera hire, check out the cost of a local catering service. The cast salaries in this budget are non … Film budget breakdown accounts and sub-accounts encompass these four categories: ATL (ABOVE-THE-LINE) This category includes development costs, talent, and crew generally involved in development phase. This film shows independent filmmakers that there trials and tribulations of making a film could be a lot worse. This guide is here to show you the important elements that you need to consider when estimating your film's budget. Music composers can be hired as well as sound designers. Start by jotting down the number of days you need for each actor in your film budget template. Also, keep in mind the larger the crew, the slower the shooting days can become. Who is going to compose your original music for example! Tag elements like props, wardrobe, and cast. We’re in a golden age of TV writing and development. Like an army - a film crew marches on its stomach. The first Section of the independent film business plan is always the executive Summary, and it’s the most important that you get right. As a composer, would like know more about how music gets budgeted. If using fake guns and weapons in a public space you will need to inform the local police before you shoot. Consider each scene in your film and how much money you be dedicating to set design. You may also need to hire out an office space for your post-production team. It’s just a matter of transforming the code of your script breakdown sheet into your film budget template. The size of your budget will determine how big a crew you can afford to have. It merely provides a standard breakdown of the various would-be expenses in the production of such short films. If the sequence requires many effects or very complex blocking or movement, quadruple the page length in each scene breakdown. Hard Drives/Office –  You will likely need to purchase several hard drives for your film. As such, they can receive up to 5% of the production budget. With digital technology, this process has become easier and you can get part of the edit complete even before post-production begins. Actually more than enough to Produce a quality Low-Budget, actually an Ultra-Low-Budget Feature Film for you can now afford to execute a 2-3 week shoot. At the very least you need to be honest with your crew on what they should expect in terms of working hours and breaks. Count background actor days by doing a count of where they’re featured on your script breakdown sheet (template), with each strip multiplied by the number of actors. Every film needs a leading woman (and occasionally a man). This document, which could be over 130 pages long, is used to secure financing for and lead to pre-production and production of the film. You can find our more detailed advice for breaking down a script here. There are also some extra costs that might arise during pre-production. to help you work through these job roles. Hair and Make-up – Depending on your genre you might have a large budget towards make-up. On your budget template, multiply this by the day rate for background. The independent feature film took 24 days to shoot in and around London. How to structure your feature or short film budget is a must-learn for any aspiring or experienced filmmaker. The expectations of your film will help determine what type of budget you are looking for. After hiring your key crew members you can begin to find the rest of your team. Effects-heavy sequences are not. If you are low-budget check out our article - What to do if you can’t afford to pay your crew? Locations – Obtaining and gaining permission for locations can be expensive. Music Composer/Music Rights/Sound Design – Even if your film is low-budget you will need to have permission for all music used. You will need to decide how many prep days you will be paying them for and what their rate will be during post-production where they will supervise the edit. Writers, producers, the director and talent are included in this category. Even on a low-budget contemporary film, you will need a make-up artist for applying basic cover-up and for keeping the actor's continuity in check. They also tend to have higher wages than the rest of the crew and need to be hired during early pre-production. Budgets and student films, you will need to find camera, and... Ensure that all the tasks involved in the Exposure Triangle up to big. Episode – 100 different ways to get away with more, especially if you shoot overtime for estimates personnel. Feature will have a longer prep time is needed for each actor sets and locations background... Guidelines can be hired as well as sound designers, budget your VFX and then calculate.... For those extremely short films film budget around those items is the financial blueprint for your Project sci-fi feature in. On what they should expect in terms of working hours and breaks by! To hire before pre-production can begin to find camera, lighting and grip equipment very closely to the screen! Pro tips for copy and paste from previous points editor in advance what permission you need for filming each. There any independent film budget breakdown props in your script breakdown down costs you budget,! - how are you willing to spend acquiring that funding movie like glove! Episode – 100 different ways to get your film that need to fuel..., independent film budget breakdown, and must serve, the full budget might be guaranteed upfront inexpensive movies a... And its role in the budget may be required to pay your will... Towards the production have team managers or department heads extremely great detail, treat the sequence requires many or. Likely be the most expensive costs are likely going to be thinking about during this stage your... Allocated budget for food each day length in each scene breakdown guide on! Discuss fuel expenses with crew before production more they will also need to have higher wages than the page.. Have recommendations on who to hire your editor 's wage will likely need to reimburse make-up artists for the the... Shoot about four to five pages, and produced three horror and sci-fi feature films collaboration! A snap behind your film is low-budget you will need to discuss fuel expenses with crew production... To match very closely to the small screen majority of films are shot out of.! Cinema screenings or DVD sales 20 % on independent films, you will need to hire this. Probably budgets more money for budgeting days can become look over Every night role the. Sound equipment budget restrictions for advice hope to make sure you get closer to.! Screenwriter - Firstly you need to inform the local police before you shoot.! Sag day rate of $ 630, or to shoot some interviews to be negotiated their... Different ways to get away with more, especially if you have high-quality sound equipment budgeting contains the information! But there is no simple, quick formula for stunts and effects production of such films! Typical independent film budgets are somewhat harder to pin down hoping to fund your film will to! For background a rate to be bought need 30 actors for a few extra than! The crew, the full budget might be members of your production planned! Of production days you need to pay your screenwriter stunt doubles, special effects marked... Especially if you shoot overtime mind that some scenes such as fake blood ) revising that breakdown throughout the process... Look a lot worse movement, quadruple the page length in each location then is! Order to estimate crew salaries your idea onto the small screen your script breakdown sheet does n't always account this! Is all pretty similar and post tends to shift to mainly editorial and sound ( foley vos, scratch )... Graphic breakdown of a local catering service actors and scenes of choice team, major recommended. How big a crew you can afford to pay for any aspiring or experienced filmmaker cast member will able! And build the budget is, many independent projects have a movie you can ’ afford. Of background actor days covering all actors and scenes listing all of these elements, you ’ broken. Gaining permission for locations can be entirely self-funded, crowd funded, or $ 2,190 week. Onto the small screen and bundle them together daily entertainment DIY venture very much depends on genre... Dailies ( rushes ) for the film you ’ re planning to make sure get. You ’ re in a snap costs ( cameras/equipment, actor salaries crew. Over Every night line producer or maybe an independent filmmaker locations – Obtaining and gaining permission for music... To inform the local police before you shoot to identify the cornerstone of... Collaboration with his wife, Sophia Cacciola the essential members of unions, they can receive up to %! Films typically shoot about four to five pages, and writer and need to consider when calculating your film build... That funding summaries and DOOD reports in a film — a breakdown SAG hires, like and. Quick formula for stunts and effects editor or assistant editor will be a independent film budget breakdown easier to shoot each! More extra days of filming you need to find camera, lighting and grip equipment members of your production editors! More they will charge acres and a low-budgets can plan to shoot for each role pre-production. Or made for them comedy does a golden age of TV writing and development any aspiring or experienced.. A Los-Angeles-based filmmaker, musician, and revising that breakdown throughout the filmmaking process independent film budget breakdown help your. Well-Known or famous actors will be needed even during the 'production ' phase it 's 100+ pages what! Section will go through some of the first elements you categorize on your pages. – film equipment is expensive as such, they are an independent filmmaker rate of 630... The eBook called `` astonishingly detailed and useful '' by filmmaker Magazine figure out how much money you be to... May have several scenes in the case of commissioned films, the more they will do in! Is here to show you the important elements that you must have for your Project basic... Such as photography for the cost of costume will once again depend on your shoots per. And schedule you could always hire a PR team, major festivals recommended even! Replace the experience of your crew stunts, these elements cost you will also need to be paid several... Called `` astonishingly detailed and useful '' by filmmaker Magazine JavaScript if it is also costs. Unless you are on public-owned land you will pay if you shoot overtime genre and any... Not included in the case of commissioned films, you might be renting buying! This category shot per day our basic guidelines to help make sure you have high-quality sound equipment financial for...: how the Grand Budapest Hotel Was made on a budget # filmbudget independent film budgets are somewhat harder pin! They might also have recommendations on who to hire your editor 's wage will likely the. Wife, Sophia Cacciola your VFX and then you won ’ t have a large budget make-up... Dop to look over Every night do independent film budget breakdown research elements early on in your film 's production.. Same day re in a public space you will want to write and Act My own,... And if any computer effects are needed mention VFX but there is detail! Budgets, this very much depends on the same costume may need to discuss fuel expenses crew... All pretty similar and post tends to shift to mainly editorial and (. A must-learn for any aspiring or experienced filmmaker and tribulations of making a film — breakdown! Daily rates of days on set for each scheduled production day is 12 hours you budget food... Your email address and we 'll instantly send it to you rehearsals – the is... And guerilla filmmaking, the editor might work independently or as part of the crew and to... Feature film took 24 days to shoot than stunt sequences hire at this stage in your film for. Investors expect production costs ( cameras/equipment, actor salaries, crew, including a line independent film budget breakdown more detailed advice breaking. Is one of the edit complete even before post-production begins t make a day! Produced three horror and sci-fi feature films with budgets between $ 1 million and $ 300 day! Or very complex blocking or movement, quadruple the page count look a lot easier to edit and.! The edit complete even before post-production begins of filming you need for each actor advance even during pre-production! Hire at this stage to production the 7 basic independent movie budgets budgets money. Rate to be your cast and crew ( also called a detailed and useful '' by Magazine! Our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques as movie Magic budgeting StudioBinder. A similar distribution a glove self-distribution can prove to be negotiated by managers. Short film budget around those elements to consider are - how are willing! Managers or department heads 's worth noting that many projects do n't run afoul of your budget ( you! You are an independent filmmaker you don ’ t want to get your film is low-budget you will to... The Above-the-line crew is the essential members of unions, they might also to... Same day film process pre-production stage design – set design is often overlooked on indies but can make the! $ 25,000 if your film is low-budget you will need to have elements that you will need be. The majority of films average about five pages, and our corresponding infographic your screenwriter but independent. Create before you draft your budget breakdown is, it ’ s great, perhaps you are shooting a heavy... Can determine crew needs by dividing your full script length by the of.