Short Film Budget Help

[Loki]

I am working on getting a shooting script ready and storyboards for my short. My screenplay has a few locations that will definately require permits for shooting, and so I am thinking this is no longer a peanuts budget short, but a film I am going to need to get financed.

I new to budgetting. The last short I did, my actors were thankfully doing it for the experience (as was I) and I only paid $200 for the score to it.

this is what I am thinking of doing, and if anyone has some input please share..

I have 5 speaking parts, well 6, but 5 that are required on set. let me break it down per character:

Narrator: $30/day, 6days = $180
Mother: $30/day, 1day = $30
Father: $30/day, 1day = $30
Girl: $30/day, 1day = $30
Teacher: $30/day, 1day = $30
Total: $300

I have a rough idea of a 6 day shoot.. My school has lots of equipment I can take out, but I will need to rent the Anamorphic Adapter for this as well as a shoulder mount unit for some handheld work.

I am guessing here... I haven't been able to find a good site (canadian site) that has these for rental..

Lens Mount: $50/day
Shoulder Mount: $40/day

lighting, tripods, boom poles, shot gun kits.. etc.. I can borrow from my school as needed... and of course I own a DVX :)

my dilemma is not knowing if or how much I should pay a crew.. i mean for this, I am going to be operating the camera myself as well as directing.. (thats just my thing)... so my crew isn't going to be terribly large... those prices for the actors are pulled right out of my ass...

if anyone could share there wisdom in this area I would be greatful... I am going to start putting together an initial budget to see how much I am going to need... but I really have no basis of where to start and what is acceptable pay these days for a short..

input?

[Prairieboy]

LOkI
Good luck with your short. Usually with films of this type of budget the actors and crew do it for free, and the experience. Put the money, it is a nice gesture, towards food. A well fed, and thus a happy crew will work harder for you. Put any other funds to gear. Perhaps all the little extras to make it that much better. As for crew you should be able to find a few eager folks to help you out. At this level money should go to making those helping you happy, and to gear that will make your product better.
As for renting gear there are lots of laces in TO to rent. I left Toronto three years ago, but I am sure some others here will be able to tell you where to rent what you need. In fact I believe some members have offered their gear up in some way or another. Good luck and happu shooting.