An extra $1,000 for your budget

chris f

chris f

Veteran
The client on your current project comes to you and says they’re adding an extra $1,000 for your budget, what do you spend it on and why?
 
Typically for me, a PA and or a sound mixer, unless we already have them?
If we do, maybe a motion control slider for a second angle but I shoot a ton
of interviews. Depends on the project, but if shooting exteriors, drone shots?
 
I think I’d go with a paid location scout/prep day and a swing grip. Seems like most of my shoots would improve the most from a little more pre-production and an extra crew member pre-lighting the next shot/scene.

I think a camera would be the last thing I’d spend the money on (followed by lenses, well outside of any specialty lens we might need for a specific shot)
 
lambert said:
Oh sorry it’s not 1985 anymore, never mind.
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When I was an intern back in the mid-90's, the senior photog that I went out with most of the time used to dabble in the music video scene back in the 80's and he said there was always money for drugs in the budgets. Of course it wasn't labeled "drugs", but there was money for them.
 
chris f said:
The client on your current project comes to you and says they’re adding an extra $1,000 for your budget, what do you spend it on and why?
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Haha I think chris has an ulterior motive with this question because I'm sure he knows there's no right answer.
 
This is kind of a comically vague question, but I’ll bite anyway.

Probably just an extra assistant, or extra time on set/location, or extra pre-production. The thing all of these have in common is essentially “time” - assistants help save time and help you focus, better pre production saves time; and even paying $1000 in fees to gain 1-2 hours extra is well worth it.

I’d buy time because it’s what there is never enough of, and what usually would make anything I’ve worked on better - not having to rush or cut or skip X, Y, or Z. Not being so pressured to move on to stay on a slightly too tight schedule.
 
Meditation trailer, job for mistress, mechanical bull, portable petting zoo (camel optional but highly encouraged), hookah lounge, actors who can remember their lines, Sven my Swedish man servant, a jar of olives with the pimento but someone has to remove them (they taste better that way).
 
filmguy123 said:
and even paying $1000 in fees to gain 1-2 hours extra is well worth it.

I’d buy time because it’s what there is never enough of, and what usually would make anything I’ve worked on better - not having to rush or cut or skip X, Y, or Z. Not being so pressured to move on to stay on a slightly too tight schedule.
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This is an interesting point, I’ve never considered intentionally budgeting for overtime, I’ve always viewed overtime as a result of the day not going as planned and something to avoid if at all possible
 
Mitch Gross said:
Art Direction.

You can only point you camera & lights at something. The nicer that something is the better your footage will look.
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I'll second (or third) Mitch's vote. Was just on a fairly big shoot a couple of weeks ago (not as DP) - where I saw, first hand, the major difference / influence that the art dept had on the final product. A good Art director essentially makes a decent DP look great.
 
Mitch Gross said:
Art Direction.

You can only point you camera & lights at something. The nicer that something is the better your footage will look.
Click to expand...

I'll second (or third) Mitch's vote. Was just on a fairly big shoot a couple of weeks ago (not as DP) - where I saw, first hand, the major difference / influence that the art dept had on the final product. A good Art director essentially makes a decent DP look great.
 
isn't it hard to make a generalization about this? doesn't it vary hugely based on the needs of the project and what you already had going on?
 
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