Budget Recommendations

cathstrat

cathstrat

Active member
Hi All,

Been on this site a few times getting great advice regarding technical questions. I have a background in documentaries but now focus on creating documentary-style marketing films for artists and creative entrepreneurs.

That said, I've been asked to present a budget for a 53 minute documentary for PBS on a group of american artists from the 1800s. It's not a complex project. It consists of 5 interviews, some b-roll and A LOT of stills. I will be hired to do all the shooting and editing. I will not be writing the script or recording the voice over or researching and acquiring any of the assets. Below is a description of what I am being hired to do and I'd love your feedback. I will be doing everything listed although I will be hiring a production assistant for all the shoots. Since I have been working as a 'one man band' for past five years it will also help to know what the daily rate is for production assistants right now.

Production: Interviews (5 interviews/ 5 days). Please note: 3 of the interviews
will take place in art galleries so we will also take footage and images of art up
close while we're there..


Production: (B-Roll) (3 days): Outdoor shooting and maybe other in-gallery shoots.


Editing: Including any motion graphics/ special effects and audio mix. Also includes
producing ads at beginning and end of film and all aspects to get the film to NETA
(our TV distributor...scc file) and onto a hard drive for PBS Distribution (for the DVD.
I'm thinking approximately 8-10 weeks/ 50 days (five days a week at least 6 hour days(?)).

Please let me know your thoughts - PM is always best but please feel free to post here to as it will be interesting to see what kind of conversation develops around this. Also, there will be traveling involved as most of the shoots will take place in NYState.

Thanks so much!!! Catherine
 
Daily rate depends a lot on the equipment that will be used. Camera, lighting, sound equipment, etc.
 
First of all wish you a good luck for this project.

My first advice is to make a shooting script that will guide you and helps you to determine how many days exactly would you need for shooting.
So when you provide a budget it will be based on a specific number of days.

Try to count everything so your budget will be correct.

I do not recommend to play the one man band rule in such a big project. Sound and lighting assistants are a must, so you can be more creative and minimise any chances for fatal mistakes that can not be recovered.
 
First off, sounds like an awesome project and best of luck to you!
not sure if it's any help as it's reality, but you asked about day rates for PAs. I've been the local hire Camera PA for chopped-those bio bits at the beginning of the episode. That was 150 for a day. I was also AC for beyond the tank when they came up to my state. That was 300 for a day.
Also please let me know if discussing pay like this is bad form, I just want to share my experience of the kinds of projects and pay.
This sounds like a great project, and good luck Catherine! I'm interested in seeing how this budget comes together!
 
Yeah, a great topic. I live/work in fly-over country (Sacramento, CA), so getting paid for anything other than commercials, industrials, or government is quite rare. In 30 films doing sound, I've been paid three times. There is just no film industry at all, here, just a lot of kids with big dreams and no money. We're lucky to get decent food.

Anyway, I am trying to assemble a crew to shoot a doc or two. I am totally self-funded, I have worked hard and don't need to get paid.

I am thinking of paying my crew minimum wage. I know in LA, NYC, or SF, I'd be run out of town, but here in the sticks, actually getting paid will attract decent talent.
 
Somewhat late, but I would think that working out of NYC for PBS would mean union scale for the help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top