Questions About Developing a Feature

shutterspeedfilms

shutterspeedfilms

Well-known member
I'm currently developing a feature film project from a screenplay I've adapted. I have several questions I'm hoping you guys can help me with:

1. My biggest obstacle so far has been breaking the script down in order to come up with a realistic budget to approach investors with. I've already shelled out quite a bit out of my own pocket, and I just don't have anything to pay someone to do this right now. I've talked to several ADs and PMs about doing this on spec, and getting paid once the financing is secured, but as you can imagine they aren't so hot about this idea (by the way, whose job is it to do the initial script breakdowns, scheduling, budgeting, etc?)

2. Those of you who have your own production companies, how do you handle contracts if you have a UPM working for you? Do you give him/her carte blanche in drafting contracts, or do you ultimately sign off on them? Are contracts and deal memos the same thing?

3. What do you guys set a reasonable feature film budget at? I don't want to come off like I'm making a student film, and don't want to shoot myself in the foot if I can help it, production-wise (I've already been to film school, done that). I want to make something more professional. However, I feel that I need to at least break even with investors if I'm going to have a second shot at directing another film. How much are straight-to-video productions recouping these days (no budget - low budget range, that is). I'm thinking $30k - $45k is a good figure, because I would have to sell 2000 - 3000 units (assuming an estimated profit of $15 on each DVD) to break even... which sounds challenging but not impossible... if it came down to having to self-distribute. On the other hand, $30k - $45k doesn't seem too out of bounds to be offered from a distributor (yes, I know I'm ever the optimist!).

I'd love to see your takes on these dilemmas!
 
As far as #1, you should find a knowledgeable producer to help you with the budgeting. He or she (or you) should get together with a DP who can set up a grip / lighting package as well as other rentals and expendables that you'll need. The line producer is usually responsible for dealing with production issues, such as permits / insurance, etc.

As far as #3, it really depends. 30k is a VERY small budget - but like I said, it all depends on what you're doing though, so it's hard to say - I think the minimum budget would be about 150k for something that looks decent...
 
#1 - what tommy said

#2 - I personally sign a lot of these deals myself, and the ones I don't I review and sign off on. I don't let the producer/UPM run unsupervised on those things. But I also keep it pretty casual. "Bring it to me, I'll probably sign it."

#3 - It really depends on what your movie is. If it's a micro-budget indie romance, then you're probably going to have a bit of trouble selling a lot of units directly unless it takes off. But on the other hand $40k might be enough to get it made without compromise. If it's horror or another genre that will probably sell no matter what you do, I'd say that the risk is lower but you also probably need more money to pull it off. Personally, without knowing anything about the script, I'm looking for $150 - 250 for a first feature. But there's plenty stories of people who have made great films on far less. It depends on your story and what resources you already have, as well as WHERE you're filming. My dollar probably goes twice as far in the middle of Iowa as it does here in L.A.
 
# 3, what dougspice said... :)

Concerning horror, you can have a much lower budget and still get a distribution deal if you're persistent and have a decent product. Horror is the best way to get independant films into the markedplace.
 
To address a few questions...

We're talking 3 main actors, 4 supporting.

1 main location, 3 minor ones, and several outdoor locations. All provided free.

Shooting HD.

83-page script.

Based on a classic novella--character/dialogue-driven.

I was a film graduate, so I'll be filling as many positions as possible--writer, producer, director, editor, etc.


What details do you potentially see that would bump us past my $40k budgetary goal?
 
Shutter....

Breakdowns are easy. You have all the info you need to create the budget - the script.

Start with your locations. Which ones are free...which ones do you have to pay for? Don't bullshiit here.....call around and get real prices.

Next, your cast. Are they free? No one is completely free. You will have to cast for them, give them gas money, feed them, you name it.

Next, crew. Easily your biggest expenditure. Find out who you need, call and get day rates. Don't be doing too much yourself or you will slow your whole project down.

Rentals. What to you need to buy / rent to pull this off? Call around. Don't forget deposits as the cash is tied up until you return the stuff. It's like it's almost spent.

Insurance. Get some.

Meals for anyone with a pulse.

Grip truck or transportation.

Post production - editing, sound mixing....etc.


And how the hell can ayone give you a number...$40K without reading the script? Refer to the book "Your ass and a hole in the ground - a comparative study"......seriously, it's so tough to predict a budget that anything provided on this board is a flat ass guess unless we see the script.
 
What software did you write it it? If it was either MM Screenwriter OR Final Draft 7 (which includes Tagger) you can break down an 83 page script over a weekend. Next, get yourself some production software to import it into. My recommendation is Gorilla by Jungle Software.

Getting distribution without a name actor or director is going to be difficult without a knock 'em dead story. By name actor, I mean someone recognizable that a distributor can sell. Their first question is going to be "Who's in it?"

Regarding horror. Keep in mind that the bottom has fallen out of the LOW end horror market. A lot of the distributors that used to buy the stuff are sitting on movies they aren't able to sell.

No matter what your story is about, make sure you know how it can be marketed. If it's not easily marketable it's going to be a hard sell.

Bad acting will destroy your chances of selling the movie quicker than anything else I can think of. I can't stress it enough, get the absolute BEST actors you can afford. If you can't get good actors, shelved the project until you can.

What I said about the distributors asking "Who's in it?" goes for possible investors, too.

If you plan on self distribution, make sure you have a good marketing scheme because no one will buy it if you don't know about it. With the price of movies you'll be competing against, you may want to rethink the $15 profit. i.e. Am I going to spend $20-23 for an indie low budget movie I know nothing about when I can buy the latest release for under $20?

If you do decide to move ahead, start your marketing campaign NOW! Oh, did I mention that you should start your marketing campaign now? You need to start the buzz anywhere and everywhere you can. Hire a publicist if you need to help you get press and buzz.
 
Thanks for the help, guys.

As for name actors, I don't have anyone of any notoriety at this point. I believe I've found a good niche for my story, and the script has produced great response from everyone who's read it.

I arrived at the $40k budget because that's a figure I thought I could at least break even on at the end of the day. Everything would have to conform to that figure. I've spoken to several people about it and none thought it could be done. At this point, I'm thinking I'll probably have to double that budget, with contingencies, arrived at $100k. I'm apprehensive that distributors aren't going to put up that kind of money, though, and recouping that through self-distribution seems like a long shot.

As far as breaking down a script goes...

I've monkeyed around with GORILLA (pun intended). Still, a breakdown is not as easy as people make it out to be (I mean, people do get paid to do this, afterall). There is so much to think about! Wardrobe, food, motels, gas, transportation/airfare, expendibles (now there's a SOFT category!), paper, copies, fax ribbons, etc., etc., etc. There only seems to be a million things to figure into a budget!

That said, I think I've found a few people to take on the project. The challenge is going to be to have them bring everything in just under $100k.
 
A breakdown is easy. I've done dozens. Sit down with the script, use a good template and take your time. The budget is the budget. You need to stop thinking about what you can sell it for. It's going to cost what it's going to cost. When you have this number, then you make an informed decision whether to proceed.

Frankly, it seems absurd to speculate on what you can sell it for. How do you know? Is this based on other movies? Your movie may turn out to be a steaming pile of dog **** and not even make a dollar. Or, it could be the next little miss sunshine. You just don't know.

What you do know, or hopefully will arrive at soon, is how much it will cost within $5K. Not to be harsh, but if you cannot come up with this figure, you've got no business producing.
 
Free location???? where??????? in LA county u need a city permit even if ur shooting inside a private property + insurance + filing fees + daily impact fee, etc.
best of luck.
 
You don'n need a permit in Orange County, but Unix is right. In LA, you will need two permits; one from Film LA or whatever they call themselves now, and one for the city you are filming in. People in LA are so wise to filming that when it occurs, they all try and cash in. A decent size shoot with crew will have neighbors with their hand out and after that, cops. I believe Film LA wants $400 per day and the cities are pretty close to that.

Which is why I only film in LA when I absolutely have to.
 
Don't forget, you really need a chunk of cash to try and promote your end product.

In theory, 3000 x $15 may cover producing the final product. You have to figure out a way to move those 3000 units, less expenses and tax. Distributor or self distribute? It is a tough game, a lottery ticket. Don't give up, keep exploring all the avenues and angles. :thumbsup:
 
shutterspeedfilms said:
Anyone know how much to offer a line producer to work up a budget for an indy feature?
Click to expand...

Depends on your budget. A buddy of mine is a pretty well respected Line Producer / UPM and works mainly on $1-2M indie features. His rate is $6K per week.

So figure out your budget and then decide what to pay your guy.
 
Yep

Yep

Hello. I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

First of all, breaking down a script for a budget isn't really THAT difficult, it's really just more time consuming and tedious. What you need to do is go through you script with a fine toothed comb, and make a list--write down everything that you need. It's easier if you break it up into categories (set dressing, props, costumes, spfx, etc.) Then make a list of all the equipment that you will need. This is also easier if you break it up into categories, and also discuss it with your crew. Then it is just a matter of research and calling around to see how much things cost to buy and rent, and putting it all in a budget. I'd say, if you can afford it, go for a budgeting software like Gorilla because it will make formatting it much easier. You can also find movie budget excel sheets online, but they are usually sort of watered down versions of a real budget and not very good. It is definitely do-able. Find another film school friend of yours who wants to produce and have him help you, that way it's not such a daunting task. As for a line producer--yeah, if you can afford it, that's great. It will take all that responsibility off your shoulders, but like I said, breaking the script down and budgeting isn't really terribly difficult, you just have to do it. Secondly, you will also want to set up a schedule, if you haven't already, that way you know how long you will need to rent things for.

NOTE: I am saying this under the notion that you, being a former film student, have made other films before, shorts and what not, and have a pretty good idea of how movie shoots go and feel comfortable making important money decisions. If this is not the case, it may be wiser for you to spend some money and go with a skilled line producer.


Also, as far as your budget goes, it is really dependent on your script and your production/shooting style.

For example, I just produced a 20 minute short dark comedy for $75K. We shot on 35mm, used several great locations, had some great recognizable SAG actors, decent sized crew, etc.

Then, I shot a feature, a military prisoner of war drama, for $45K. We shot on HD (Sony F-900), had great SAG actors, but none of them were terribly recognizable, a small crew, and we used one main set built on a sound stage, and then some short on location stuff.

Both turned out great, but as you can see, the 20 minute short comedy was more expensive than the feature length war movie. So I guess my point is that you will have to take a look at your script, and decide how you want to make it. Figure out ways to cut corners WITHOUT SACRAFICING QUALITY. That's important. And just start doing it. Dip your toes in. It will come together. You will start realizing, "Okay, I can do this by myself...buut I need some help doing this."

I wish you the best of luck! Do it up!

-Alex
 
Thanks for the input, guys.

I've still been terribly frustrated with creating a line budget for this film that I think is accurate enough to present to investors. I'm talking to someone right now, but if this doesn't work out I'm thinking of assigning a pragmatic dollar amount for the entire film and doing a "trickle-down budget" from there.


Even the script didn't take this long to write! :undecided
 
You should at least break the script down into some major elements.

Cast
Writer
Director

That is your above the line stuff. You're going to be the director, so you can defer your fee. You wrote it, so you can defer that, too. Set a dollar amount, but at least you won't have to come up with it up front.

Cast can be paid by fee and points. Work something out.

Then you have to consider what you are shooting on. MiniDV is cheap...35 mm is really expensive. MiniDV is immediate. Film dailies push expensies even higher.

Make some calls about camera and lighting packages. Rental houses will often give you a break, especially in slow times. Finding a DP with much of the stuff you need helps a ton. You can work out deferred payment and points with them, too.

Editing...are you going to do it? Do you have a suite or will you rent? Even if you cut it on your own system, budget a bit for sound, fine cut, and color correction. Paying an editor $1k for a week of pro service on a pro system may do wonders for your film.

Then you have transportation. If you and one other person on your crew each have minivans, you should be ok. If not, rentals may be in order. Either way, you have to factor gas and expenses.

Food is another expense. Cast of around seven? Crew of around 5? 12 people to feed every shoot day (unless some people are only on set part of shoot). Even if you buy bulk soda pop and water,and buy bulk pizza or subs, you are going to spend at least $50 to get them one decent feed.

Locations also will cost you. Whatever you can get for free is great. Try and bargain in exchange for mention in the credits when you have to pay.

Even a simple chart of shoot days and costs/day plus whatever above the line money you have to spend will give you some idea of what it will cost.

One way to approach these things is to find people who want to do the particular job, but have only so much experience doing it, and more experience officialy assisting the position. An experienced assistant editor may be perfect for your project as your main editor. An experienced camera operator my have a great reel they are building and know enough about DPing to fit your project. An office PA may know enough about breaking down a script or scheduling by having assisted a producer and 1st AD many times. Students and recent grads can come cheap, too..but you already know that.

Whatever you get cheap, or receive in kind servicers for, or defer, always fill it in somewhere at full value. You may only shell out $25k for stuff, but if it was all really worth $50k, your final budget should reflect it somewhere.

Hopefully, it will show on screen, but at least your potential distributors will see a higher value on paper.
 
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