Sample Film Budget Breakdown

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IslandFilmmaker

Member
Greetings Community!

This is my first official Post. I've read though a lot of threads here close to my subject matter but none of which delivered the exact answer I am looking for.

Essentially, I am looking for a sample film budget breakdown of $250,000 - $300,000....as I am about to serve as Executive Producer of an undertaking within that budget range.

I've made shorts in the past but this will be my first feature. I am just so curious as so how exactly the money should be spent line by line, how big the crew should be, how much should the actors be paid.

It's a 80 - 90 minute film to be shot on RED one and with a pre-production schedule of 10 days, principal-photography lasting 14 - 20 days and post-production last 7 weeks.

With that info, is there a sample budget out there or perhaps some guidance that can be offered as to my questions.

Thanks in advance, looking forward to the answers and looking forward to engaging in this dynamic community.

-IslandFilmmaker
 
Seems like you're working your way in backwards from total investment and now trying to see if you can make it work for the film at hand. Not knowing the script, number of characters scenes, locations, etc. it could be all over the place. A "My Dinner with Andre" versus "A Sideways" or a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" type story and scope. Doing a basic script breakdown will tell you how many shooting days than can then drive a budget.

Michael
 
So if you're asking, that must mean there no union involvement and therefore every crew & cast position would be up to individual negotiation. You can search the web for "sample film budgets" to get some idea of a range for a start, but it'll still be a negotiation with each person. For me as a composer, I'd need was more info. For a film with that budget, I could imagine asking anywhere from $10k-50k depending on what is required.
 
Here is a recent budget (in Excel format) i made for a 270k small film (only 3 actors) where the director acts as DP. If i were you i would stay away from "low budget" column and definitely forget about the "no-budget" column.
Also remember that despite having shot over 200 productions and having produced its share of music videos and commercials i've never produced a feature-length film so some of the numbers are good estimates.

View attachment 270k_budget.xlsView attachment 270k_budget.xls
 
7 weeks for post? For a 90 minute feature? Are you dreaming? 7 months would be more like it, and that would assume an experienced editor, good coverage, a low shooting ratio and no serious technical problems.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far guys, but I am wondering, besides Patryk, does anyone else have a specific sample budget for $200,000.

@MichaelP - we're looking at a main cast of 7 with 7 supporting. The rest at extras at restaurants scenes. The bulk of it will be shoot at a hotel. There are about 20 scenes and it is being shot in another country (none of the actors are americans) so there is no AG or any union of the matter to deal with. Hope that extra info helps.
 
randin said:
Seriously. Google. Here's one of the first results, for a $70k film, which you could easily tweak. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16953963/Sample-Independent-Film-Budget
I trust there's deferments on top of that. $25/day for actors & $1000 for a full score? Ooh, and $0 for insurance! :)
Click to expand...

Seriously. Saw that already. Thousands of times. I was looking for something that oh, I don't know ...had about $130,000 more dollars included in it. And no, there are no deferments, I want to pay everything upfront thus I'm looking for a budget which shows that.


Oh and that had a editing period of 5 weeks. According to arniepix one has to be "dreaming" for that time period to be realistic.
 
I think you need to talk to a line producer... I haven't seen the rest of the budget (from randin)... but is this a SAG film... do some research on their rates... just plug in the numbers... for how many days or are they weekly players...

1. Are you renting your equipment there if not you'll have to add in shipping costs...
2. How many crew members are traveling there... hotel rooms.. per diem...

I mean there is no easy answer to your ?'s... its like Mike P said... without knowing the script its hard to tell what to suggest...
 
Just finding a budget with the same bottom line as yours doesn't answer anything for you. No one has budgeted YOUR film before. Chances are no one on this website has budgeted a similar film with similar locations in whatever country it is you're shooting in. A $300k film could be one where all actors are paid $100/day or one where there's two minor names pulling in $30k each and everyone else works for food & credit. It could be crucial to have a big orchestra and spend $60k on music, or maybe you'll just use a local ukulele player for a grand. All of these things can happen on a $100k film, a $300k film, or a million dollar film. So just finding one or two with the same overall budget as yours doesn't really help.

I would suggest you see if there's a local film commission in the place you're filming, to try to find examples of what it costs to film there. There's still heaps of variables, but if you'll be crewing locally, paying location fees for the hotel & restaurant you mentioned, etc., then a film shot there would be the best budget to look at.
 
Again, thanks all for your help, here's a bit more on the specifics:

No SAG, No USA. 18 days shooting, 7 weeks editing, 14 main and supporting actors, 100 background actors (weekly players for city and restaurant scenes), all shot on 2 rented red-one cameras, 1 location, hotel and meals for cast and crew for 18 days and $250,000 to spend.

Crew
Executive Producer
Line Producer
Associate Producer
Assistant Producer
Director
Assistant Director
Casting Director

Other crew will include (as taken from this thread: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?126339-quot-Corrado-quot-A-production-blog)
  • DP
  • 1st AC for A camera
  • 1st AC for B camera (will also double as operator for easy shots)
  • 2nd AC for A camera
  • Gaffer
  • Electric
  • Key Grip
  • Grip
  • 3 - PAs
  • Sound man
  • Boom op
  • Key Makeup
  • Makeup asst,
  • Wardrobe
  • Art Director
  • Script Supervisor
  • Steadicam op -
  • Props Supervisor
  • Chief Editor
  • Assistant Editor
  • Data transfer dude
Thanks Garyln fo your reply. I totally see where you're coming from. Does this info help more?
 
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^ There's some more relevant information. That's great. Unfortunately, you're not really asking for a sample budget breakdown - you're asking for someone to budget your film based on the amount of money you have. Samples are the ones that have been provided - if you can't tweak a budget from the general spreadsheets, then you're going to need to pay someone to budget it for you.

And if its not in the US or Canada, are you coming from North America or based in another country? Your user name says one thing, but then there's the mention of hotels...is your crew going to be based out of the country you're shooting in or being flown in? Different rates for different places.

Best of luck with your project,

Kegan
 
Haha I figured. Well no, I am more so looking for a guide to tweak as needed for my film thus I am in fact asking for a sample budget breakdown. I'm just hoping to see a breakdown as close to $250,000 as possible.

It's in the caribbean - Barbados area and we may have some actors from Jamaica, Caymen Islands etc. Most of the cast and crew will be home based.

Thanks.
 
there is no post money in there... sound mixing... masters... no catering... kinda what kegan says...

no grip & lighting equipment... props... wardrobe... location rentals... so on and so on...

what country are you coming from... what country are you going too...

okay saw the rest... about Barbados...

send an email to to their film office if they have one... find out if about location managers... other crew...

there is much more...
 
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You can get a good edit in 5 weeks but post isn't just the edit, of course. Add sound design, music, color, effects, etc. to that schedule...
 
randin said:
Seriously. Google. Here's one of the first results, for a $70k film, which you could easily tweak. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16953963/Sample-Independent-Film-Budget
I trust there's deferments on top of that. $25/day for actors & $1000 for a full score? Ooh, and $0 for insurance! :)
Click to expand...

IslandFilmmaker said:
Oh and that had a editing period of 5 weeks. According to arniepix one has to be "dreaming" for that time period to be realistic.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know what film that was, and when this budget was made. Without knowing the title, I've no way of telling if it was ever shot, if it was ever completed, if it was ever distributed. Also, there are huge holes in that budget. A lot of services are simply left out (ZERO feet of film for developing, no time budgeted for ADR or music mix, no legal, no insurance, etc.), or provided free (several cast, most of the crew, sound design, graphics & titles, etc.)

They can budget 5 weeks for editing, but if they actually made that film I'd bet it took quite a lot longer. But since they didn't actually budget for developing the film, they didn't really need do edit it, anyway.
 
I didn't realize I downloaded it till now..

there is no film stock or lab work.. it says HD stock... but paying the director 50k on that budget... no way... (I'm talking about the 270k budget)

500 bucks for masters (lol)... go down each department and start calling and get an idea of what things costs...
 
Soundmixing, masters etc will all be done by the
  • Chief Editor
  • Assistant Editor
I did mention meals and hotel for all cast and crew.

I did mention Barbados and coming from Jamaica and Cayman Islands.

All locations have been booked and nothing will be rented.

What is the "much" more?


arniepix said:
I'd like to know what film that was, and when this budget was made. Without knowing the title, I've no way of telling if it was ever shot, if it was ever completed, if it was ever distributed. Also, there are huge holes in that budget. A lot of services are simply left out (ZERO feet of film for developing, no time budgeted for ADR or music mix, no legal, no insurance, etc.), or provided free (several cast, most of the crew, sound design, graphics & titles, etc.)

They can budget 5 weeks for editing, but if they actually made that film I'd bet it took quite a lot longer. But since they didn't actually budget for developing the film, they didn't really need do edit it, anyway.
Click to expand...

LMAO! EXACTLY! That's why I gawked at that budget everytime I saw it and when radin posted it for me to see for the 1,001 time! It just seemed sooooo vague! t doesn't help at all as it has soo many holes and so many people unpaid. That's extremely unprofessional to not pay cast and crew and have some $71,000 - $250,000 in the bank!

GaryinCalifornia said:
I didn't realize I downloaded it till now..

there is no film stock or lab work.. it says HD stock... but paying the director 50k on that budget... no way... (I'm talking about the 270k budget)

500 bucks for masters (lol)... go down each department and start calling and get an idea of what things costs...
Click to expand...

Tell me about it! For my film, I'm using Red One which is HD so there's no film processing in my budget.

I've been searching, for days, and I've come across some decent budgets. The problem is all of them assume everyone who makes a movie uses film stock (as oppose to us in the digital Red One age) and not tailored in the $200,000 - $500,000 range. Such a shame.
 
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