ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

3 years, 6 months ago - Kal Sabir

This might be helpful, BECTU Rates: https://bectu.org.uk/get-involved/ratecards/

3 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander

I thought I posted an answer, but, I'm guessing I forgot to press submit...

I'm guessing you don't want to spend money that you don't need to spend :-)

You need a Line Producer to draft a budget once you know what your draft budget is. Your post suggests you haven't yet got a draft budget.

Your draft budget is a spreadsheet that includes all the costs you think of, and what you might expect to pay, or can afford. For example, can't afford BECTU / Equity rates but do have some keen people able and willing to do the job for minimum wage, plug them in at min wage. (Obvs, if you can afford more, pay more, but I'm assuming money on this will be tight).

Remember the accom and catering for the entire cast and crew. Travel too, if any. On a small budget project, those alone can be a huge proportion of the cost even if it's "Travelodge room, fruit bowl breakfast, hearty stew lunch, taxis to and from location"

Costumes - work out a timeline for the script and see how many costumes each character needs. If everything happens one Saturday afternoon, easy. But if we see people over a week, and a date and work function and a wedding... also, are duplicate costumes needed? "Run across the muddy field and fall over" has to work in one take, unless you have a clean dup costume.

Props, sets, camera pack, lights, grip, insurance, legals...

Post?

Marketing plan? "4 of us to Cannes and have a tiny booth" is a plan, and can be costed.

All these numbers are very rough "full whack" ballparks, but they get you your draft budget. Don't try and take into account expected deals or discounts at this stage - shit happens in effect the deals you later get, are your contingency. Do make realistic assumptions about how long everything takes.

IF that budget is in the range of "money I can feasibly raise", then talk to a Line Producer about doing it properly :-)

Good luck.

If you want me to cast an eye over anything draft, happy to help.

3 years, 6 months ago - Tumi Jon King

Thank you for this Marlom, that's very kind of you and very helpful. Yes I might well run a draft budget by you as soon as I've managed to pull it together. Never done one so would truly appreciate your feedback. Thanks again :) Be in touch soon (hopefully!)

And thanks to you also Kal. I'll check out the link :)

3 years, 6 months ago - Jackie Sheppard

You need to schedule your film first - how many days do you need to shoot it in? That's going to be a big factor in your costs. Then how long do you think you'll need in post? Much as I hate to disagree with Marlom ... I'm going to. Food! Make it plentiful. A fruit bowl breakfast won't cut it. In my experience a hearty breakfast sets everyone up for the day and gets people working. And, food ... boy is it expensive! But feed people well and they work better. Budgeting is a big job and in the long run, getting somebody to do it who knows what they're doing will be helpful to you in the long run. Good luck with it all.

3 years, 6 months ago - Tumi Jon King

Many thanks for your insight Jackie, very much appreciated. You sound like precisely the person I need to come to for help! So, a big leap of faith here ... on the off chance ... if you would like to read the logline and synopsis for the project you can find it here: https://shootingpeople.org/scriptpitch/script/sticks-and-stones ... In any even thank you again for your advice.

3 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander

I actually agree with Jackie on food :-)

3 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Back when I did this stuff more I would get asked to budget so so so many projects, so I ended up making the offer that I'd charge £5k which would be discounted against my fee if we went to production and I was engaged. It is a big job, it's a couple of weeks to do properly. I was of the opinion that people could by all means haggle, no problem, but almost everyone seemed to want a free budget for a film they didn't really have a commitment to beyond talking the talk.

I think charging a budgeting fee is a way of gauging commitment, and approaching none of those films who didn't want to pay for a budget ever went through to production. Things get real if there's money on the table, and £5k is in line with the cost of producing a feature! Plenty of people don't value your time/work if it's free!

So it's heartening to see that you're starting off with a very sensible question, with a reasonable expectation. As Marlom and Jackie say, there's a LOT you can do yourself. Budgeting is not actually difficult, you break the film down into the smallest parts you can, you know it forwards and backwards, you multiply the numbers together and add them up (and then add a bunch for the overheads you haven't considered!).

If you can find a budgeting template from somewhere (appx 40 lines on the topsheet usually for a feature) it'll give you useful budget headings to consider. Actually https://1drv.ms/b/s!AqeBM-qC1TC-g64ey2_o7HqqcwzY0g?e=jEJoV3 this will give you an idea of some of the things you can use as a starting point. Some will apply, others won't, but it may give you an idea how to arrange things. The more you do yourself the more you can save and the better you will know your own project by the end of it.

And that means knowing your project down to the point of each prop and location and set - and as you do the budget you'll realise just how many locations you've scripted, how many cast, and start rethinking the script to simplify it! The stately home setting might become a derelict cottage in the woods, etc ;-) But the more detailed the budget, the more confidence you can have in the figures at the end of it. You will go through revision after revision of course, but you'll end up getting to a point where you think "I am 80% confident I can deliver this project for this price to the style I am imagining" :)

Any help?

3 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

PS happy to chat over a coffee if you're near Bath - saw your bio said South West, and I'm here at the moment :)

3 years, 6 months ago - Tumi Jon King

Many thanks for this Paddy, yes very helpful, thank you. The figure you quote is more or less what I had in mind. I'm about an hour from Bath so might just give you a shout at some point. Thanks again :)

3 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Great - I'll DM you my mobile just in case you pop by - I'm often about in the afternoons in the city centre. Happy to chat and maybe give you the confidence to DIY ;-)

3 years, 6 months ago - Frederick George Archer

https://stephenfollows.com/how-do-film-budgets-change-as-they-grow/

3 years, 6 months ago - Frederick George Archer

There is a wealth of articles to be found here https://stephenfollows.com/how-do-film-budgets-change-as-they-grow/
If you need a good producer I am available at competitive rate. The industry scheduling and budgeting software is https://www.ep.com/movie-magic-scheduling/. I hope this helps. arco-production.com

3 years, 6 months ago - Tumi Jon King

Many thanks for this Frederick. Might well be in touch when we get a little further down the road. Thanks again :)