Independent-Film Budgeting

Budgeting a movie can be an intimidating and daunting task, but with these few tips, you can create an accurate budget, which will save you both time and money.

• Find actors who are willing to work for free. If you want to use experienced, SAG (Screen Actors Guild) actors, talk to the guild about low-budget options for filmmakers.

• When selecting a crew, seek recent college graduates or aspiring filmmakers in your community who are willing to work for the experience. Beware: Inexperienced crew members may be cheap, but they may end up costing the production money in the long-run due to inefficiency on set.

• Contact local equipment rental agencies and ask them if they can donate the equipment needed--or at least offer a discount.

• Ask location owners if you can use their location for free.

• Be creative with art direction, wardrobe, and props.

• If you live in a large city like New York or Los Angeles, leave the city and go to areas where film production isn’t as abundant. The people and local officials will be more willing to help independent filmmakers because filmmaking is more of a novelty than an everyday occurrence.

Once the script is broken down and you have an idea of how much each department’s needs will cost, begin typing the numbers into a budget form or enter the data into a budgeting program. You should end up with a final cost for the movie. If this cost exceeds the amount of money you have available in the budget, cut costs by reducing the number of shooting days, eliminating an effects sequence, or simplifying a scene.

Keep in mind some factors that surprise filmmakers with unexpected costs:

• Look at the costs of shooting at each individual location and plan what elements will be needed, both in front of and behind the camera.

• Calculate the cost of crew members if they aren’t willing to work for free.

• If working with a union cast or crew, be aware of minimum payment requirements as well as overtime costs if the production goes over schedule. Remember, going non-union is always less expensive.

• Talk with the director of photography about the camera, lighting, and grip equipment needed for production and ask him for a list of the required gear.

• Consider all transportation costs including vehicle rental, airport shuttles, and vehicles to transport set pieces or large props. Some cast and crew members may ask for gas money if they travel long distances to the set.

• Speak with post-production facilities about discounts on editing, music composition, digital effects, and final mastering.

• Consider the cost of production insurance, including adjustments for stunts, pyrotechnics, water scenes, or any other potentially hazardous activity that could raise the cost of insurance.

• Be aware that it will be necessary to compromise some of the artistic vision in a film because of budget restrictions. Be creative and think of unique ways to maintain the artistic integrity of the film while keeping the budget low.

• Always stick to the budget, no matter what happens on set. Cost overruns in production will always carry through to post-production. Running out of money in the post-production process means the film won’t be finished.

• Include all costs of copying, postage, telephone, and other office-related items.

• Be sure to include money for on-set craft services and catering AND also costs of lunches and dinners you may pay for during preproduction and second meals if the production runs into overtime.

• When budgeting the movie, allow an additional 10% on top of what you think you’ll need. This “padding” will protect you if a problem occurs on set, such as a rainy day that requires you to add an additional day to the shoot.

Jason J. Tomaric is a 14-time Emmy®, Telly, and CINE award-winning filmmaker. With four feature films, numerous shorts, 30 commercials, music videos, and several educational DVD-series on the market, Jason’s on-time, on-budget directing approach has made him an invaluable talent on every project. For more information, check out Jason Tomaric's Ultimate Scheduling and Budgeting Kit.