Typical Fim Budget – 2
Hi Folks,
Continuing with my “scrape the barrell” approach to see how the initial budget of $176K that I presented, can be further reduced. Just for the record, this an attempt at a TYPICAL buget, it is not MY FILM budget. That is in the $350-500K region. Also this budget is at a line item level, while taking into account the real world realities.
Further assumptions (a) Shoot in HD (b) Go for the SAG Minimums or shoot NON Union (c) Shoot in India, and in Southern Cal in USA (d) SAG rates are per diem (e) It is now a 3 WEEK shoot (6 days a week), due to better planning (f) 95% of the shoots are outdoors or indoors in places that don’t require fresh set construction (g) 75% of the shoot is in natural light.
This then is the effect:
a) Story - $ 0 (self development) – so no question of paying
b) Producers Fee - $0 (self produced)
c) Cast - $50000 (assumed for partial upfront and more back end, US dollar payments)
d) Direction - $10000 (as important a guy as the cast, actually more, US dollar payments)
Total Above the Line $60000 (A)
Director Staff/DP $2000 (if hired from the Simi Valley/Tarzana area, they are cheaper since costs of living is cheaper and a lot of them get their own equipment and crew)
Camera/Grip/Electric $1500
Set Operations Crew $1000
Set Const Cost $0
Set Design & Dress $500
Special Effects $1000 (Outsource to India or Philippines)
Meals $0 (Product placement with a restaurant, that also provides the meals)
Insurance Permits $3000 (Health insurance for India crew to be purchased in India)
Props $2000
Locations $ 0 ( Scounting is done on producers cost)
Transportation $3000 (miles and airline discounts)
Lighting $1000
Wardrobe $0 (actors to get own clothes)
Make Up/Hair $1000 (deal with Zeeba Beauty in Artesia)
Film & Lab $25000 (Film, what film, this is Digital and $9K to blow to 16 or 35, including camera HIRE(not buy) cost.
Sound Shoot $3000
Sound Transfers $2000
Dubbing & Scoring $3000
Editing $7000 (Using the Editing Bay at Filmarts in SF or Monaco Labs or a Student facility in OC)
Titles & Inserts $2000
Music $3000
Studio Rentals $2000
Tests & Pre $4000
Studio General $3000
Total Below The Line $70000 (B)
Total Direct Cost $76000 (A) + (B)
Contingency $3000 (C)
Overhead/Publicity $7000 (D) (use extensive word of mouth, yahoogroups, PfC, desithrill, desi magazines, get hero to shoot Black Buck and get arrested and get heroine to be kissed by some Hollywood aging stud. All publicity will come then. If not fabricate a story, about how some hero or heroine did some “death defying” during shooting, splash it on E!, of course we all being aware that the most dangerous thing they did was to get out of bed every morning!!!)
Total Cost $86000
Now if some morons want to proclaim their film as “MOST EXPENSIVE FILM MADE IN BOLLYWOOD,” my response is, if you have no clue how to handle budgets, at least don’t proclaim it to the world.
Oh and for Mumbai and Hollywood publicity, call the film “JUST UNDER MILLION DOLLARS” The press will love it, the audience will love it ….etc.
I mean, jokes apart, isn’t the figure of $40K to $80K what we have in our bank anyway, before some US or Canadian based “Hollywood NRI” lands up in Mumbai or porclaims to the Indian media, that “I am embarking on a film.” Of course of that $40K to $80K, 70% is probably lying in the guy’s 401(k) for the US and the wonderful RRSP’s for the Canadians (those being PF type accounts for my brotherin and sisterin in India)
Sincerely
Vivek “films and their people, you will notice, left or right of the Atlantic, north or south of NAAFTA, is a lot of smoke and mirrors and flakes” Kumar
Tags: Production
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wowo vivek thats some budgeting will copy it for refernces n dollars:)
Budget completely depends on ur screenplay.Wish someone make movies like this practically!
Great Vivek.
It all looks great on paper like many of the screenplays.
Goodluck.
Cheers
Actually a recently concluded American Indian film, shot with SAG actors and a mainstream DGA, director, was shot entirely, within the two budget scenarios. And released, theatrically, on cable, worldwide sales, etc, to give a return of 300%. And I am talking 2007, not 2004, or 5 and shot in both US and India…so it can certainly be done and has been done. Don’t ask me for the name of the film,cause actually there are three, and cannot mention them by name. Finally script can be tailored to meet the budget, aka, don’t make the “lake go red” or that “tenth flying kick” if the budget does not permit.
vivek, MAJOR MAJOR addition error in your figures.. A is 60k and B is 70k, so your direct cost, i.e. A+B = $130k, not $76k!!
throw in C and D, and you’re looking at a total budget of $140k, which is nowhere close to $86k. may want to go back and re-do this one…
You are right my man. So $140K is where I would come out at, less by $40K approx from where I started of. To get it below that ($76K) I would have to start NOT PAYING cast and crew and do all DEFERRED, to me that would not be acceptable, cause I would then have a movie made and not be able to see my face in the mirror every morning (latter more important than former)
all i can say is i wish more producers were like you… i’m getting sick of hearing “deferred pay” and “there will be plenty of exposure” and “this film will be sent to all the major film festivals”.. as if they’re doing ME a favor by making their film!!
have been on the receiving end myself, not so much from film, but more from Desi IT companies, Desi high profile folks in high profile organizations and also desi newsletters who want me to write for them…..it is all about “we will grow together” “when we go public take the options”….sorry dude…I am a basic man with basic needs and when going home on the BART or the BEST number 84Ltd from Andheri to Pedder Road, I have to pay CASH to purchase ticket, not start up opitons or glorious talk…so wouldn’t want anyone else to suffer that same fate at my existence. By the same token, will not overpay, but will like to keep it fair and open disclosure, something that Mumbai definitley does not do…lack of accountability, likewise in a lot of start up’s here in Silicon Valley…but topic for another forum and another day..some film ramifications.