As a P.M. at some point in your career you will be asked to write a budget on spec, or simply on a voluntary basis. Sometimes this is a great opportunity, whereas other times not. Do you know when to say “yes” and when to say “no”? I wrote an article for the MWP Virtual Film School about just this issue. Surf by and have a look:
Cheers,
Deb
Wow. It was hard to come up with a short list. Here are 5 of my “favourite” expensive expenses for starters…
1. Period script: Sure you know the costumes and hair are going to cost you, but as soon as you go outside, what about those cars or horses, and set dressing a time period that doesn’t exist anymore? And what about dressing all those background performers too?
2. Animals & Children – OK, I’m cheating a bit here lumping kids together with animals, but they both tire quickly and decisively. They are also similar in that when it comes right down to it, neither of them really cares about your capturing the shot (over and over again). Your takes, coverage and shooting hours will be limited. True animals don’t need tutors, but at least you can speak with children.
3. Night Shoots – The obvious cost is the extra lighting equipment, generator and operator. Not so obvious is that depending on the number of night shoots, you may not be able to hire the crew and cast you want.
4. Distant Shoots – If the distant location is a creative choice, get ready for the cost of travelling the crew, housing them, and paying them per diems… and the time lost for all that travel. If it’s an economic choice (you think it’s cheaper “out of the zone”), it’s rarely true.
5. Anything CG – Computer Graphics Imagery (CGI) is absolutely fabulous, but when the set crew knows there is a CGI team on board beware of the “oh, they can fix that in post” attitude. When CGI is digitally removing tethers and boom shadows, they are still doing effects shots… just more effects shots that the original list of flashy effects shots you thought they were going to do.
Happy budgeting!
Cheers,
Deb
You’ll collect budgets you’ve written over time to use as a starting point for writing new budgets – but what happens when you’re starting out and don’t have a drawer full of old budgets? Spend the time and slog it through, or grab someone else’s template? The answer is not clearly black and white. I wrote an article for the MWP Virtual Film School looking at the factors to help you make the decision that’s right for you. Surf by and look it over:
Not to push you one way or the other, but to keep you informed… on the MWP resource page, Deke Simon provides you with some great sample budgets:
http://shop.mwp.com/pages/film-making-resources
Enjoy,
Deb