Posted on November 8, 2010 in Budgeting, General Screenwriting | 1 Comment
Why should a writer bother to learn about production budgets? Isn’t that the Production Manager’s responsibility? Let me tell you why. Though the writer may not be directly involved in the business side of making the film, the script that he or she writes will be.
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Posted on July 16, 2010 in Budgeting, Financing, Selling Your Film | No Comments
What is my film worth? I meet many filmmakers at various stages of the fimmaking process, all of whom have varying approaches to the tricky question of valuing their films. Here are some typical scenarios…
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Posted on January 4, 2010 in Budgeting, Contracts and Law, Music | No Comments
By Jon M. Garon
Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, PC
Anatomy of a Budget
A budget consists of the summary page, known as the top sheet, and a series of department-by-department itemizations for that budget. Even if a film’s expenses top $200 million, every roll of tape must be budgeted, receipted, and credited to its particular account. The numbers [...]
Posted on July 30, 2009 in Budgeting | 4 Comments
by 8thSamurai
Before you look at me as though I’m mad, and say ‘I can’t afford to pay overtime!’, realize that I may not be talking to you.
This is not for you Weekend Warriors who call upon the talents and resources of your close friends in exchange for coating them with homemade blood and feeding them [...]
Posted on March 3, 2009 in Budgeting | 1 Comment
By Ben Lyons
Independent And Art Filmmaking: Creating A Budget For Your Independent Film
How do I determine a budget for my independent film?
Independent films can cost one dollar to fifty million dollars. The reason why it’s an independent film is because that’s where the money is coming from. But Is it coming from somebody who is [...]
Posted on January 16, 2009 in Budgeting | 1 Comment
Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times delivers the shock of all shocks, people in Hollywood lie.
…The studio chief who made the movie gives you a low-ball number. The head of a rival studio, eager to make a competitor look bad, gives you a wildly inflated number. Most journalists have reported that Baz Luhrmann’s recent [...]
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Posted on September 19, 2008 in Budgeting | 3 Comments
Ben Long and Sonja Schenk at dvHandbook.com have put together 3 sample film budgets PDF’s and break each one down in these informative articles:
DV feature film budget ($25,000 – $100,000)
Broadcast documentary budget ($15,000-$80,000)
Commercial budget ($2000 – $50,000)
…Creating a budget can be a powerful way to visualize your project and may be the first time [...]
Posted on July 9, 2008 in Budgeting | 2 Comments
By Jon M. Garon
Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, PC
This is part of a series of book excerpts from Independent Filmmaking, The Law & Business Guide for Financing, Shooting & Distributing Independent & Digital Films designed as an introduction to the many legal issues involved in the filmmaking process.
Introduction
Although sometimes the most creative part of a film, [...]
Posted on July 9, 2008 in Budgeting | 3 Comments
This is a great list of tips and advice to help avoid the pitfalls of working with a low budget. In this article Liane Bonin covers; Sound Advice, Bad Booming, Focus, Soundtracks, Handhelds, Editing, Sets, Story and more.
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