Making A Movie
November 14, 2010
Prepare A Movie Budget
A movie budget is a precise and complete breakdown document of all your future expenses. A movie budget contains the complete and detailed breakdown of the cost for an entire project from the start till the end of the production. It includes all planned expenses from pre-production, production and post-production stages. Also it holds in distribution expenses like DVDs, posters, on-line video on demand, press conferences, advertising, etc.
How to spend your money?
Do not spend your entire budget only for one project, even if you have a lot of money. Moreover, as a golden rule for a first time filmmaker I can repeat it again: DO NOT spend all your money to your first movie project. It has no sense to do such a despair action, because your first movie will probably be in the non-profit sector, even if you’ll make a kick ass movie, it will have no sense to gamble so hard, do I really need to mention you the “Reservoir Dogs”? So you’d better have an additional reserve for your next project.
What should it be for a first time movie maker?
You probably heard about low budgets and medium budgets, right? Low budget starts approximately from 1$ mln. to 3$ mln. in Hollywood measures, right?
NO! Forget this bullshit you are not a Hollywood movie director yet. There are no Hollywood standards for your independent movie at all. A small movie budget is what you can call it a small movie budget. A small movie budget it is that amount of money that is barely enough for realization of your independent movie. It can be different, a much different sum from the mentioned point! A 1$ mln. dollar it’s actually a lot of money for a first time filmmaker, isn’t? For you and me, it will probably be a high movie budget. I mean can you ask someone today for a one million dollar to invest? Obviously, a 99% will refuse you because you have nothing done in your movie career yet. It’s nearly impossible to get even 25oooo$ for your first feature move, so now you should have to realize the real situation.
In today’s technology boom, we have a different production value like micro-budget. What is a micro-budget? It's your own estimation depending of the movie itself. Micro-budget starts from 1$ and higher. My first advice for a first filmmaker—start your first movie from 5$ and then grow to 1000-4000$, and if you see what it’s really your move forward with a little pace.
Make it all plausible and invest in your future project 10 000$ or if you are really serious about your abilities, then 30 000$ in your first feature move! You should have at least two years of experience with an actors and camera equipment.
How prepare a movie budget?
Review all typical forms and make your own consideration, use specialized software like EP Scheduling, or maybe it will be a better choice for you to hire a professional movie budget specialist who will make it all for you with a deliberate approach. Remember what a precise and well-considered budgeting can save your money.
Let’s make a fast rehab:
- A movie budget is a precise and complete breakdown of all your expenses
- If you have a lot of money, don’t spend it all to one project
- Start making your movie from a micro-budget
- First make a 1000$ movie then 5000$ and so forth
- Learn typical budgeting forms and books
- Hire a professional movie budget specialist
Download the typical budget form: - Movie Budget Template.xls
for more information visit our movie blogs
http://www.dead4movie.com/
http://www.yankeebook.com/