Budget a Film A fistful of film dollars The budget. The estimated cost of every single aspect of the film. You might have put together an estimated budget to secure funding for the film. But now it’s time to focus on the particulars. See, the original budget was your best-case scenario. The budget that you calculate at this point will have to come in at a specific number. Let’s say with the original budget you estimated $5 million based on non-binding quotes and educated guesses. Now that it’s go-time, the producers have a total budget of $4.3 million. For this next budget, your numbers will need to be much more accurate. Every nuance of the script and shoot have to be taken into consideration. You’ll want to learn how to budget a film the right way. Essentially, you’ll break up your budget into above-the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL) categories. You’ll also need to account for budget contingencies.

A WORD ABOUT BUDGET CONTINGENCIES A line producer must always be mindful of contingencies in the budget. At least 10% of the total budget should be set aside for extra expenditures or unforeseen costs.

In addition to above-the-line costs like producer, director, writer, and talent fees, and below-the-line costs associated with production and post-production, you’ll also need to keep in mind kit fees, overtime costs and pick-up days. You’ll also need to prepare for the unexpected. Equipment breaks. Locations fall through. Weather doesn’t always cooperate. Depending on where and when you’re filming, current events and holidays might impact your shoot without warning. Keeping a reserve of at least 10 percent of the total budget to handle these contingencies is essential. You’ll be a production hero when a tricky situation is readily surmounted. Here are some tips on budgeting for independent filmmaking.

Indie Film Budgeting • Subscribe on YouTube

Digging into your budget is also where your project’s union status comes into play. Unions have tiers for every shoot that determines the wages of the crew and cast. These figures are based on the overall budget. The main unions you’ll need to keep in mind are the big three: SAG-AFTRA

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The Director’s Guild of America For your project’s actors, and technical crew positions such as sound or camera assistants, union status can give you the confidence that the person has the expertise to get the job done. That’s not to say non-union workers aren’t talented and can’t deliver the goods. And non-union workers are almost always less expensive to hire. It just comes down to the budget.

A WORD ABOUT UNIONS SAG-AFTRA has a tiered system for determining pay. They use the same system as the other unions, breaking projects into distinct categories: Theatrical, TV, Low-Budget, Modified Low-Budget, Ultra Low-Budget, and New Media. The current base rate for talent looks something like this: Theatrical: $899 per day

Low-Budget: $722 per day

Modified Low-Budget: $567 per day

Ultra Low-Budget: $267 per day

New Media: $100 per day

The line producer job description includes knowing how to allocate funds for what is most important to the project. Let’s look at an example. Say Tom Cruise reads your script and decides he wants to do it for less than his usual $20 million fee. He’ll settle for $2 million. But you’ve budgeted talent working for scale. Yikes. If you want Tom in your film (and yes, you do), everyone else’s budget will have to be cut in half. What do you do? Some producers would suggest paying everyone the same rate by obtaining more money now that a bankable star is attached. Others would make the project Ultra Low-Budget and pay Tom Cruise in a separate agreement. This avoids SAG Bond expenses and lowers the cost of other cast and crew. A big difference in line producer vs. producer duties is that line producers offer budget suggestions, and producers ultimately decides what’s best for the film. Then the line producer has to make it work.

Hire a Casting Director The line producer brings the drama That’s right, yet another essential part of the line producer job description is to make sure there’s a casting director in place. Overwhelmed yet? In addition to setting up a production company, breaking down the script, and putting together the budget and schedule, no line producer definition would be complete without the responsibility of bringing on a casting director.

CASTING DIRECTOR DEFINITION What does a casting director do? A casting director is a person or team responsible for finding talent. They usually specialize in one particular area such as film, television, commercials, background, or theater. Their main purpose is to find the right talent for a particular project. Some casting directors receive producer credit for their work, especially when the names they bring to a project add considerable marquee value to the production.

Casting director job description and duties: Contact talent agencies and management companies, often through online casting platforms

Schedule actors and hold auditions

Provide insight, experience, and often draw from relationships with talent and reps

Final casting decisions are usually made by producers, directors, and commercial clients

Casting directors cost money. So will the talent they’ll secure for your production. This is why setting up your budget the right way from the get-go, with a complete software solution, is absolutely necessary. Odds are you’ll have trouble getting a star like Charlize Theron unless you work with a casting director. But where do you find one? Start with any standout casting directors you’ve worked with before. You can also ask for recommendations from people you trust. Or browse casting directors on Casting Society of America. A line producer should present three to five casting director options for the director and producer to choose from. You don’t have to settle on the first casting director you meet. Some are better suited to independent and low-budget films, while others are more fit for larger studio projects. As an LP, you’ll have to become a union signatory for casting as well. The Teamsters Local 399 offers resources and forms about becoming a signatory, but always read regulations and agreements carefully.

Find a Great Crew for Production You gotta roll with a solid crew Once a line producer has the budget under control, it’s time to think about the crew. But wait, doesn’t that involve hiring an entire company of skilled, hard-working experts from scratch? Sure does. And you’ve got to move fast. But right now, we’ll tell you how to do it. And we’ll also share a resource to round out your crew with the best people. Hire your production team first. When it comes to line producer vs. production manager, they are often the same person. You might want to hire a separate production manager if you have the budget for it. Otherwise, buckle down and keep moving forward. A production coordinator, 1st AD, and production assistants will be next. Definitely give some thought to what qualities you want in a production coordinator. They will be the Watson to your Sherlock for the duration of the shoot. You’ll also want to hire a storyboard artist to work with the director as soon as possible. This will be crucial for the next step. The storyboard artist will help the director realize his vision to share with others. Some directors don’t want to work with a storyboard artist. That’s fine. But encourage them to create a moodboard for the Heads of Department (HODs) you’ll be contacting. HODs include the director of photography, production designer, prop master, and so on.

LIST OF HOD’s TO CONTACT FIRST Director of Photography Production Designer Location Manager Key Wardrobe Key Makeup Key Hair Sound Mixer Editor

Most directors know who they like and who they want to work with. You can reach out to HODs through their agents. Worldwide Production Agency, APA and The Gersh Agency are good places to search. The agents will want to know as many specifics as possible about the project before they involve their clients. This includes info on the director, production team, budget, union status, and shoot dates.

DID YOU KNOW? Contacting agents for crew is not as daunting as you think. Most below-the-line crew will have reps that want to keep them working. Don’t be afraid of the major agencies for big-name DPs, editors, and other positions. This can also be a good way to approach above-the-line talent, as you will have established an "in" at the agency.

Once you’ve narrowed down the candidates, it’s time for the director and producer to make their decision. And it’s your job to guide them toward the best choice for their team. Even if you already have hundreds of clutch craftspeople in your contact list, or if you’re just starting out, you’ll need to access makeup, gaffers, grips, production assistants, and other creative pros ready to work. A go-to job board for finding and hiring production crew is ProductionBeast. You can post jobs for free; follow, message and hire experienced professionals; manage your database of contacts; and shortlist people for your next project.

Scout for Shooting Locations Line producers and location fixation Location scouting is a vital step in pre-production. Now that you and the other filmmakers on your production know what kind of settings and scenery will be required, scouting for a locations can begin. But where can you find interesting locations? Which locations welcome film crews? It’s not always as simple as, “Hey, look, that’s a pretty mansion. Let’s shoot a scene in the master bedroom next Tuesday.” Companies such as Wrapal, Peerspace, and Giggster are new and alternative ways to find great places to shoot. Location scouting will be the line producer’s first opportunity to see how all the essential department heads communicate with each other. What does a line producer do during this stage? First, he or she must pay careful attention to each location being considered for shooting. Always look for anything that affects the departments during production.

What is a line producer? A tech scout mastermind • Subscribe on YouTube

A line producer must also pay careful attention to the personalities of the HODs. Why? Because once the contracts have been signed, the real characters start to show themselves. And everything about them will be amplified on set when the pressure’s on. So be analytical. Get to know who works well with others, identify problem areas, and try to curb issues before the shoot.