In terms of budgeting, there are "soft" line items and "hard" line items. The "hard" ones tend to have semi-fixed costs and are easier to budget than the "soft" ones, which vary greatly from project to project.

The "hard" ones:

·    Camera Rental

·    Non-Picture Vehicle Rental

·    Film/tape Stock, Lab

·    Hard Drive Storage

·    Parking

·    Above-The-Line Salaries (on a short, these are usually nil or close to it)

·    Catering (usually btw. $10-$14/head)

·    DAT stock costs, sound expendables

The "soft" ones:

·    Production Design Dept.

·    Grip/Electric Dept.

·    Labor costs in general – this depends mostly on (a) what friends you have; (b) what's the most you can spend; (c) what you're prepared to accept in terms of experience. Generally, once you establish a key rate, stick to it for all dept. heads, at least during the initial negotiation (some may end up getting paid more than others).

·    Costume Dept.

·    Fuel

·    Fringes: This depends on state of employment, union/non-union, whether you're treating people as employees or subs, etc. This is very important to get right.

·    Locations: This depends on who you know. Tip: don't count on free locations. You're friends WILL get scared at the last minute.

·    Remote Accommodations: I usually search out the chain motels, but prices can vary widely. Plus you have to feed the crew and cast two squares a day (they of course get lunch on set) or give them per-diem money to feed themselves with.

There are two general styles of budget – those that lump materials and labor within a department, and those that separate labor from materials. I prefer the former; while it makes things somewhat confusing it does give you a functional understanding of how the film will actually get made (in other words, a set doesn't build itself).

Remember to include a contingency. There are different philosophies on this, but I no longer budget anything without a 10% contingency. But I will usually quote the budget minus the contingency to other crew people if asked. Since many crew will think you're lying anyway, you might as well lie on the safe side.

I start at the top (ATL) then work my way down through post and overhead (which usually includes publicity). What follows is a few weeks of phone calls, internet trips, emails, and reading.

A good rule of thumb is to look at the overall ATL/ BTL/ Post/ Overhead ratio. ATL should be somewhere between 20-25% of the total budget (more if there are significant star attachments); BTL should be 40-50%; Post should be 25-30% (though it depends a lot of f/x and format, and how far you're budgeting to); and overhead should be 5-10% of the total budget (overhead would include publicity and festival fees, as well as ongoing office expenses, working meals, etc.). This is a rough guide, not a rule. If your salary is tipping the balance – if you're finding that you have to take out essential line items to accommodate it – then you should look at adjusting your salary down a notch.

Tony Estrada texasfilmguy@yahoo.com

Screen Writers please note that Jim Shea has put a great Seminar-at-sea together for you, sea:

www.screenwritersseminaratsea.com

Best Holiday wishes to all of you, Carole Dean  www.fromtheheartproductions.com