Budget - Need help

ALLWritety

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HI
Yeah it's been a while. I need help with buget. I know there are a lot of varibles but it would be great to get a ball park figure.

I would like to know the cost of producing a live action kids 11 min TV pilot? (UK)
3 locations
6 Characters
Cameraman
Editing
Sound
etc

I do have some contacts which would shave some costs off but I don't really have a clue about how much this could possibly cost.

I am going to approach some companies to fund the pilot and it would be great to be able to present some thing of the cost.

If you can help that would be fantastic.
Be Gr8
Kev
 

Ohdontyaknow

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Hello, There are obviously a lot of factors and I noticed you missed a few. First thought, since you are dealing with children you will need some sort of liability insurance (My experience is in the US, and I'm not familiar with UK productions).

Your cam ops will charge a day rate, anywhere from $150(US) to $300+ (possibly even more) depending if they are union or not. Experience plays a factor. Expect a similar rate from your sound op. Available equipment will play into the cost as well. Permits are also something to think about.

Your location costs are always negotiable with the owner of the property, so there is no real set price.

Your on-screen talent will also vary in price, depending on talent and experience.

Also don't forget about craft services as well as travel and lodging. If it's only the pilot you are shooting you can get away with it for $5-10 thousand. If you are not concerned with quality, then you can do it for much less.

Again this is based on my experience in the US. Currently I'm producing a TV series (on spec), and my budget is near $80,000. More than half is for talent. To save money I plan on shooting all six episodes in four days. There is only one location so the money is primarily for talent, production crew, and equipment costs (mostly rentals).

I know this isn't much to go on, but hopefully this will give you a general idea of what to expect.

All the best!
 

Interrobang

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Quite a few variables in this mix.

There are plenty of one-man-band camera operators who'll do both vision and sound. You'd be looking at around £400 a day, including the hire of equipment.

If your three locations are close together you might get it all done in one day. Otherwise plan on two, at least.

A day in the editing studio might set you back another £300 to £400, but your camera operator might also offer this service if you only need basic digital output with no special effects (you can do so much on a Mac these days).

The cast could be anything, from free (friends/AmDram) to a lot (professional).

Your best bet would be to find a local camera operator who's done similar projects (drama, rather than just corporate talking heads stuff) and take it from there. If there's a film/drama school near you, get in touch and see if they're on the look-out for student projects. Final year students are often looking to build up a portfolio.
 

kdaniel171

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According to my research

Hey! I Google it for you, and I found out that it will cost you around £410 per day. However, you can contact with the service provider, in order to have exact idea.
 

LittlePinto

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I pulled a model budget from a film class I took and you're definitely missing some categories. My basic budget is broken down as:

Script
Producer
Director
Cast
Travel
Lodging
Food
Camera
Lighting
Sound
Locations (don't forget that you might also have permitting issues and fees)
Art Department
Office Expenses
Petty Cash
Editing
Insurance
Contingency (usually 10% of production costs)
Final post

If you have children in the cast then you'll also have to see if there is a requirement for a teacher/welfare worker on set and budget for them as well. If you want music, you'll have to find a composer.

You might try looking at the websites for film crew and acting unions in the UK. Those will help you at least get an idea of what pay usually runs. You can also contact the locations you want to use and ask what their fees are. Same for insurance companies.

It's hard for us to give you a number because there are so many little details only you know. For instance, it's cheaper to shoot at a friend's house than a hotel. Things like that.
 

Treehouseman

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It can cost nothing, or it can cost a fortune. I know when Aussies get short film grants with everyone being paid professional rates for the length of a ten minute shoot (with the similar requirements to your shoot) the grant is about 100k Australian (about £50-60k?).