Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film: A Panic-Free Guide

by Landry; Paula

• ISBN13: 9780240816647
• ISBN10: 0240816641
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2011-09-19
• Publisher: Focal Press

Summary

On time and on budget: the Holy Grail for filmmakers. Budgeting and scheduling are easy in principle but hard in practice. The successful producer has a solid plan for juggling dozens of activities and costs while retaining the flexibility to cope with those inevitable last-minute changes and stay on course. Other resources look at budgeting and scheduling in isolation; this book is unique in covering the two closely intertwined activities in a single volume. Readers get both topics for the price of one book; competitors cover each topic separately. All the fundamentals of line producing are covered in a quick-reference format and the tips apply no matter what kind of scheduling or budgeting software you're using. . Useful tricks of the trade show you how to squeeze the most of a limited budget and tight schedule . Includes specific tips for film, video, shorts, online projects, corporate and educational video, and docs . Companion web site features useful forms/templates, and 60 minutes of video demonstrating line producing techniques and case studies-see the principles put to work! . Includes sample budgets/schedules from different types of projects that you can adapt and use for your own project

Author Biography

Paula Landry is a film and music producer who creates commercials, multimedia concerts, films, and branded videos for the internet. Landry is president of Idea Blizzard Productions. An active member of NYWIFT, the IFP and AFM, Landry speaks at seminars around the world about the film, music, and media business.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
About the Website	p. xii
Schedule and Budget Basics	p. 1
What is Production Management?	p. 1
The Schedule and Budget Relationship	p. 2
Who Manages the Schedule and Budget	p. 4
A Little History	p. 6
Helpful Tools and Software	p. 8
A Manual and Computer Approach	p. 8
Basic Steps and Stages	p. 10
Scheduling	p. 10
Budgeting	p. 12
End of Chapter One Review	p. 14
Identifying Resources: The Breakdown	p. 15
When Is A Breakdown Created?	p. 18
Relationship of Script and Breakdown	p. 19
Script Format	p. 22
Metric	p. 23
Rigid Guidelines	p. 23
Word Processing Software	p. 24
Set Up Your System: Software, Colors, Numbers	p. 26
Software System	p. 27
Color Systems	p. 28
Number Systems	p. 31
Breakdown Forms	p. 34
the Process of Breaking Down a Script	p. 38
Read Script Completely Through	p. 40
Number Scenes	p. 40
Eighths of a Page	p. 44
Identify Resources	p. 46
Transfer Information to Breakdown Forms	p. 53
End of Chapter Two Review	p. 62
Organizing Resources: The Schedule	p. 63
Creating a Schedule	p. 64
Your System: Workflow and Consistency	p. 66
The Process: Transfer Breakdown Information into Schedule	p. 71
Let's Go: Manual Version	p. 72
Let's Go: Computer Version	p. 73
Grouping Like Things	p. 78
Sorting by Set	p. 78
Cast	p. 83
The Most Finite Resource	p. 87
Arrange Schedule for Maximum Efficiency	p. 89
One Line Schedule	p. 92
Day Out of Days	p. 9494
Factors Impacting the Schedule	p. 96
Film or Digital Format	p. 96
Shooting Ratio and Experience	p. 97
Unions and Guilds	p. 98
Locations	p. 99
Length of Shooting WeekDay	p. 100
Sample Schedules	p. 103
Short Doc. Film	p. 103
Student Short Film	p. 104
Webisode	p. 104
Corporate Video	p. 105
Transfer Information to Breakdown Forms	p. 53
End of Chapter Two Review	p. 62
Organizing Resources: The Schedule	p. 63
Creating a Schedule	p. 64
Your System: Workflow and Consistency	p. 66
The Process: Transfer Breakdown Information into Schedule	p. 71
Let's Go: Manual Version	p. 72
Let's Go: Computer Version	p. 73
Grouping Like Things	p. 78
Sorting by Set	p. 78
Cast	p. 83
The Most Finite Resource	p. 87
Arrange Schedule for Maximum Efficiency	p. 89
One Line Schedule	p. 92
Day Out of Days	p. 9494
Factors Impacting the Schedule	p. 96
Film or Digital Format	p. 96
Shooting Ratio and Experience	p. 97
Unions and Guilds	p. 98
Locations	p. 99
Length of Shooting Week / Day	p. 100
Sample Schedules	p. 103
Short Doc. Film	p. 103
Student Short Film	p. 104
Webisode	p. 104
Corporate Video	p. 105
TV Commercial	p. 105
Feature	p. 106
End of Chapter Three Review	p. 108
Pricing Resources: The Budget	p. 109
Budget Components	p. 110
Construction	p. 111
Presentation	p. 113
Calculation	p. 116
Account Numbers	p. 121
Backing into a Number	p. 125
Price Resources	p. 127
Identify and Obtain Prices	p. 127
Negotiate	p. 131
Lock in Your Deals	p. 132
Factors Impacting the Budget	p. 133
Type of Project	p. 133
Locations and Incentives	p. 135
Union, Guilds, and Wages	p. 137
Project Length and Format	p. 143
Building a Budget	p. 152
Setup	p. 152
Above the Line: Creative and Development Costs	p. 158
Below the Line: Production	p. 169
Below the Line: Post Production	p. 1188
Below the Line: Other Expenses	p. 194
Sample Budgets	p. 196
End of Chapter Four Review	p. 203
Helpful Scheduling and Budgeting Tips	p. 205
Gaining Experience	p. 205
Evolution of the Schedule and Budget	p. 215
The Team	p. 216
Priorities, Prices and Deal Making	p. 217
Changes During. Shooting	p. 221
Safety and Insurance	p. 223
Publicity and Marketing	p. 226
Distribution Expenses	p. 228
Hidden Expenses	p. 229
End of Chapter Five Review	p. 233
Managing Resources	p. 235
Relationship between Script, Schedule and Budge	p. 238
Production Accountant, AD and Line Producer	p. 239
Optimize the Shoot	p. 243
No Unnecessary Movemen	p. 243t
Consider the Weather	p. 243
TV Commercial	p. 105
Feature	p. 106
End of Chapter Three Review	p. 108
Pricing Resources: The Budget	p. 109
Budget Components	p. 110
Construction	p. 111
Presentation	p. 113
Calculation	p. 116
Account Numbers	p. 121
Days Off, Turnaround, Meal Times	p. 244
Using a Second Unit	p. 244
Other Factors	p. 245
End of Chapter Six Review	p. 248
Special Considerations	p. 249
Narrative Feature Film	p. 254
Strengthening the Relationship with your Team	p. 256
Documentary Film	p. 257
Shorts, Web Video and Webisodes	p. 265
Television	p. 269
Who's Driving the Bus?	p. 269
The Pilot	p. 273
Educational and Corporate Films	p. 276
Working Without a Script	p. 278
End of Chapter Seven Review	p. 280
Additional Topics You Are Bound to Encounter	p. 283
Scheduling	p. 284
Contrast and Compare	p. 284
Lock it UP	p. 284
Stay Practical	p. 286
Questions about Eighths	p. 290
Script Inconsistency and New Versions	p. 290
Honing Your Scheduling Skills	p. 291
Location, Location, Location	p. 292
Budgeting	p. 294
Catering and Craft Service	p. 295
Digital Format	p. 295
Transportation	p. 296
End of Chapter Eight Review	p. 298
Index	p. 299
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