Any training in the area of film budgeting will actually help you impress producers for those few
film jobs, get your script into production, find financing, and be rehired for more film contracts.
Film Budgeting – Insider Tips For Film Students
By John Gaskin
This is my 20th year working in the film industry on over 40 film productions. Throughout that time I have never met a new film school graduate who has a clue about handling the most
important aspect of ALL filmmaking – the MONEY! I had always assumed (wrongly, it turns out)
that film students just weren’t interested in knowing about film budgets. However after a recent
survey of film students at a reputable film college we learned that film students DO intuitively
understand that knowing the language of film budgeting is crucial to their careers in film.
Surprisingly, over 80% were enthusiastic about learning more about film budgeting!
Here’s what we discovered from that survey (completed in late September, 2005):
1.Over 80% of film students are not only interested in learning more about budgeting for film
productions, they are emphatic about it!
2.In all cases, film students expect to find information about film budgeting from the internet,
or as recommended reading from their professors.
3.We also learned that there are no references or books available to film schools or film
students on this very needed subject.
Those working in the film business recognize how important it is to be familiar with film
budgeting, if not technically proficient. The confidentiality of film budgets makes it extremely
difficult, even for working filmmakers, to get familiar with film budgeting. (I have a true story
in my book about a meeting that I had with Ron Howard in 1993 where he wanted to learn
specifics about the budget for his film – in spite of having been in the film business for over 30
years as an actor and budding director).
Learning about film budgets while on-the-job comes at the expense of hard-knocks, expensive
film budgeting software and late night self-training with a technical textbook (if you can find
one). In the 20 years that I’ve been working in the film business, I have NEVER shown a film
budget to anyone but a select few insiders – Producers, Production Managers, Studios, Bonding
Companies, etc. So, exposure to actual film budgets really is an insider’s privilege – which I am
about to open the door to for my readers. (Keep in mind the figures shown are samples only.
The figures are real enough, but are not drawn from my actual past/present/future film
productions.)
How can film students get familiar with film budgets while they have the time and opportunity?
The only colleges with film budgeting in their syllabus (that I could find after hours of internet
searching) was in a specialty course for Production Managers at the New York Film Academy,
and through mentors at the American Film Institute (where, I’m proud to say, parts of my book
are being used by a mentor there, who has a long record of producing films including a term as
Vice President of Production at MGM).
The only solution that I see for film students, and for working film crew, to get familiar with film
budgeting is to provide them with the information myself. But, what kind of information, and at
what level of detail?
The answer to that rhetorical question is – in as simple a format as possible, yet still be
effective. By effective, I mean that any training in the area of film budgeting will actually help
you impress producers for those few film jobs, get your script into production, find financing, be
rehired for more film contracts, be more cost effective cinematographers, etc. Also, the basic
concept of translating creative ideas into a budgeting process is new to most people, especially
those educated in film schools, so that concept should be presented first.
Film students don’t need to become keen budget technicians. However, they DO need to get
enough exposure to film budgets to understand the fundamentals, and to be able to
communicate to film producers, film studios, bonding companies, banks, financiers, etc. in the
same language as would be expected from professional filmmakers.
All of the above is covered in my book, Walk The Talk. I have written a series of 7 free articles
based on my book. They’re written for the complete novice, so be patient if you’ve already
been exposed to film budgeting. You can sign-up, FREE, for 7 weeks of articles at
www.talkfilm.biz .
There is a seventh article that could have been added for those who haven’t been exposed to
the simple administrative procedures like petty cash, purchase orders, check requisitions, etc.
Knowing how to use these forms will put you WAY out in front of the pack of job-hungry film
students looking for those few film jobs. You’ll need to buy my book at this link Walk The Talk
to get that inside advantage. (I have kept the price affordable, specifically with students in
mind.)
Here are the article titles:
1.MAKING IT! In Film Production
2. Introduction to Film Budgeting
3. Translating Creative Ideas Into the Film Budgeting Process
4. Your Participation In Above-the-Line Budgeting
5. Your Participation In Below-the-Line Budgeting
6. Your Report Card – Comparing The Budget to Actual Costs
7. Presentation of the Weekly Cost Report – It’s As Important As the Dailies
When you read my articles, print them out. Make your own examples. Reread them. Send me
your questions if you get stuck. You’ll find that you’ll be way out in front of the pack!
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