Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film

Book description

Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film: A Panic-Free Guide explains the fundamentals of line producing in an easy-to-understand style, and the tips and techniques apply no matter what kind of scheduling or budgeting software you use. Author Paula Landry includes full examples of breakdown forms, organizing resources, distribution expenses, and hidden costs, and discusses how to set priorities and find industry and state tax incentives.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Introduction
  7. About the Website
  8. Chapter One – Schedule and Budget Basics
    1. What is Production Management?
      1. The Schedule and Budget Relationship
      2. Who Manages the Schedule and Budget
    2. A Little History
    3. Helpful Tools and Software
      1. A Manual and Computer Approach
    4. Basic Steps and Stages
      1. Scheduling
      2. Budgeting
    5. End of Chapter One Review
  9. Chapter Two – Identifying Resources: The Breakdown
    1. When Is A Breakdown Created?
    2. Relationship of Script and Breakdown
    3. Script Format
      1. Metric
      2. Rigid Guidelines
      3. Word Processing Software
    4. Set Up Your System: Software, Colors, Numbers
      1. Software System
      2. Color Systems
      3. Number Systems
    5. Breakdown Forms
    6. The Process of Breaking Down a Script
      1. Read Script Completely Through
      2. Number Scenes
      3. Eighths of a Page
      4. Identify Resources
      5. Transfer Information to Breakdown Forms
    7. End of Chapter Two Review
  10. Chapter Three – Organizing Resources: The Schedule
    1. Creating a Schedule
      1. Your System: Workflow and Consistency
    2. The Process: Transfer Breakdown Information into Schedule
      1. Let’s Go: Manual Version
      2. Let’s Go: Computer Version
    3. Grouping Like Things
      1. Sorting by Set
      2. Cast
      3. The Most Finite Resource
    4. Arrange Schedule for Maximum Efficiency
      1. One Line Schedule
      2. Day Out of Days
    5. Factors Impacting the Schedule
      1. Film or Digital Format
      2. Shooting Ratio and Experience
      3. Unions and Guilds
      4. Locations
      5. Length of Shooting Week / Day
    6. Sample Schedules
      1. Short Doc. Film
      2. Student Short Film
      3. Webisode
      4. Corporate Video
      5. TV Commercial
      6. Feature
    7. End of Chapter Three Review
  11. Chapter Four – Pricing Resources: The Budget
    1. Budget Components
      1. Construction
      2. Presentation
      3. Calculation
      4. Account Numbers
    2. Backing into a Number
    3. Price Resources
      1. Step 1: Identify and Obtain Prices
      2. Step 2: Negotiate
      3. Step 3: Lock in Your Deals
    4. Factors Impacting the Budget
      1. Type of Project
      2. Locations and Incentives
      3. Union, Guilds, and Wages
      4. Project Length and Format
    5. Building a Budget
      1. Setup
      2. Above the Line: Creative and Development Costs
      3. Below the Line: Production
      4. Below the Line: Post Production
      5. Below the Line: Other Expenses
    6. Sample Budgets
    7. End of Chapter Four Review
  12. Chapter Five – Helpful Scheduling and Budgeting Tips
    1. Gaining Experience
    2. Evolution of the Schedule and Budget
      1. The Team
      2. Priorities, Prices and Deal Making
      3. Changes During Shooting
    3. Safety and Insurance
    4. Publicity and Marketing
    5. Distribution Expenses
    6. Hidden Expenses
    7. End of Chapter Five Review
  13. Chapter Six – Managing Resources
    1. Relationship between Script, Schedule and Budget
    2. Production Accountant, AD and Line Producer
    3. Optimize the Shoot
      1. No Unnecessary Movement
      2. Consider the Weather
      3. Days Off, Turnaround, Meal Times
      4. Using a Second Unit
      5. Other Factors
    4. End of Chapter Six Review
  14. Chapter Seven – Special Considerations
    1. Narrative Feature Film
      1. Strengthening the Relationship with your Team
    2. Documentary Film
    3. Shorts, Web Video and Webisodes
    4. Television
      1. Who’s Driving the Bus?
      2. The Pilot
    5. Educational and Corporate Films
    6. Working Without a Script
    7. End of Chapter Seven Review
  15. Chapter Eight – Additional Topics You Are Bound to Encounter
    1. Scheduling
      1. Contrast and Compare
      2. Lock it UP
      3. Stay Practical
      4. Questions about Eighths
      5. Script Inconsistency and New Versions
      6. Honing Your Scheduling Skills
      7. Location, Location, Location
    2. Budgeting
      1. Catering and Craft Service
      2. Digital Format
      3. Transportation
    3. End of Chapter Eight Review
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film
  • Author(s): Paula Landry
  • Release date: September 2012
  • Publisher(s): Focal Press
  • ISBN: 9781136039775