The Properties Director’s Handbook

Chapter 5

Budgeting

Following initial design meetings with the scenic designer and the director to talk through the preliminary hand prop list and study the elevations or scale model for all the set props and dressing, the properties director now has a listing and the information of what is wanted. The big question is “Can we afford it?” To answer that question, a preliminary show budget must be created. The preliminary show budget estimates the cost of materials for items having to be built, modified, and purchased as well as the labor estimate for the build. Each item on the prop list should have a cost associated with it, given the preliminary supposition of how it might be completed. Every properties director knows that this preliminary budget ...