Producing : Short Script Budget Question by Maurice Vaughan

As close to zero as possible! Have some coffee / bagels / donuts in the morning, you buy everyone lunch, and have a little craft service table set up. Food is fuel. Everyone works for free and they provide goods and services. Editors provide the computer. The DP provides the camera / lights. Sound/audio provides gear for free. The point is with all this free gear is if everyone is waiting around for the phone to ring to get a paying job then all they're doing is waiting. Go get the short(s) done to highlight everyone's talent and ability and keep those creative muscles in shape. Get your locations from people who have what you need, or rewrite your short to fit the locations you can get for free.

Thanks, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth. I'm not planning to produce a short. I wanted to know the budget ranges for micro-budget and low-budget short scripts so I can know what to list my short scripts as (when pitching).

Anything more than $0. It depends on the complexity of the script, the quality of the cast & crew, wardrobe, props and lots of other little things. As an example, I recently shot a 10 page simple script. It took 3 days (over 2 weekends), I provided nominal wardrobe + a couple of props (I let the cast keep the wardrobe <$50). I fed 'em fairly well @ about $250/day. After post I'll do a Pizza & Beer private showing for about $300 and give each a finished DVD (maybe $10). Total = $1,11.00. That's for a 'zero' production project; about as low as you can go. Then you got to add any festival fees.

An it goes up from there.

Thanks, Doug Nelson. I try to write my short scripts micro-budget (small cast, limited locations, mostly inside scenes, etc.) so they're cheaper to film.

This is very dependent, I've shot 1 minute shorts with just friends on my phone for nothing. But most 'ambitious' shorts that I've filmed have cost me between 300 and 500 to produce.

Thanks, Django Van Den Busken.

Also, most of that budget goes to travel expenses and catering. As Lindbergh E Hollingsworth said, food is fuel. Make sure there's lunch, snacks and plenty of drinks. I also pay for travel expenses where needed. If we decide to cast an actor who lives an hour away, it's nice if they don't have to pay for their own fuel or train ticket. But also factor in your own travel costs.

It’s whatever you can financially afford to spend, micro or low budget shorts. Everyone has their own budgets. The last short I worked on, I am guessing the filmmaker spent over $20,000 for a 4-day shoot, 20-page short. He didn’t look worry about $ at all.

Just bare minimums to get started: production insurance and workers comp total about $1000 fees.

Thanks, Dan MaxXx.

Great question ....some of my experience includes a few bucks and a camera to get the short film made. Other included everything and the kitchen sink to get it made. I find that if there is a lot of money to create with, the money gets spent no matter what. I also find, that the lean mean budget can force creativity to spark! All that to say, have you looked at the length in minutes? What is the budget per minute of product shot - and what is the total minutes of the final project? On smaller projects with tight budgets I like to budget per minute of screen time because it helps lean out the fatty spots of waste. Perhaps try working backwards from what the finished goal is to where you are at now? Good luck!

@Cherelynn You're spot on about TIME and a lot of beginners don't take it into account. Time hoovers up bucks each second that passes on restricted budgets. Studios have continuity, 1st/2nd AD's and line managers to master the clock but often in Iow budget a few crew members wear all hats. Just positioning camera and lights takes time never mind changing lenses often. Early on I ended up with a moving hand held, outdoors only cos it was the only way time /money wise to shoot script. @Maurice budget is what you have available, even if only a phone there are festivals for mobiles and if actors are on mate's rates or free most money would be spent on sound. I was told by one producer 300,000 is micro and another 30,000 is micro. Hey an ambiguous topic! But artists need release the fire in their belly and get that low budget film made however they can.

My short script was filmed on a 100.000 MKD, approx. 2000 bucks (director's claim)...I myself, did all my shorts on a 0....first one got me only professional editor & equipment with budget of some 500 bucks (this is back in 2003)...

Thanks for sharing, everyone. A lot of useful tips and advice.

Cherelynn Baker, you wrote, "I also find, that the lean mean budget can force creativity to spark!" I've noticed that when writing contained scripts or indoor scenes.