MASTERY FILMS – FILM PRODUCTION SERVICES
STOP GUESSING, START BUDGETING: HOW TO COST OUT YOUR FILM PRODUCTIONS
Congratulations! Your project’s been greenlit, but you have yet to answer the most important question in the next step: how much is this going to cost? This is where Mastery Films comes in for your film production budget. As your film production company, we are used to getting quotes in and out on tight deadlines, and with just a quick call, you’ll know exactly how much your film production service will cost. Here are the steps:
01: Get on a quick call with us and tell us about your project.
02: We’ll get a line budget out to you within 24-hours.
03: Let us know what revisions you might require.
That’s it! Contact us anytime!
Key Pre-Production Topics of the Production Line Budget:
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Creative Development:
Depending on what stage your project is in, you may want to run the creative internally with your team, or you may want the expertise and the input of a director and their creative team. Creative development can be done for a range of projects from a simple corporate interview to a large-scale global commercial campaign, involving tasks such as script writing, storyboarding, and creative consultations. The right people, with the right creative is a solid foundation for any project. We would love to help!
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Production Department:
Every successful shoot has a great production team behind it. The core pillars usually being the line producer, production manager, coordinators and their assistants. They’ll be the ones to make sure that you’ve got everything you need logistically to make your creative vision come to life to ensure that everything runs smoothly while staying in budget.
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Casting:
Unless this is a corporate video and you plan on using your own staff as being part of the video, almost all of your productions are going to involve an on-screen talent that you’re going to have to cast for. Casting the right talents is essential because actors bring a story to life, giving characters the presence, chemistry, and emotional truth that no script or camera work can replace. To ensure they’re looking just right before the shoot day, you’ll want to ensure your cast are ready with direction meetings with the director and AD team as well as a fitting day and possibly a hair & make up test if deemed necessary.
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Location & Permits:
Apart from casting the right talents, the next most important thing is usually locations. Our producers understand the importance of this process. We have a dedicated team for this ready to provide any location references, location scouting, location permitting, etc. in order to be able to swiftly shortlist and finalize location choices. Apart from the actual aesthetics of your shooting location, you’ll also want to look at the logistical factors needed for all departments in relation to the shooting location. This includes crew travel, equipment movement, airport transfers, accommodation, and costs.
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Art & Props Preparation:
Whether your project needs just a coffee table with a couples chairs and plants for a siple interview piece, a full set built in studio, or an entire street dressed for a period piece, having an accurate picture of your shoot's art costs from the start is essential. Planning ahead for art and props in your budget helps you stay on track financially while also protecting quality. This will give the director and art team everything they need to execute their vision successfully.
Key Production Topics of the Production Line Budget:
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Technical Crew & Equipment:
Something simple like a corporate interview may only require a small crew with a very basic camera and lighting package and very controllable costs. But it’s when you get into long form or a commercial-level production that requires a full-scale crew with multiple departments, cinema cameras, lighting trucks, specialty equipment, this can get pretty costly. Therefore, this definitely a cost topic should be discussed and allocated for in advance.
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Transportation & Logistics:
Regardless of whether you’re filming in just the one location for the day or multiple locations, you'll need crew to manage and plan the transportation logistics of the shoot. For smaller shoots this can be done directly by the production department, but for larger shoots you'll need dedicated crew in the form of a transportation manager, travel coordinators, transportation captains etc. to help keep everything running on-time and in-budget.
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Food & Catering:
When you’re working long hours during the shoot day, you’ll want to ensure that the team isn't running on empty, happy and well-fed. The scale of catering services can vary from project to project. For larger and more lengthy shoots, buffet lines are the norm, but for more smaller, more budget-friendly projects, food boxes are practical and cost-efficient. Regardless, you'll definitely want to plan this out in your budget so that you know beforehand what type of catering you will have and what costs to expect.
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VIP Talents & Clients:
This typically comes in the forms of premium-level services such as dedicated luxury transportation, five-star accommodations, on-set security, and on-set amenities such as motorhomes or vanity trucks depending on the level of services that your VIP talent or executives on-set are accustomed to. This can contribute greatly to the production budget and should definitely shouldn't be an afterthought.
Key Post-Production Topics of the Production Line Budget:
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Post-Production Team:
This is the part where your production team disembarks from the project. The spotlight now falls to the Post-Producer and their underlings whose responsibility it is to ensure that the editing process remains organized and on schedule. Items such as workflows, coordinating feedback, overseeing revisions, and ensuring that all deliverables are completed according to the agreed project requirements, all of this falls under their domain.
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Offline & Online Editing:
During the offline phase, the team focuses on selecting footage and building the narrative, while online editing handles the finishing touches such as color correction, subtitles, and final delivery. The cost for these two phases can vary depending on either the amount of time agreed upon that the deliverables are going to be within each stage or the number of revision rounds needed.
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Motion Graphics & Animation:
You might need someone fully dedicated to designing, adjusting and animating these 2D or 3D assets for your video. You’ll generally want to keep in mind that if there’s going to be some graphics and animation required for the video it will directly influence both the production timeline and budget.
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Sound Mixing:
It goes without saying that even if you shot a scene beautifully, if the video is jarring to ears, then your audience is immediately going to turn away from the screen. This is why having professional audio is a very critical part of any post-production process which will handle any issues such as music licensing, voiceovers, sound design, dialogue cleanup, and audio mixing needed for your shoot.
And that brings us to the conclusion of all the many different things to consider when you’re putting together your film production budget. It may have sounded simple enough at first, but there are many layers you will have to keep in mind when planning for your project.
Fortunately, all of these topics can be covered within no more than 15–30 minutes during your call with one of our producers at Mastery Films. But if your project is larger or more complex that your average shoot, we’ve got the time for you! Get a quote for your video production today!
