What's the budget?

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  • What's the budget?

    I was asked this question today, regarding a script. I'm pretty good with changing the subject and got away with it, but it got me thinking....

    I'm just a dude living in BFE Virginia, aspiring to be a screenwriter. I focus on the writing and only the writing.

    How do I approach estimating a budget? This script, as an example, takes place in a small rural town, post-apocalypse. Not a lot of bells and whistles. Almost all of the shooting locations are "candle-lit" structures or outdoors. Not a lot of props needed. I'm not expecting Jeff Bridges to play the lead, though I'm interested in pitching him the idea if any of you have his email or phone #.

    Help!?!?!?

    Appreciate any and all advice.

  • #2
    Re: What's the budget?

    One of the better things to do I feel is this...

    Think of a few different films -- maybe even a half-dozen -- that are similar in size, scope, etc. of your film script. Then look up the budgets for those films. You can't always find the amount but frequently you can and get pretty close. And then use those "rough" numbers as examples. Maybe even throw a little bit of range in there: $10 to $15 million.

    "Titanic" could have been made for less than $1 million by Roger Corman. But instead Cameron directed for Fox, they went all out and it cost like $200 million. And that would have been for the same script for both filmmakers, but it just depends to some degree on who is asking about your budget, the talent ultimately attached, etc., of course.

    If you can give them a rough estimate closer to some films they have made before, then you might have a better chance of gaining their interest in all. Give a range more than one number, since who again knows how the financing will play out.

    Does that help at all?
    Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 11-14-2018, 07:58 PM.
    Will
    Done Deal Pro
    www.donedealpro.com

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    • #3
      Re: What's the budget?

      Thank you for the quick response, DDP.

      I figured that would be in the ballpark of where I should look, yet, I've had no experience with that type of question and thought I would ask. I've had little experience with any questions on my scripts, so I guess this is a step in the right direction???

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      • #4
        Re: What's the budget?

        DDP is right on the money-
        pick a handful of movies that you think are in the same ballpark and you should be close.
        keeping in mind of course that a movie might cost $5 million in practical terms, but if you attach an a-list actor whose quote starts at $10 million your movie suddenly became a $15 million film - as opposed to a $6 million if you'd cast someone else.

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        • #5
          Re: What's the budget?

          Originally posted by TravisPickle View Post
          DDP is right on the money-
          pick a handful of movies that you think are in the same ballpark and you should be close.
          keeping in mind of course that a movie might cost $5 million in practical terms, but if you attach an a-list actor whose quote starts at $10 million your movie suddenly became a $15 million film - as opposed to a $6 million if you'd cast someone else.
          This is correct. Taylor Sheridan said he wrote Hell or High Water to be a 3 to 5 million dollar film and sold it that way, it only ballooned to 10 million after getting that cast. Only estimate budget based on size, not what cast it might have.

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