Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

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  • Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

    i am wrapping up the outline/treatment to my next thriller/suspense script and i have 2 locations in mind where i would like the setting to take place - Miami and Los Angeles.

    staying budget conscious, i need this to be under or around the $15 million dollar mark.

    by using these two particular locations on opposite ends of the coast is that putting me way over?
    One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

    The Fiction Story Room

  • #2
    Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

    They'll shoot the whole thing in Vancouver so you're good.
    http://confoundedfilms.com

    http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

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    • #3
      Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

      Or Prague.
      Aiming for mediocrity and falling well short =)

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      • #4
        Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

        makes sense for LA but can they get a realistic miami setting over in Vancouver? u know of any movies that have done that?
        One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

        The Fiction Story Room

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

          Originally posted by Hairy Lime
          They'll shoot the whole thing in Vancouver so you're good.

          I wuv you, Hairy but you owe me a coffee....
          A talent for drama is not a talent for writing, but is an ability to articulate human relationships.
          Gore Vidal

          "Aisatsu Yori Ensatsu"
          Money is better than compliments.


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          • #6
            Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

            DMNY. Next time I'm counting bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the wardrums the coffee's on me.

            Juno. $15M is an impressive budget in my book. I could easily make a bicoastal film for less than that as long as I didn't have to pay huge star salaries or do much CGI or shoot a bunch of complicated stunt sequences or blow up some cigarette boats or Ferraris.
            http://confoundedfilms.com

            http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

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            • #7
              Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

              Originally posted by Hairy Lime
              Juno. $15M is an impressive budget in my book. I could easily make a bicoastal film for less than that as long as I didn't have to pay huge star salaries or do much CGI or shoot a bunch of complicated stunt sequences or blow up some cigarette boats or Ferraris.
              let's assume i was told by a producer, whom i pitched an idea to, not to go over $15M when i write the script and to allow enough room for a $5M to $10M salary for the main star.

              There are no ferrari's blowing up but there are a few expensive cars/homes, etc, but nothing blowing up and no CGI - could you achieve this on a $5M budget?

              humor me.
              One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

              The Fiction Story Room

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              • #8
                Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                Unless you are producing, there's no reason really to worry about budget. If you know the budget, changes are the people who told you that budget already know what your story is, and what its locations are --otherwise, how have they set a budget?

                If, on the other hand, you are simply targeting a producer who shoots only in that range, and they haven't signed off in any way on those locations, then I guess it might not be a bad idea to evaluate how important they are to the story. Or not. Even discounting the "where will it shoot" concern, it's important to remember that different companies do things very differently. What one cat can do for a million, another will need 50 million to do.

                Most importantly, you're the writer --LA and Miami are important to your part of the process. Whether the physical production actually involves either of those cities is not your problem.

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                • #9
                  Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                  Doesn't sound like you have much to worry about. A producer *should* be able to make a bicoastal film with $5M dedicated to below the line costs.

                  Joe gives good advice. This really isn't your problem. So long as your script doesn't turn into a $100M blow'em'up fest, you should be fine with that budgetary constraint.

                  Shooting in two different cities on opposite coasts is not an insignificant expense since you need to hire crew on both coasts, house crew on both coasts, pay for travel/lodging for your talent and department heads, etc., but it's also not a budget breaker on a film that size. But that's really the producer's problem, not yours.
                  http://confoundedfilms.com

                  http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

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                  • #10
                    Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                    cool, thanx guys!
                    One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

                    The Fiction Story Room

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                      The (death) star is eating up 1/3rd of the budget? Man, I'd just as soon boot the star and go with an unknown.
                      Passion Fuels Passion

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                      • #12
                        Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                        You obviously underestimate the power of the star in these low budget films. It's often the difference between getting a distribution deal and not getting a distribution deal ... which is everything when it comes to having a successful film.
                        http://confoundedfilms.com

                        http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                          Originally posted by Hairy Lime
                          You obviously underestimate the power of the star in these low budget films. It's often the difference between getting a distribution deal and not getting a distribution deal ... which is everything when it comes to having a successful film.
                          I'd be surprised to hear of a $15m film shooting with no leads on distribution at all.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                            Of course, but that's because they have stars the distributors want to feature.
                            http://confoundedfilms.com

                            http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Keeping your screenplay within BUDGET

                              Originally posted by Hairy Lime
                              Of course, but that's because they have stars the distributors want to feature.
                              Just so.

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