Filmmaker's Dream Blog

     When it comes to putting a film together, many filmmakers are eager to get started on the film itself and may avoid some important and thorough planning. There are tons of software to help aspiring filmmakers with budgeting costs for your film. Check out Gorilla Film Production Software which can help you with putting together a budget for documentation and for other producers to see as well as staying within your own means to make sure you don't exceed costs. Project management is key when it comes to building a film. Pre-production is when all of the planning needs to take place. Many new filmmakers are low on cash and need actors and a crew. Although you may not have the money to pay them, food and drinks make great compensation. It is best to buy in bulk for drinks. Here is a quick example outline of how to keep food under $100 for 1 week of shooting and a crew of 15 people.

• Drinks: Water bottles  2 packs of 24 water bottles -$7 ( entire week)
• Food: Sandwiches are a best way to feed many people for a low cost averaging about $20 (3 days)(buying your own ingredients to make sandwiches will make it cheaper)  2 Large Pizzas- $25 *search for coupons to save more money ( 1 day) Snack tray $20 (3 days) *many people love to snack on foods in between shooting so be sure to include fruits, vegetables, meats ( wings or other meat), and other snack foods. Alternate between days with these foods. Have snacks on monday, pizza on Tuesday, snacks on Weds, sandwiches on Thursday, snacks on Friday, sandwiches on Saturday and sandwiches or snacks or pizza on Sunday *your choice or whatever your crew would like depending on your culture. Use your creativity to stay resourceful.  This averages out to about $72.00 which may leave room for incidentals out of a $100 food budget. 

    Equipment is something to also take note when budgeting. Buy extra light bulbs and backup equipment before shooting just in case something breaks to avoid running out in a hurry and buying either the wrong thing or something more expensive. Buy as many batteries, extension cords, electrical tape, and power surges  as you can. While shooting you don't want to lose the momentum due to the loss of power. *This has happened to me many times and it never turns out good. For DSLR filmmakers purchase a 1 or 2 battery grips to shoot all day without stopping the production to charge your battery for thirty minutes to get the last shot.
     Monitor and control your plan while shooting, when you see a change from your plan occur try your best to get it back to where it was to avoid future problems. Putting a film together can be very expensive especially if this is your very first film and you don't have all of the equipment, makeup, actors, and crew you need. I spent approximately $2000 on everything for my first film after everything was bought and paid for after shooting. Don't be frightened to get started just be sure to take a few of these tips to avoid pulling your hair out and throwing your camera out of the window due to frustrations. Your film may not always go as planned, but staying as organized as possible will keep your film on track.

 Also, Checkout our sponsor - HalloweenMart to get great deals on makeup, special fx, costumes, accessories, props, and more! These make a film even more real!!