Locations

Avoid filming in locations of famous or commercial areas. Shooting a scene on, for example, the Golden Gate Bridge, requires stopping traffic with a resultant drop in revenue to the city of San Francisco. Filming such a scene for Interview with the Vampire cost Warner Bros. $500,000. Shifting the location to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for close-ups could save hundred of thousands of dollars in location fees in your film budget. Some locations are more willing to allow filming than others - commercial enterprises such as hotels and nightclubs. Some producers of low-budget movies avoid paying location fees and seek to capture shots by subterfuge.

Check QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.

Marketing

Studio marketing departments specialize in movies that fall either into one genre and one targeted demographic or one genre and all demographics. Just think about a horror film like "Saw" or a comedy like "American Pie". They each have a clear genre and are targeted at one demographic. A film may become more successful than expected if it ends up appealing to more than the targeted demographic, like "The Hangover". Studio marketing departments like these movies because the marketing plans have a simple message and only has to find one type of audience. The other end of the spectrum is a movie that one genre aimed at all demographics, like "Avatar" which was an action film aimed at everyone. The trouble happens when audiences can't tell if a movie is a horror film or a drama. It muddles the marketing strategy and can end up attracting none of the intended demographics, instead of both of them.

This discussion of marketing is relevent to filmmakers when you are writing or selecting your screenplay because the end goal is always to get a big theatrical distribution. Sometimes, you may need to market or distribute a film yourself. Some film budgets even include a line item for marketing and distribution. In deciding how to spend this marketing and distribution funds, you will realize why you can't market your film to everybody and should focus on one demographic like college guys or children or dating couples.

Check QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.

Selecting a Producer

Every film has its own story of how it came together. Not every movie starts with a producer and who likes a script. Sometimes, a director will find a script and will have to find a producer for the film. Selecting a producer is difficult because it is tough to determine what was their impact on the film. The creative vision is the director, music is the composer, editor is the timing and pace, cinematographer is the visual look of the film. So how do you know what the producer did? First, there is usually more than one producer on a film. Each producer got that credit for some reason, even if he/she was only the star's hairstylist. So you need to know what the producer's role on the film was. You may want to ask the other producers on the film as a reference. You should also talk to the UPM to see how well the producer organized the film through the shooting schedule and film budget. Look at the level of actors in the film. If the film starred Brad Pitt, the producer either has a strong relationship with Pitt or with his agent. Most importantly, you need to see if the producer gets along with people and can accomplish his tasks of delivering the film to the distributor.

Being a producer is like being a project manager. They need to get the best out of the team in order to deliver the best possible product.

Check QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.

Cannes Film Market

Whether your script or project is a low budget film or a blockbuster movie, studios, private investors, insurance companies and bonding companies will always require a budget. All of these financial sources will be at the Cannes Film Market taking place in May. These companies base their decisions whether to greenlight or finance a film or not on three pieces of information, 1) script, 2) actor and director attachments, 3) a film budget. If you are going or have a representative going, make sure that they are armed with a budget to accompany your script. Before you create your budget, make sure you know your targeted market. So if you know that you will be meeting with or submitting your project to companies who finance movies in the $10-$20 million budget range, then make sure that you have a movie budget in that range.

Check QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.

Craft Services

I usually recommend that filmmakers focus on spending their film budget in places that will show on the screen. However, the most underrated account for impacting the productivity and goodwill of the crew is craft services aka food! I once produced a film where in the middle of the shooting schedule, the crew started to become unhappy about the long hours of work. The next day when the crew arrived on set, they saw an expanded craft services table filled with everyone's favorite snacks. Their attitudes completely changed and everyone became much more productive. Food has that effect on people. Obviously, you don't need to serve caviar but bringing in Starbucks coffee once or twice and adding people's favorite snacks goes a long way.

Check www.QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.

Crew Loyalty

Every film requires a UPM. They continually modify and update the film budget, know who to hire from the local crew, and keep an eye on the overall production from a logistical point of view. UPMs should represent the interests of the producer by making sure the film finishes on schedule and on budget. However, producers and directors must remember who is running the show. The director is there to actualize his creative vision on film. The producer either represents the financing or is the financing source. Every position is crucial to the proper execution of the film from the UPM down to the PA. However, be careful when you film at a distant location where you need to hire a UPM because you don't know the local crew. One of the worst things to happen on a film set is for the crew to strike. If you hire a UPM to hire crew, the UPM actually has the potential to wield the most power on set because he/she controls the crew. This happens more frequently on low budget films where crew members are getting paid below their normal salaries. If the "goodwill" runs out, they will threaten to leave unless something changes. However, the key to avoiding this catastrophe is hiring enough people on your own so these crew members have loyalty directly to you. Also, make sure that you stop small problems or correct bad attitudes before they infect the entire crew. There is nothing wrong with firing someone for not performing their job.

Remember that crew members want to work and want to be a part of a great film. One of the keys to making a great movie is planning ahead and scheduling to avoid problems so you don't have to throw money at them after they occur.

Check www.QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.

Talent Agencies

Making a film requires a base of fans who all want it to get made. Even though a film only needs one creative vision from the director, the process is extremely collaborative. Usually, filmmakers only think they need a crew and actors but you really need many more fans to get your film a high level of distribution. Distribution starts with getting actors who are valuable to a distributor. These actors are sheltered by agencies who act like gatekeepers. Yes, agents have bad reputations for being tough businessmen but you must get them excited about your movie so they move from obstacle to facilitator. Once you have an agency on board with an impassioned agent championing your film, the process should become easier to attach actors. If you can pay a 5% packaging fee to an agency, you should definitely let them know it. Agencies are always looking for ways to bring in more money to their agency. So if you can offer a packaging fee and the possibility to make another commission of selling the film, do it! The 5% of your film budget will most likely be worth it. Just keep in mind that you only want the agency's best actors. The worst case scenario is that you pay the 5% and then accept the agency's out of work actors who are meaningless to distributors.

Check www.QuickFilmBudget.com for a sample film budget.