Independent Film Budgets

So you want to make movies on the legit, eh?

People often ask me how much it costs to shoot on film.
The simple math...as of 2018 it's about $1000 per usable minute.
In other words, if you're movie is 15 minutes, count on spending $15,000
This number changes depending on how crafty you are in terms of what type of deals you can sling.
For me, it is the perfect math. And it typically comes out this way. My films are about 3-4 minutes long and it does come out to be about $3500. This includes costumes, makeup, film, processing film and so forth. Again, this number could go up say if you have to buy a new hard drive or your location costs more. I own my own film cameras and lenses. It fluctuates to what you're willing to spend really.

I broke it down recently for a co-worker who wondered...IF I were to do it without having the cost of scanning and buying/renting everything on the up and up.
Let's say, legitimately speaking...with all the union numbers involved as well. To keep it basic, let's say it's two people talking at a restaurant, one man, one woman on a three page script

As of 2018

Renting a 16mm film camera=$700/day this affords you camera and one lens

Film= for 4 minute scene...and shooting on super16mm, one 400 foot can of film costs about $160. With a 5 to 1 shooting ratio, you need 20 minutes of footage to cover. I suggest you get 1200 feet (33 minutes) of film since you have to take into consideration if bad things happen. The contingency roll is nice to have. That's $480

Processing film is about .21c foot. Let's say you shoot it all...that's $252.
Location for a restaurant...IF you're lucky...about $1300/day. Depending on what type and how busy, you could just build a set.

Insurance for everything is about $500 for one day. This is because there are no stunts. Just two people sitting and talking. You do any physical fight, the price goes up. And they do ask this.

For two actors at actor's scale (from what I remember)... that's $600 per person=$1200

Production Designer: $500
art department=$500 (2 people)
hair and makeup=$500
craft services and meals for crew: $1000 (seriously it's that much, if it's not pizza)

Cinematographer minimum=$600/day
assistant camera=$400
second assistant/loader/clapper=$200

Gaffer=$500
electrician=(need two, small set)=$500
grip=(need two)=$250

Sound=$500
Boom operator=$300

Lighting and grip equipment=dependent on what lights and what grip...let's say we spend about $2000, since you can light with very little on small set

Truck rental=$200 (grip can drive truck, though keep it under 2 ton and no air brakes or you need union driver)

Let's leave post out of it, since editing, sound mixing, vfx and so forth wildly fluctuates and people often forget. THIS you should NEVER forget to budget for. It's the worse, since it seems once you get past the low budget shoot, you are too exhausted and broke to understand you have to spend MORE on this part to get it done right.

The final tally for our 4 minute film about two people sitting and talking (if we did it legit)?
$12,382

Some would say it's the film that sets you back. But shooting with feature level digital cameras set you back about $1500/day camera rental. Without a lens.

Typical studio action flicks start at least $100,000/day. And now you know why.