I have used FILMUSTAGE and to be honest line producing is a pain in the ass. The question is on the low end how much can I get a line Producer for to figure out the whole film budget?
Hi, Tim Bragg. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the Anything Goes Lounge to the Producing Lounge because it fits better in this Lounge and you should get more answers here. Let me know if you have any questions.
If you need a budget a UPM, 1st AD, Accountant (many do budgets), and a few others can do a schedule and budget. You have a good crew base in your city and state. Check out the local city and state film commissions. My guess is plan on spending approx. $2K.
Tim Bragg It's getting to the point in this industry where just being a screenwriter isn't enough. It's hard to figure out what is enough, but don't let the title of Line Producer freak you out. A line producer tells you your daily expenses which, while it has a lot of components, is not impossible to figure out. I might not know everything, but I know enough to where I can tell investors how much each minute of a shooting day is going to cost me. Everything is also proportional depending what you want to accomplish. The important thing is knowing the answers to any question that is thrown at you. Now a lot of these guys have programs that just let you punch in numbers and it calculates everything for them, but they'll act like they've been working on it for weeks.
Learn what you need to know so that you have it at least 70% accurate. This way a Line Producer won't need a lot of effort to put everything in place. Once you have all the answers, trying to find investors is another problem all on it's own, but at least half the battle has already been fought and it'll help you recognize fraud or lousy deals that people will want to make thinking they can pull the wool over your eyes.
Contact me, Tim. I'll help you get started for free.
Hey Tim, I'm a Line Producer. I've manage over $6M in production funds and I cover union fringes, payroll taxes, production insurance, state film incentive, distribution deliverables, completion bond, SAG, IATSE, DGA, TEAMSTERS, etc. My rate is $3,800 with a two week turnaround. Send me a DM.
Hi Tim Bragg, most of us don't have big development budgets, so it's worth learning how to break down your script, budget, etc. It's a time-consuming, frustrating, and often dull process, but once you have a firm grasp on how to do these things, it's like wearing armor. You can defend every decision and every dollar.
Even though I now know how to do these things, I will still hire a line producer and sometimes a good 1st AD to check my work. I'd rather pay a little for security on the front end than have to pay to fix mistakes on the back end.
Good luck and always reach out with questions. You'll find Stage 32 is a knowledgable and supportive community.
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3 people like this
Hi, Tim Bragg. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the Anything Goes Lounge to the Producing Lounge because it fits better in this Lounge and you should get more answers here. Let me know if you have any questions.
2 people like this
If you need a budget a UPM, 1st AD, Accountant (many do budgets), and a few others can do a schedule and budget. You have a good crew base in your city and state. Check out the local city and state film commissions. My guess is plan on spending approx. $2K.
2 people like this
You are not even in my ball park with 2,000 dollars.
2 people like this
Tim Bragg It's getting to the point in this industry where just being a screenwriter isn't enough. It's hard to figure out what is enough, but don't let the title of Line Producer freak you out. A line producer tells you your daily expenses which, while it has a lot of components, is not impossible to figure out. I might not know everything, but I know enough to where I can tell investors how much each minute of a shooting day is going to cost me. Everything is also proportional depending what you want to accomplish. The important thing is knowing the answers to any question that is thrown at you. Now a lot of these guys have programs that just let you punch in numbers and it calculates everything for them, but they'll act like they've been working on it for weeks.
Learn what you need to know so that you have it at least 70% accurate. This way a Line Producer won't need a lot of effort to put everything in place. Once you have all the answers, trying to find investors is another problem all on it's own, but at least half the battle has already been fought and it'll help you recognize fraud or lousy deals that people will want to make thinking they can pull the wool over your eyes.
Contact me, Tim. I'll help you get started for free.
2 people like this
Hey Tim, I'm a Line Producer. I've manage over $6M in production funds and I cover union fringes, payroll taxes, production insurance, state film incentive, distribution deliverables, completion bond, SAG, IATSE, DGA, TEAMSTERS, etc. My rate is $3,800 with a two week turnaround. Send me a DM.
You are making me laugh. I went from 2,000 to almost 4,000. I am regretting asking this on Stage 32.
1 person likes this
Hi Tim Bragg, most of us don't have big development budgets, so it's worth learning how to break down your script, budget, etc. It's a time-consuming, frustrating, and often dull process, but once you have a firm grasp on how to do these things, it's like wearing armor. You can defend every decision and every dollar.
Even though I now know how to do these things, I will still hire a line producer and sometimes a good 1st AD to check my work. I'd rather pay a little for security on the front end than have to pay to fix mistakes on the back end.
Good luck and always reach out with questions. You'll find Stage 32 is a knowledgable and supportive community.