UNTITLED DOCUMENTARY

~ SAMPLE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS~

Production Company: ---
Producer/Directors: ----

Budget Assumptions v. x Date: -----

Feature/Short/Series Documentary
(based on budgeted dated ------)

This budget assumes:

1. Union:
● List any unions (DGA, WGA, etc) and associated fringes and relevant signatory
information

2. Schedule:
● Principal Photography: x days of shooting
● Post Production: x weeks
○ x weeks offline edit
○ x weeks (10 days) for feedback
○ x weeks handoff/music completion
○ x weeks for Color and Sound Design/Mix
○ x weeks online
○ x weeks for QC/fixes/delivery

3. Producers and Production Staff (names, roles and fees/rates):

● EP:
● Producers:
● Producer/Line Producer:
● Associate Producer:
● Etc.

4. Travel:
● List no. of trips, type of airfare, and no. of crew

5. Crew/Equipment:
● Camera:
● Shooting format/finishing format:
● Crew Members:
○ *list size of crew and roles, there could be a combination of days with larger
crews and days with smaller crews, define if any of the Directors or Producers
will also be crewing the production
 ○ Describe whether (if you are doing significant travel) you will travel crew or hire
local, or a combination of both.
○ Prep or Wrap days for crew?
6. Locations:
● Primary locations are:
● Any permits or constraints or access specifics that should be noted and that could have
cost implications

7. Post Production:
● Post Facilities
○ Offline Editing System: Edit software
○ Offline Edit Location: City and/or office location
○ Color Finishing Facility: ----
○ Audio Finishing Facility: ----
■ Include bids
● Lead Editor: Name and weekly rate (or TBD)
○ x weeks
● AE: Name and weekly rate
○ x weeks
● Post Supervisor: Name and weekly rate
○ x weeks

8. Media Management:
● Predicted Media Size and needed storage:
● Note where media will be stored – and how many backups.

9. Music
● Composer: Name and Fee
○ Original Score
○ Any live recordings, if so, by whom, where, and any details about additional
mixing
● Music Rights
■ Publishing and Master Rights
● Music Supervisor (advised if you are seeking to license)
● Other music library licensing

10. Graphics:
● Graphics Company:
○ Main Title Design and Production – How complex?
○ Lower Third and Subtitle Design
○ End Credit Layout and design
○ Additional animation

11. Licensed Footage

 ● *list specific footage sources if you know them, or by categories (news, stock, etc. with
an average price per second or per minute and the rights associated with that price –
e.g. all media, universe, in perpetuity)
● Still Images
○ Same as above

12. Deliverables & QC:

 Deliverables should be included and itemized based on your preferred distributor

13. Other Fees

● Legal:
○ Legal Firm and Production Legal Costs:
○ Fair Use: x hours for review/written opinion if needed
○ Title Clearance
● Production Services Company Fee:
○ Based on x percentage of the budget minus exclusions (exclusions would be
provided by a funder or a distributor, common ones include LLC annual fees

● Insurance
○ Production Package that includes Auto, Gen Liability, and Equipment
○ Workers Compensation – either standalone policy or pay as you go through
payroll services like Media Services, Quickbooks, etc
○ E & O Insurance
● Accounting/Bookkeeping
○ Include monthly bookkeeping and the costs of software subscriptions
○ Include annual accounting for taxes

14. Office
 Office cost and term length
 Edit suite cost and edit system rental