Film budget

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A film budget is the amount of money that a film production company makes available to produce a film. This has, for example, a direct impact on the production value , based on which films are divided into “A-Movies” (colloquially for expensive productions by large Hollywood film studios) and “ B-Movies ”, whereas the term “ blockbuster ” is only used for commercially successful films becomes.

The budget for the production of a film must first be calculated as part of a film calculation before the producer can start clarifying the film financing .

Cost calculation

If a film is to be produced, the estimated total costs must be estimated in advance and submitted to a film producer or a film production company. When the production company is ready to provide the financial means, pre-production begins. As part of a precise film calculation, it is calculated in detail how high the costs will actually be. The salaries of the actors as well as the salaries of the film crew are negotiated and calculated. In addition, there are, for example, the costs for technical purchases or special processing. The contract is only signed once the exact amount has been determined.

A carefully calculated budget provides the basis for the entire film project. A detailed spending or financing plan is therefore essential. With a limited film budget, for example, the involvement of well-known stars leads to an inevitable reduction in possible expenses for special effects, which can affect the quality of the production. The use of the budget should therefore be as balanced as possible and take into account all areas of production.

Financing plan

In order to be able to carry out the most accurate calculation possible, a financing plan is drawn up that can regulate the following points.

  • Number of co-producers and investors
  • Types of investment and participation, such as the producers' own contribution or domestic and foreign subsidies
  • Percentage allocation of the respective budget shares to the individual investors
  • The payment dates, for example according to production progress
  • Investor data, such as addresses and contact options

The budget must cover , among other things, the costs for the assignment of rights of use for sets and equipment, the payment of the participants (fees and salaries), material costs (sound and film material) or for insurance contributions.

As part of film funding , German film productions can receive financial support from organizations such as the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA).

Important components

right
In order to film a novel , play , computer game or other franchise , the film production company must obtain the permission of the rights holder . The price for this can range from a few thousand to several million euros . Some authors refuse to sell the film rights to their works for life or they only make them available to certain directors or producers. Patrick Süskind , author of the bestseller Perfume , wished that his novel would be made into a film by Stanley Kubrick . It was only after his death and 16 years after the book was published (1985 to 2001) that the rights were sold to the successful German producer Bernd Eichinger .
script
A screenwriter designs on request a script for a film production or sold its own idea to a production company. If the client is dissatisfied with the script, a script doctor can be commissioned to revise the script.
Producers
A movie can have multiple producers, these include Executive Producer (executive producer) Line Producer (TV producer) and Co-Producers (co-producer). Influential top film producers can earn fees of millions of dollars per film.
Director
According to the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the minimum weekly earnings for a director should be 11,000 euros, with a shooting time of at least ten weeks. This corresponds to a minimum total income of 110,000 euros per film. The costs can be much higher, depending on the level of awareness of the director.
actor
For internationally known leading actors, a fee of several million euros as well as additional expenses and profit sharing can be incurred. In the United States , many movie actors are paid according to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) rates.
Production costs
The actual cost of filming includes film sets, costumes, locations, hotels, and transportation. Large productions usually hire expensive specialists for these tasks.
Visual effects
Extensive digital effects processing by well-known companies such as Industrial Light & Magic or Weta Digital often entail costs in the double-digit millions for large productions.
Film music
Hollywood's well-known film composers receive high fees. An additional theme song, such as "Car Wash" by Christina Aguilera in Big Sharks - Small Fish , generates additional costs. The music investment in major film productions accounts for up to 8% of the film budget; Spider-Man's music budget, for example, was 3.6 million euros.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jon M. Garon: an overview of the film budget on filmmakeriq.com, accessed November 24, 2013.
  2. ↑ Film Financing & Calculation - Financing Plan on preproducer.com, accessed on November 24, 2013.
  3. ↑ Sample calculation (PDF; 79 kB) on uni-potsdam.de, accessed on November 24, 2013.