How Much?

The first and last rule of filmmaking- how much. As in, you can't shoot until you know how much it's going to cost. Just one of many reasons why a budget is crucial before anything starts. It is the Producer’s (or Line Producer) job to create a budget that is not only accurate, but complimentary to the project. It may not be rocket science but it’s not as easy as you might think and requires more than a bit of know-how in order to predict and account for the myriad possible "bite you in the ass" surprises.

What's the weather going to be during your exterior locations? Nightime...? Did you factor in hot soup, external heaters to keep cast/crew warm, or even how to get 2nd meal at 3 in the morning in some small town where the only thing open is a 7-11 and you have a vegan actor who doesn’t want anything made in China?

Or how about the desert location, did you factor sunscreen, plenty of water, or spending the money to ensure you have a qualified medic on stand-by?

The producers job is all about creating and maintaining the budget without dipping into any other departments or the contingency. Shifting money from one department to another is normal, but doesn’t mean you don’t have to be more than thoughtful about every aspect.

For instance--
the director suddenly calls for a crane shot and you have $1800 accounted for it, that needs to cover the cost of rental, the half-day prep for the operator, probably two techs for set-up (factor at least an hour on down time while it's being built) then the same dismantle it and drive it back to the shop to unload and all on the clock since they charge portal to portal. On top of that, you're now spending at least another 2k in salaries and fringes in addition to the actual crane rental.

And this my friends is only one line item out of a 75 page budget! It’s these happy little surprises that make everyday on the set an adventure in making movie magic...