Budgets Are A Beast

Something to think about: How do you make a five-episode series for as little money as possible while still having the integrity to make the best product you can?

I'll give you a minute.

Here's where you start: Talk to friends and family. Talk to their friends. Find businesses that are willing to work with you. Find actors and crew who are willing to work for film credits. Find people with their own equipment who love to use it. These are some of the basics.

When it came to Margaret Stone, we found ourselves with a small budget ($11,000), which had to include a myriad of things. These included everything from accommodations for cast and crew all the way to insurance (a necessary part of any production).

Jason and I have both budgeted before, but he is the master while I am the student. For example, he was insistent that we have meals for everyone. I asked why that was such a high priority. Jason said "if people aren't getting paid, they better be getting fed". And he was right. A happy camp of people runs on their stomachs. If you don't have a good meal in you, you're going to lose steam fast. If there aren't snacks available, people are going to get cranky. I had no idea just how important this was until I was on the set of a smaller film and saw just how much a frustrated crew member could be calmed down with a quick bit of quiet time and an apple.

The budget is bigger than the money we actually have, BUT, it is important to remember the corners you are able to cut without jeopardizing the production. And that's what we've been doing. Putting a little money here, a little more money there. It all comes together in the end.