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Estimate budgets for 35mm Film, 16mm Film, High and Standard-Definition Video Productions

NEW FEATURES:

As you can see, we've jumped from the previous 1.6 release straight to 2.0. There's so many cool, new features, we just had to bump it up a notch or four.

Alt. Anything! -The old Alt. SD column is now the Alt. Anything column! So now, instead of being stuck using the SD values on an alternate schedule, you can choose Alt. 35mm, Alt. 16mm, Alt. HD, or Alt. SD!
   The old Alt. SD column could only use the values and quantities that had been entered for the SD column. The NEW Alt. Column features more individual controls. For example, if you're using Alt. HD, you can choose to estimate using either camera option, with or without additional lenses, etc. completely separate from the main HD column.

Set Specs! - At the top of the Excel document, you will now notice the Set Specifications section. Using this feature, you can enable or disable any section of the worksheet. Say you want to estimate a budget using Film only, and without any self distribution options. Just turn off the HD, SD, and Distribution sections, and *poof* they're gone! This feature will hide those sections and disregard their values without permanently deleting them.

New Promotion Section -Now you can estimate the cost of posters, postcards, screeners, film festival submission fees, EPK's, T-shirts, and other promotion items!

3-Day Week - Many rental houses offer what's called a 3-Day Week, meaning if you rent equipment for a full 5-day week, they'll only charge you for 3-days of use. IndieBudgetBuddy now takes that option into account. The 3-Day Week option can also be enabled and disabled in the Set Specs section.

More Pre-Production options - The newly-expanded Pre-Production section features many more options for estimating meeting and rehersal space rental, location scouting expenses, and pre-production craft service.

Film & Tape Calculator - Our ever-popular Film Calculator is now the Film & Tape Calculator. It will estimate the amount of tape stock needed according to your chosen shooting ratio, and will automatically update those amounts in the main IndieBudgetBuddy worksheet. It'll even take into account whether you're using the SDX900 in DVCPro25 or DVCPro50 mode!

A Little Less Clutter - Some sections are now dynamically enabled. Meaning: some options will not appear until you choose a related requirement. Example: You want to use the P+S Technik Mini35 adapter for the DVX100A, but the 35mm lens options are not visible in the SD column. Once you enter the number of P+S Technik adapters you would like to use, the Lens options will turn on, allowing you to choose quantities. This is basically just a cosmetic feature, to make simple budgets a bit easier to look at.

Help is on the Way! -A comprehensive online help system is currently in the works to help you get the most out of your IndieBudgetBuddy experience! Sign up for the rarely-used Mailing List below to be notified when it's ready!

NOTES ON MACROS
Some of the new functions in IndieBudgetBuddy 2.0 are done through the use of Macros. Some Macros for Microsoft Word and Excel, in rare cases, have been used to expose viruses to unprotected systems. Though I personally can say that the Macros used in IndieBudgetBuddy are safe, some people may be hesitant to use it. With that in mind, the Macro-Free IndieBudgetBuddy 1.6 will continue to be available via this website, though it will no longer be updated for pricing or functionality changes.

Due to the extreme differences in Microsoft Excel versions, many of the Macro functions in version 2.0 will simply not function in Excel versions prior to Excel 2000. So, IndieBudgetBuddy 2.0 will only be available for Excel 2000. I apologize for this inconvenience.

NOTES ON HD CAMERAS

At this time, the IndieBudegtBuddy worksheet uses two options for HD aquisition: the Sony HDW-F900 CineAlta, and the Panasonic AJ-HDC27F VariCam. These two cameras have notable differences that make it necessary to include both of them.

1) The Sony CineAlta shoots HD video with 1080 lines of resolution. The Panasonic VariCam shoots HD video at 720 lines of resolution. Both of these formats are viewable on any HD monitor. However, if a blow-up to film is anticipated, the Sony CineAlta will offer more resolution and a more crisp picture. However, the gamma curves in the CineAlta are less robust than the VariCam, which causes the CineAlta's image highlights to exhibit a strange "glowing," and also often shows excessive grain in blues and blacks, especially if you'll be pushing the exposure in post.

2) The VariCam is unique in that it can shoot any frame rate from 4 - 60fps. The Sony is limited to 60i and 24p. Though the VariCam is lower in resolution than the CineAlta, the VariCam's gamma selections allow it to exhibit a more "film-like" image and dynamic range than the CineAlta.

These cameras have their strengths and weaknesses, and are both excellent choices, so the decision is ultimately up to the filmmaker.

Sony's new upgraded version of the F900, the HDW-F950, is not included at this time simply because I can't find rental rates for it.

Some people may complain that IndieBudgetBuddy does not offer options for the low-cost HDV cameras that are currently on the market (the JVC GR-HD1/HD10 and the Sony HDR-FX1/Z1U.) There are several reasons for this. 1) These cameras have not yet proven themselves in a viable production environment. Many may argue that the Z1U was used on an episode of JAG, but it was one shot that lasted 3 seconds. 2) None of the current HDV cameras offer 24p capability, which I regard as a necessary requirement for indie filmmaking. 3) The inexpensive HD market is on the cusp of revolutionary new products. New cameras from JVC and Panasonic are due out later in 2005, and both of them hold promise for truly viable, low-cost 24p HD production. Until these cameras are not only released, but proven in quality and viability in feature production environments, I will not include them as options in this worksheet.

As always, if you want to use IndieBudgetBuddy to estimate a protential production using one of the current HDV cameras, that choice is yours. The worksheet is fully customizable to suit your needs. But I will not include them as default options until this new technology proves itself worthy of full-scale indie filmmaking.

THE STORY

IndieBudgetBuddy, like most things, was born out of boredom. I was bored to tears with audio editing for a feature-length film, so I decided to make a Microsoft Excel template form that could help me budget out my next movie.

Since I can't afford any REAL budgeting software, and I quite frankly never use half the crap they put into those expensive budgeting programs, I made something that I think is quite simple and easy-to-use. Keep in mind, this isn't intended to be a complete replacement for any expensive budget program or a REAL film budget person. This is simply intended to give the average indie filmmaker an easy way to estimate a budget without all the Above-The-Line, Below-The-Line, Crew-Members-I-Don't-Need garbage.

IndieBudgetBuddy includes basic options for a bare-bones Indie feature project, and allows you to estimate the cost of your movie for 35mm Film, 16mm Film, HD, and DV (handy for investors to see just how much can be saved by shooting video.)

You can use the equipment options that I've provided, or you can enter your own favorites. Rental fees, cast and crew salaries, film development costs, and everything else can be completely customized for what's available to you, and IndieBudgetBuddy will do all the calculations automatically.

THE FILM AND TAPE CALCULATOR

This is the feature of IndieBudgetBuddy that people seem to like the most.

Located on the third "Sheet" of the IndieBudgetBuddy Excel document is the Film and Tape Calculator. Simply enter the estimated length of your film, your anticipated shooting ratio, the approximate percentage of your film that takes place in Daylight (or 5600K) lighting, your "Tape Contingency" (the number of extra videotapes you'd like to buy over-and-above what is calculated) and, if you're using the Panasonic SDX900 as your SD option, whether you will be shooting in DVCPro25 or DVCPro50 mode. The Film and Tape Calculator will instantly give an approximation of how many feet of 16mm and 35mm Daylight and Tungsten-Balanced raw stock you will need, the number of HDCam, DVCPro, and MiniDV tapes you will need to buy, plus the approximate number of feet your finished film will be (if your edit goes according to plan, of course), and will automatically update those values in the main IndieBudgetBuddy worksheet to calculate the cost of stock purchase, development, transfer, negative cutting, interpositive printing, release prints, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Enter the number of days you expect to be shooting your film in the Production Days box, and, if you like, and alternate production length in the Prod. Days Alt box. Example: If your shooting schedule is 30 days on film, enter 15 days in the Prod. Days Alt. box to see how things work out on a tighter schedule.

IndieBudgetBuddy already includes a plethora of day rates and other costs that I already knew, which may be different in your area. If you know that film processing in your area will only cost 17 cents per foot instead of 19 cents, then feel free to enter that price. If you don't know, you can leave the rates at the default.

2. In the Yellow boxes, enter any and all information that you know, or guesstimate, and lo-and-behold, IndieBudgetBuddy will give you complete estimates for your movie, with all the contingency you can handle.It's easy, safe, low-fat, and best of all, absolutely free. That's just the kind of jerk I am.

Obviously, IndieBudgetBuddy doesn't have everything in it just yet. If you can think of anything I forgot that the typical, No-Budget, Independent Filmmaker would need in his or her budget, e-mail me, and I'll add it for the next version.

NOTE ON P+S TECHNIK 35MM LENS ADAPTERS

If you plan on using the P+S Technik Pro35 or Mini35 adapters on your production, the option and rental rates are accounted for. However, I must stress that if you go this route, that you are sure to spend extra toward a very heavy-duty tripod and fluid head, and DO NOT skimp on the lighting package.

The heavy-duty support equipment is necessary because of the large amount of weight that these adapters put on the front of the camera. It may also be necessary to rent an Arri mount just to support the weight of the adapter and 35mm lenses.

The reason you will want to spend more heavily on lighting is because the adapters suck light like a black hole. In my own experience with the Mini35, we have lost as much as 6 full stops of exposure due to the complex optics inside the adapter.

SHARE THE WEALTH

IndieBudgetBuddy is free, and that's the way I'd like it to stay. Many people who offer free software and templates and the like ask for donations to keep the dream alive. I don't want to do that either. Instead, how about this?

If you use IndieBudgetBuddy to estimate the budget for your feature, short, commercial, industrial film, music video, or whatever, please consider HIRING ME! I am skilled in all areas of production and post, especially camera operation, boom operation, on-set audio mixing, digital effects, 5.1 surround mixing, music composition, DVD authoring, and more. I also direct. So, as a favor to me, and because I need the money, keep me in mind!

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