Estimated production costs:
Producer fee: $500 — $1250/day
Director fee: $500 — $1250/day
Camera operator: $500–1000/day
Camera equipment rental: $150 — $3500/day
Key grip + assistant + lighting gear: $1000 — $1750/day
Wardrobe: estimated $20 — $1000/day per character project
City permits: $25 — $1000/day (depending on the city, exact location, whether roads need to be closed, etc…)
Location fees and rentals: $250 — $2500+/day
Actors: $200 — $1200/day (each)
Extras: $50 — $200/day (each)
Estimated days of post-production required: 2–3 days
Editor fee: $500 — $1250/day
Redundant Hard disk archive: $200 — $400
Visual FX artist fee: $75 — $150/hour
Colorist fee: $100 — $200/hour
Additional costs:
Band member compensation
Development/Pre-production (scripts, storyboards, strategy, etc…)
Additional actors and extras
Marketing hours
Props/furniture rentals
Set construction
Production insurance
Catering (food)
Etc…
Level 1: Shoestring Budget ($2,000 — $5,000)
At this level, our work usually fits the following:
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One full day of shooting (or possibly two half-days)
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One camera operator
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Skeleton crew (one or two people)
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Filmed on DSLR or mirrorless cameras
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Few paid actors, if any
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Many production roles will be combined (for example, the Director may also produce and edit; the Director of Photography will probably be responsible for all grip and gaffer work, etc…)
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Permit fees are often avoided by carefully selecting production locations
Level 2: Modest Budget ($5,000 — $10,000)
Here are some elements of this budget range:
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Several days of shooting
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Small crew (four or five people)
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Filmed on higher-end video, DSLR or mirrorless cameras
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Costumes are an option
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Several paid actors can be involved
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Minor visual effects are possible
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City permits may be required for outdoor shoots on public streets
Level 3: Full Independent Budget ($20,000 — $50,000)
At this level, the production feels more like an independent film set, rather than a student film or enthusiast project. It’s not a full-blown film crew sort of feel, but it’s about as close as anyone independently financed generally gets. Here are some characteristics of this budget level:
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Several days of production
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Medium-sized crew
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Filmed on RED, Alexa, or other higher-end digital cinema camera packages
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Experienced, professional actors can be involved
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Full production insurance is required in most cities
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City permits are required in most cities
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Visual effects can be a major element of the video
Level 3: Healthy Independent Budget ($20,000 — $50,000)
At this level, the production feels more like an independent film set, rather than a student film or enthusiast project. It’s not a full-blown film crew sort of feel, but it’s about as close as anyone independently financed generally gets. Here are some characteristics of this budget level:
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Several days of production
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Medium-sized crew
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Filmed on RED, Alexa, or other higher-end digital cinema camera packages
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Experienced, professional actors can be involved
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Full production insurance is required in most cities
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City permits are required in most cities
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Visual effects can be a major element of the video
Level 4: Commercial/Studio Budget ($50,000+)
At this level, everyone involved is a professional who is present to do one task. There can easily be fifty people involved in the crew (ranging from production assistants to hair and makeup artists to caterers to runners to DITs), and the post-production pipeline is similar to a feature film (a full crew involved in the editorial department and post-production process).
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Several days of production
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Full professional film crew
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Filmed on RED, Alexa, or other higher-end digital cinema camera packages
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Experienced, professional actors can be involved
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Full production insurance is required
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City permits are required
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Visual effects can be a central element of the video