Your SAG Indie Film Budget Is Only as Strong as Your Network Your relationships are one of the biggest factors in determining your budget. Based on your circle, can you raise money through crowdfunding, fiscal sponsorships, investments, product placement, or a minimum guarantee? Do you own equipment? Do you have Read more
Can filmmakers still make a living in 2025 and beyond? Whether you’re a screenwriter, director, actor, DP, or editor—everyone needs to start thinking like a producer and treat that phenomenal script like what it is: intellectual property (IP). Trying to make a living as a filmmaker right now is dangerously Read more
Quinceañera Crashers: A Film Funded by the Community, for the Community I’m producing and packaging a film where Product Placement Integration is playing a huge role in financing. 🎬 Introducing Quinceañera Crashers! The Logline: Fourteen-year-old Valeria knows her quinceañera will be anything but glamorous—until a fairy godmother and a crew Read more
ROADMAP TO A $700,000 FILM $700,000 is by far my favorite budget range for an indie film! You can achieve so much at this level. This is a more personal post because I’m currently packaging two $700,000 films: one is a horror project, and the other is a Christmas family Read more
ROADMAP TO A $300,000 FILM Last week I wrote about the Roadmap to a $150,000 film. This week we are covering a $300,000.00 film. Script Notes At $300k, your script should be no more than 95 pages. Every page has a price tag, and costs compound quickly. Keep it contained—Dramas, Read more
ROADMAP TO A $150,000 FILM A few weeks ago I wrote that every filmmaker and screenwriter should have multiple scripts in different budget ranges. The main indie film budgets are $150k, $300k, $700k, and $1 million. Script Notes When crafting a $150,000 film, self-contained scripts are key. Think horror, intimate Read more
Limited Theatrical Release Case Study After some research here are some standout films that had a budget of $1,000,000.00 and under that did extremely well with a limited theatrical release. Did production have a budget set aside for marketing and a theatrical release or did the distributor cover the cost? Read more