The budget for a film or television production falls under the responsibility of the Unit Production Manager (UPM).
The budget contains three main sections:
- The Top Sheet
- Above the Line Items
- Below the Line Items
The Top Sheet is a one-page summary of the full budget by sections.
“Above-the-Line” items include:
- Story Rights
- The Producer’s Unit
- The Director’s Unit
- The Principal Cast
- Travel & Living Expenses for “Above-the-Line” Cast/Crew
“Below-the-Line” items include everything else, including but not limited to:
- Production Staff
- Extras & Minor Players
- Set Design & Construction
- Special Effects
- Props
- Makeup & Hair
- Wardrobe
- Grip Dept. & Gear
- Electrical Dept. & Gear
- Transportation
- Location Expenses
- Animals
- Vehicles
- Post-Production
- Editing
- Sound Design
- Marketing
- Insurance
- General Expenses
Preview: Film Budget Download
In this preview clip from the Film Production Workshop, Tom goes over a real feature film budget with his students, discussing “Above the Line,” “Below the Line,” and those considerations a Unit Production Manager needs to make when creating a Feature Film Budget.
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For additional film production resources, such as film budgeting, scheduling, storyboarding and screenwriting software, click here.