Saving money on production?
- Thread starter Kim Welch
- Start date
C
CaroleDean
Guest
1. Try to schedule your shoot over a weekend, if possible. Rental companies might make a deal with you to rent equipment over the weekend which could be 3 days for a one day price.
2. Question every price for rentals, do your homework and do not accept the first quote. Prices aren’t the same everywhere.
3. See if you could get a discount on equipment by offering a link to your website, screen credit, etc.
4. When hiring your crew, make a flat buyout agreement with them. That means the person accepts a flat rate for whatever hours they work – you do not pay overtime. Negotiate your rate for the whole show, just in case you do one shoot, and your second shoot might not happen for many months later.
5.Schedule your start and wrap day (if known), scouting or prep days, wrap days and travel days. Negotiate your per diem, credits, and deferments, if any. Promise them a pay date too.
6. Put your crew on hold, but do not confirm until you are sure of your exact production shoot date.
7.Think carefully when scheduling a shoot for multiple cities. Determine if it’s cheaper to do it in one trip or multiple trips.
8. Someone who works for free seems to be cheaper than an experienced person. But who will work faster, and add more to your film? Don’t skimp on cameraperson, editor or writer.
9. If a person or event is on a remote location, schedule your interview, B roll, etc at one time, do not travel to the same location twice.
10.Create a realistic shooting schedule – keep in mind it takes longer to light an interior set than it does to light a day light exterior set. It’s easier to shoot one interior and one exterior on the same day, rather than 2 interiors.
11.When on distant location, hire local crews when possible. Call film commissions in the state and city you are working in to get personnel.
Have the camera and sound people take thorough notes, and label the tapes. It will save you time in the editing bay.
12.Purchase stock footage if it would be difficult or expensive to shoot the same subject.
13. When covering military or NASA events, it is possible an event will be photographed by a governmental agency, in which case the footage is public domain and you can get access to it.
14. Purchase phone cards for long distance calls, it’s especially cheap at the 99 cents store. It’s less expensive than using a long distance phone company calling card.
14. Whatever equipment you rent, make a detailed list of each piece, it’s ID # to insure all equipment is returned to the rental company, and nothing is lost in transit.
2. Question every price for rentals, do your homework and do not accept the first quote. Prices aren’t the same everywhere.
3. See if you could get a discount on equipment by offering a link to your website, screen credit, etc.
4. When hiring your crew, make a flat buyout agreement with them. That means the person accepts a flat rate for whatever hours they work – you do not pay overtime. Negotiate your rate for the whole show, just in case you do one shoot, and your second shoot might not happen for many months later.
5.Schedule your start and wrap day (if known), scouting or prep days, wrap days and travel days. Negotiate your per diem, credits, and deferments, if any. Promise them a pay date too.
6. Put your crew on hold, but do not confirm until you are sure of your exact production shoot date.
7.Think carefully when scheduling a shoot for multiple cities. Determine if it’s cheaper to do it in one trip or multiple trips.
8. Someone who works for free seems to be cheaper than an experienced person. But who will work faster, and add more to your film? Don’t skimp on cameraperson, editor or writer.
9. If a person or event is on a remote location, schedule your interview, B roll, etc at one time, do not travel to the same location twice.
10.Create a realistic shooting schedule – keep in mind it takes longer to light an interior set than it does to light a day light exterior set. It’s easier to shoot one interior and one exterior on the same day, rather than 2 interiors.
11.When on distant location, hire local crews when possible. Call film commissions in the state and city you are working in to get personnel.
Have the camera and sound people take thorough notes, and label the tapes. It will save you time in the editing bay.
12.Purchase stock footage if it would be difficult or expensive to shoot the same subject.
13. When covering military or NASA events, it is possible an event will be photographed by a governmental agency, in which case the footage is public domain and you can get access to it.
14. Purchase phone cards for long distance calls, it’s especially cheap at the 99 cents store. It’s less expensive than using a long distance phone company calling card.
14. Whatever equipment you rent, make a detailed list of each piece, it’s ID # to insure all equipment is returned to the rental company, and nothing is lost in transit.
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