Hi, everybody! I need your help to try and figure out a ballpark area for a budget for a film I'd like to make. I know of course prices will vary and negotiations will take place, but hopefully we can start a conversation.
It will be a biopic. It will only start a handful of people, all unknowns -- I don't have the reputation nor do I think I can raise enough money to get even a C-list star. It will all take place in Chicago, mostly inside apartments, though there will be a couple shots out on the streets. I'll also be shooting inside a large warehouse type building that will have to be dressed up to look like an art supplies store, and the inside of a music club. I'll be shooting on video, and have a goal of about 100 minutes in length. I'm trying to use a small of a crew as possible. Hopefully just a DP, an audio guy, and myself. I'm going to write, direct, edit, and do the music myself.
I'm trying to go low budget production here. There won't be any special effects/cgi, no gunplay, no extravagant exterior locations. One thing that will be complicated however is I need to work with children. There are important elements in the story that take place when the lead is about 5 years old. The lead goes through a lot of abuse, sexual, physical, and verbal. I'm going to try and make it as brutal and "real" as possible. I imagine I will need insurance for the kids at least, and possibly a child psychologist to be on set during these scenes? I surely don't want to traumatize any young kids, but I have seen this type of thing done before, so there must be some way of making it work. Perhaps someone here has seen it done and could shed some light?
I'm hoping I can do the whole thing for $250,000 or less. Is that close at all?
It will be a biopic. It will only start a handful of people, all unknowns -- I don't have the reputation nor do I think I can raise enough money to get even a C-list star. It will all take place in Chicago, mostly inside apartments, though there will be a couple shots out on the streets. I'll also be shooting inside a large warehouse type building that will have to be dressed up to look like an art supplies store, and the inside of a music club. I'll be shooting on video, and have a goal of about 100 minutes in length. I'm trying to use a small of a crew as possible. Hopefully just a DP, an audio guy, and myself. I'm going to write, direct, edit, and do the music myself.
I'm trying to go low budget production here. There won't be any special effects/cgi, no gunplay, no extravagant exterior locations. One thing that will be complicated however is I need to work with children. There are important elements in the story that take place when the lead is about 5 years old. The lead goes through a lot of abuse, sexual, physical, and verbal. I'm going to try and make it as brutal and "real" as possible. I imagine I will need insurance for the kids at least, and possibly a child psychologist to be on set during these scenes? I surely don't want to traumatize any young kids, but I have seen this type of thing done before, so there must be some way of making it work. Perhaps someone here has seen it done and could shed some light?
I'm hoping I can do the whole thing for $250,000 or less. Is that close at all?