How come the Blair Witch Project cost $30,000 to make?
- Thread starter Rawky
- Start date
These are some numbers I found. Puts things in perspective doesn't it? Think about where this film would have landed without the advertising.
Production: $450,000, including $30,000 production, $100,000 finishing costs, $320,000 for sound and color correction, 35-mm blowup
Acquisition fee: $1.1 million
Prints/advertising: $25 million
Production: $450,000, including $30,000 production, $100,000 finishing costs, $320,000 for sound and color correction, 35-mm blowup
Acquisition fee: $1.1 million
Prints/advertising: $25 million
So how does it work exactly? They sent the film off to a festival, which a studio picked up. Did the Studio then give them an X amount of money for advertising, 35MM blow up and such?
The $30,000 production still bothers me though...:s
I imagine they wouldn't have had a catering service, more like 'bring your own pack lunch'.
The $30,000 production still bothers me though...:s
I imagine they wouldn't have had a catering service, more like 'bring your own pack lunch'.
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As far as I'm aware, everybody on the film was paid, at least i've never seen anything to the contrary. Plus, there were quite a few crew mambers working with the directors. They would have all been put up in hotels, with proper catering, if they weren't 'on set'.
I'm not sure on the costs, but one of the cameras was a 16mm, so the purchase of the film stock, processing, telecine, it all adds up!
What get's me more is "Paranormal Activity". That cost $15,000. Two actors, one director, no crew. The director spent most of that $15,000 on renovating his house. Surely that shouldn't count as part of the budget...
I'm not sure on the costs, but one of the cameras was a 16mm, so the purchase of the film stock, processing, telecine, it all adds up!
What get's me more is "Paranormal Activity". That cost $15,000. Two actors, one director, no crew. The director spent most of that $15,000 on renovating his house. Surely that shouldn't count as part of the budget...
The answers to any question about budget can always be found in simple arithmetic.
The filmmakers were from Florida, and the DP was from LA (a nice guy who used to post on INDIECLUB). The actors from LA and elsewhere and they shot in New England. Airfare, hotel, and food for a few weeks can add up. Production insurance is 10% of your costs (so subtract $3,000 off the top). My understanding was that the actors were paid a stipend each day, some nominal amount and were later paid in the million dollar range when the movie was successful in theaters.
1 hotel room @ $50 for 10 days = $500 x 10 people = $5,000
meals 3 x a day x 10 days @ $10 per meal x 10 people = $3,000
Airfare 10 people x an average of $400 per ticket = $4,000 (+/- $300 per person)
Rental cars, film stock, processing, telecine, and since this is 1998, not everyone had an editing computer in their house capable of editing a feature length film, so studio time for post production, and it's a miracle they pulled this off for $30,000 in up front costs. These guys paid themselves something, even if only a little bit per day, as well as their crew, which was more than just the actors so don't believe the hype and bullshiite marketing - there is a Director of Photography on that film that wasn't one of the actors, as well as a small crew.
In the revised budgets, the cost of music rights alone was way over $100,000, plus errors and omissions insurance. There is more than just a 35mm film print involved when making the prints for theaters. The sound remix was extensive from what was original used as production audio.
Yep. My production costs on my shorts, which are lower than theirs as I have had no actors that had to be flown in from other locations or put up in hotels, runs about $1000 a day typically.
12 to 15 cast and crew X 3 meals X $7 per meal = $100 a day or so.
Lead talent $100/day each
I don't own sufficient grip gear, so a light kit, stands, flags, etc... = maybe $250 per day
MUA $100 per day
DP $150 per day
1st AC $100 per day
Misc expenses (gas, grip tape, you name it) = $100 per day
That's $900 per day with only 1 actor and I haven't dressed the set or done any construction yet. Plus I have no sound expenses as my Sound guy is my partner.
12 to 15 cast and crew X 3 meals X $7 per meal = $100 a day or so.
Lead talent $100/day each
I don't own sufficient grip gear, so a light kit, stands, flags, etc... = maybe $250 per day
MUA $100 per day
DP $150 per day
1st AC $100 per day
Misc expenses (gas, grip tape, you name it) = $100 per day
That's $900 per day with only 1 actor and I haven't dressed the set or done any construction yet. Plus I have no sound expenses as my Sound guy is my partner.