From Out Of The Blue

Updated my estimated figures with the actual, cold hard values, which are in bold. Where I don't have an actual figure but a good estimate (the rest of post) I've marked it as such. Negative conforming and post-production estimates came from the actual vendors.

I left the original figures since they make a good study in contrasts to the actual.

DEVELOPMENT COSTS				Item	Subtotal	Total
	Business License			   40
	Telephone				   50
	Answering Services			   50
	Supplies				  100
	Stationery				   30
	Postage					   30
	Transportation				1,000	
	Miscellaneous				  500	1,800		1,800
	ACTUAL	Put in with Producers Unit


STORY AND SCREENPLAY
	Script Duplication			  200
	Miscellaneous				   20	  220		2,020
	ACTUAL				   600

PRODUCERS UNIT
	Casting					   20
	Research, Screenings			   20
	Miscellaneous				   10	   50		2,070
	ACTUAL				 1,660

DIRECTORS UNIT
	Research, Screenings			   30	   30		2,100
	ACTUAL	Put in with Producers Unit

CAST UNITS
	Principal Players-
		Compensation			deferred
		per diem  40 days @$10/day	  400		

	Supporting Cast-
		Compensation			   -
		per diem  20 days @$10/day	  200			

	Cast Fees				  100
	Casting Expenses (VHS)			   30
	Casting Expenses (Copying)		   50
	Casting Expenses (Office/Phone/Misc)       50
	Welfare Workers				  100
	Rehearsal Expenses			  100
	Miscellaneous				   50	1,080		3,180
	ACTUAL				   840

PRODUCTION DEPT
	Assistant Director			1,000
	Production Assistants			   -
	Script Supervisor			  500
	Polaroid				   50
	Additional Expenses - Office		  100
	Production Board			  200
	Miscellaneous				  100	1,950		5,130
	ACTUAL				 4,500

ART DEPARTMENT
	Art Director				  500	  500		5,630

	Set Dressing-
		Purchases			  100
		Rentals				   50	  150		5,780

	Prop Department-
		Purchases			  100
		Rentals				   50
		Video Playback			   25
		Picture Food			   25
		Miscellaneous			   50	  250		6,030

	Picture Vehicles-
		Rentals				  200
		Gasoline			   20	  220		6,250
	ACTUAL				   700

CAMERA DEPARTMENT
	Director of Photography			1,000
	Assistant Camera			  200
	Still Photographer			  100
	Rentals		15 days @$50/day	  750		  
	Video Assist				  200
	Purchases				6,000 	8,250		14,500
	ACTUAL				 7,000

SOUND DEPARTMENT
	Mixer/Boom Operator			  500
	Rentals - Sound Package			  300
	Rentals - Walkie Talkies		   50
	Purchases - Equipment			  250
	Purchases - Stock			  100	1,200		15,700
	ACTUAL				 8,540

GRIP DEPARTMENT
	Dolly Grip				  200
	Rentals - Car Mounts			   50
	Rentals - Dolly				   50
	Purchases - Equipment			  150	  500		16,200
	ACTUAL				   600

LIGHTING DEPARTMENT
	Gaffer					  200
	Equipment Rentals - Package 17 days	  750
	Purchases - Expendables			   50	1,000		17,200
	ACTUAL				 2,640

WARDROBE DEPARTMENT
	Purchases				  200
	Rentals					   50
	Miscellaneous				   50	  300		17,500
	ACTUAL				   150

MAKEUP DEPARTMENT
	Purchases				   50	   50		17,550

SET OPERATIONS
	Craft Services				1,000
	First Aid				   50	1,050		18,600
	ACTUAL				 3,000

LOCAL SITE RENTAL
	Site Rentals				  100
	Repair					  100
	Gratuities				  100
	Permits					  200
	Parking					  100
	Miscellaneous				  150	  750		19,350
	ACTUAL				   440

LOCACATION EXPENSES
	
	Estimated				 Didn't Budget
	ACTUAL				 5,500

TRANSPORTATION
	Vehicles - Rentals			  200
	Gas and Oil				   50
	Miscellaneous				   50	300		19,650
	ACTUAL				 2,700

PRODUCTION RAWSTOCK AND LAB (based on 3:1 16mm B&W, x 1.25 for sound)
	Picture Negative			1,500
	Picture Negative Developing		1,500
	Picture Negative Print			2,500
	Sound Transfer				  750
	Projection				  250	6,500		26,150
	ACTUAL				14,000

FILM EDITING DEPARTMENT
	Rentals - Editing Room			  250
	Rentals - Projection Room		   -
	Purchases - Supplies			  200
	Purchases - Video Transfer		   50	  500		26,650
	ACTUAL				11,000

TITLES DEPARTMENT
	(ESTIMATED)			 1,000

POST-PRODUCTION SOUND
	Magnetic Film				(incl in rawstock)
	Sound Transfers				 250	  250		26,900
	ACTUAL				15,000

POST-PRODUCTION FILM AND LAB
	Answer Print				2,600			29,500
	(ESTIMATED)			 6,000

PUBLICITY
	Still Photographer			200			29,700
	ACTUAL				     0

INSURANCE
	Misc. Insurace 				300			30,000
	ACTUAL				     0

GENERAL EXPENSE
	Accounting Service			300
	Legal Fees				300
	Preview Expenses			200	800		30,800
	(ESTIMATED)			   500

CONTRACTUAL COSTS
	Contingency				10%	3,080		33,880


ACTUAL TOTAL				86,370

So I was pretty accurate with a lot of the little things, way off with rawstock/lab, post-production sound, editing, and post-production film and lab, i.e. the big ticket items. Plus I didn't budget for the possibility of going to New Mexico on location. This was well worth the added expense, though. Fortunately I had enough money tucked away to absorb the bulk of this and my credit was good. (Note I said was.

Having enough money and having a realistic budget through post-production would have reduced the stress level an order of magnitude, though. This is possibly the most valuable lesson of my project. I'll be better armed for the next one, now that I have a much better feeling as to the true cost of things, even on a shoestring budget.