Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
 An excellent resource for filmmakers of any level. April 26, 1999
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
This was one of my Film/Video Production text books last semester. It's nothing you would read cover to cover, but something you will keep coming back to. It provides 5 sample budgets from $5 million features to no budget student films and explains them all in detailed, line-item fashion, offering shortcuts and realistic advise wherever possible. If you are planning on making a movie, this book could be one of your most valuable investments.
Worth its weight in Gold! November 6, 2006
Ernesto Alcantara
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is an outstanding source of information for preparing a detailed budget for film or video (commercials, music videos, and so on). The heart of the book consists of explaining each and every single line item you'll find on any production budget. But the book goes even deeper and covers setting up your production company, what to plan for during pre-production and what I consider to be and invaluable analysis on the subject of tape-to-film blow up which is a must for filmmakers on a tight budget but who dream of releasing their film on the big screen.
I decided to purchase this publication over "Film Budgeting". Even though Singleton's companion book "Film Scheduling" is essential to learn how to breakdown a script and "Film Budgeting" might have seamlessly taken me step by step from schedule to budget. "Film and Video Budget 4th edition" contains the most up-to-date information (it was published in 2006), presents five different types of sample budgets that range from a 5 million dollar feature, to music video to a no-budget digital feature and they can be downloaded as Excel sheets, which you can use for the projects that more closely resemble each scenario.
As if all this wasn't enough it provides useful resources for all steps of the production process and money saving tips for shoestring budgets. This is a must for independent producers starting out in the industry or producing different type or more complex shows than before.
The Authors have 'Been There, Done That' May 15, 2006
John Matlock (Winnemucca, NV)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The Devil, as they say, is in the details. This is a detailed look at how to do a budget for producing a film or video. And the level of detail covered is amazing. For instance there is a short paragraph on feeding your cast and crew. It says, 'On low-budget shows, if you don't have enough people to warrant hiring a caterer, pass around the menu from a good local restaurant. Or, if it's tighter than that, say for a student film, order in a pizza.'
Then there are the budgets. It starts with a budget for a $5 Million Feature Film project. It lists seventeen pages of budget items that include just about everything you can think of to include in a budget. From there it goes down to a $12,000 sample budget for a student film.
These budgets are discussed here with explanations of what goes into each line item. Then the budgets themselves are available for down loading in Excel format. You can take in the budget and then modify it as needed to fit your own needs. Just the sample budgets are enough to make this book worthwhile, if they keep you from forgetting some critical item it could make the difference in getting the production done or not. The explanations of the line items in the budget clearly describe what each of these mean and how they might fit into your project.
The book clearly shows that these people have been working on budgeting for such productions for a long time. They simply have the ring of 'been there, done that.'
Everything you need to know January 18, 2006
G. Thompson (Missouri, United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
For both beginners and the professional, this book is considered to be the industry standard essential handbook. It guides you every step of the way with how to prepare the budgets you need. Also provided are some very excellent samples with detailed explanations about whats going on. I saw samples covering indie features, student projects, music videos, digital production and post, tape-to-film transfer, high definition, and development and marketing.
You really don't need to look anywhere else for a budgeting book.
Budget your Movie August 10, 2003
Richard Michaels Stefanik (Fairfax, Virginia United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"If you have never put together a budget for a movie, this is the first book you should read. Not only does it provide job descriptions for all members of the production team, but also includes sample budgets for movies ranging...feature films to Digital 'no budget' feature movies and music videos. You will probably find this book on every independent producers bookshelf." -- RMS
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
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