brefriedman006

We've been told that it can be incredibly expensive to produce student films. I know the costs varies per locale, but what kind of range can we expect. For example, could the cost of producing a student film in LA range anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000?

As a parent, I'm just wondering what the added costs to pursuing a degree in film production.

Many thanks!

digmedia

So much is now produced on video that the costs have been SIGNIFICANTLY reduced. For those working with film stock, yeah, the costs could be high. The capstone project my son worked on, even though it used video and not film, was in the $20,000 range, paid for by two grants from the school and many, many contributions from parents and others. Add to that the cost of festival submission which - while individually not that expensive - can add up over many festivals (plus the travel to get there).

So, if it was done on video, why did it cost so much? First, production design. They took over an empty apartment (in Cleveland, of all places) and completely renovated it for the time period - the 1960's, including furniture, appliances, TV's, and much more. They also employed "real" actors (Screen Actors Guild) and arranged their transportation/flights, accomodations, and meals. The production also required bringing in period automobiles and having police shut down a Cleveland street during filming. If they had added the cost of film stock and processing to that, it could have gone up even higher.

maddenmd

We've been asking that question at 8 recent visits to film production programs, and the answers ranged from a low of several hundred for very short pieces with NO costs for location, props, etc... to a high of "over 75,000" from someone at NYU. It seemed an answer of 10,000-20,000 for a senior or capstone project was not unusual. One thing you may not know, is that the film maker needs to feed the cast and crew on a regular schedule for any SAG contracts, or to fulfill school rules. So even a digital film will have SOME costs, even if the equipment is used for free.

We also asked a companion question: who financed those? Mostly the answers were "angel funders" "parents" "grants" and some school provided funds, for those "selected" to do a senior or thesis film. Interestingly: a lot of the kids said they counted "donated film and equipment" in the costs. Some companies will give the use of a special camera or the development of a roll of film stock as a "grant". The kids count that as a "cost" but it is paid for by that donation.

Nester

My impression is that the cost are extremely variable. With my kid's first college production course in which, I think, half a dozen shorts are made in the course of a semester, the costs were minimal. (If it was a few hundred for all of them, that's a lot.) Students were required to use the school's equipment and the shoots were short enough that feeding actors and crew was not a big cost factor. For the second course with teams of students switching off so each made one film in the semester, it was clear from the films themselves that students invested widely varying amounts. (Not that the more expensive films were better.) Many students had used an internet site to raise money up to several thousand dollars for their films, and I suspect that there was a lot of Bank of Dad involved in some. There were some built in costs if students made certain choices, for example, if children were used in the film, a union teacher had to be employed on set. For animals, including one's own pet, someone from the ASPCA has to be paid to be there. Some films required stunt coordinators. For our kid, cost involved paid professionals who were required to be there; feeding cast and crew on long shoots; buying materials to build sets (not cheap); and some props and costuming. But there was no rental of locations, sound stages, etc. With the most advanced level undergraduate films, the school provides a budget, but the participants still contribute maybe a couple of hundred dollars to the project. Clearly, if your student decides he is going to need to rent a 747 and hire the NY Philharmonic to capture his concept, it's going to be a lot more expensive than if he gets a permit to shoot in a public park or uses his friend's apartment. Also, if the school does not have the kind of equipment that your kid needs, for example, to light his film as he wishes, rental does come into play and this can be costly.

bears and dogs

film should be separated so I won't stalk you Nester.
I read in somewhere it was such low budget director cheated "period" ness in "The Squid and the Whale". cars, houses, etc.
it still remain one of the best "period" film in NY minds. I don't know... it is a story. and the air. am I wrong, Achaean sage?