Film glossary

Completion Bond

A completion bond is a guarantee from a bond company that a film will be finished and delivered on schedule and on budget, or that the financier will be repaid.

Financiers frequently require a completion bond on larger budgets because it protects their capital against the risk of a production that runs out of money before it is done. The bond acts as a backstop rather than a source of funding.

Before it agrees to bond a film, the completion guarantor reviews the script, budget, schedule, and key personnel, and it can step in to take over or fund the finish if a production goes seriously off track. Review any bond arrangement with qualified advisors.

Go deeper

Film Production Management guideFilm production management is the discipline of planning, budgeting, scheduling, and coordinating everything that turns a greenlit project into a finished film. It spans development, pre-production, production, and post, and it keeps cast, crew, vendors, budget, and deliverables aligned so a film is completed on schedule and ready to deliver.

Related terms

Keep reading the glossary

Bond CompanyA bond company, or completion guarantor, is the party that issues a completion bond guaranteeing a film will be finished and delivered.ContingencyA contingency is a reserve built into a film budget to cover unexpected costs during production.Above the LineAbove the line refers to the creative leadership costs of a film, usually negotiated before production begins.Below the LineBelow the line refers to the technical crew and operational costs of actually making a film.

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