Free Tool
Film Budget Calculator
Model your total production budget in seconds. Above-the-line, below-the-line, post-production, and contingency, with industry-standard percentages you can override.
Total budget estimate
$4,213,000
$3,830,000 subtotal · $383,000 contingency (10%)
Above-the-Line
$1,200,000
31% of subtotal
Below-the-Line
$1,960,000
51% of subtotal
Post-Production
$670,000
17% of subtotal
Above-the-Line
Creative: writer, director, producer, principal cast, story rights.
Option, purchase, drafts, polish, WGA-minimum residuals reserved.
Producer, co-producer, exec producer fees + P&O offices.
Director fee + prep + shoot + wrap.
Above-the-title + supporting principals, per SAG-AFTRA.
Below-the-Line
Production: crew, equipment, locations, sets, costumes, transport, insurance.
DP, camera dept, sound, art, wardrobe, hair/makeup, locations, script sup, ADs.
Cameras, lenses, dolly, cranes, grip package, lighting package.
Location fees, permits, set construction, dressing, striking.
Custom builds, rentals, stunt doubles, aging/distressing.
Trucks, cast trailers, crew housing, per diem, travel.
E&O, general liability, production, workers comp, payroll service fees.
Post-Production
Editorial, VFX, sound, music, color, delivery masters.
Editor, assistant, post supervisor, offline suite, media management.
CG, compositing, matte painting, cleanup; depends on genre.
ADR, foley, sound design, 5.1 or Atmos mix, deliverables.
Composer, orchestra, needle-drops, master + sync clearance.
Color grade, DI, titles + graphics, DCP masters, delivery specs.
Contingency (%)
Completion bond providers typically require ≥10%. Reduce at your own peril.
Have a number? Now what?
A budget by itself doesn't raise capital. A budget + matched capital providers + comps positioning + readiness posture does. FILM.FUND's Project Intelligence Report runs 40 AI specialists over your project and returns exactly the packet a financier wants to see, before you send it.
How this calculator works
Film budgets are conventionally organized in four buckets. Above-the-line covers creative talent: writer, director, producer, principal cast. Below-the-line is the shoot itself: crew, equipment, locations, sets, wardrobe, transportation. Postcovers editorial, VFX, sound, color, music, and delivery masters. Contingency, usually 10% of the sum, is the industry-standard buffer for the shoot that runs long, the scene that gets reshot, the effect that doesn't work in the edit. Add it, or lose your completion bond.
Industry benchmarks (single-project features)
- · Micro-budget indie: $50K to $500K, mostly BTL, minimal ATL, deferred post
- · Low-budget indie: $500K to $5M, 15-20% ATL, 60-65% BTL, 15-20% post, 10% contingency
- · Mid-budget: $5M to $25M, 20-25% ATL, 55-60% BTL, 15% post, 10% contingency
- · Studio-adjacent: $25M+, 30%+ ATL, 45-50% BTL, 15% post, 10% contingency, plus P&A
After you have a number
A budget number is where finance starts, not where it ends. You still need documentation (chain of title, E&O, completion bond, delivery schedule), a comps position, a soft-money strategy (tax credits, incentives), and matched capital providers. FILM.FUND models all of this in the Project Intelligence Report. 40 AI specialists review your project and surface the gaps before a financier does.
Calculator estimates are heuristics based on industry averages, not a substitute for a line-item budget prepared by a UPM or a completion bond broker. FILM.FUND is a software platform, not a financial advisor or accounting service.