The Best Budget Template in the World for Indie Filmmakers

I Looked at Every Budget Template I could find.
None worked for me because they were...

Filmmaking is already hard enough...
You shouldn't have reinvent the wheel or pay for expensive software just to make a spreadsheet.

I did so you don't have to.I found every film budgeting template, researched all the best business project budget templates, talked to everyone I knew who had made a feature, researched every film budget available online, and got feedback from lots of smart filmmakers who used the template on projects ranging from $5K to $500K.I'm pretty sure it's pretty good. Give it a try!

This Budget Template's Principles

Designed for Indie Filmmakers working on Narrative Projects
If you're making corporate videos, Youtube shorts, commercials, documentaries, or big studio films... keep creating! But you'll need to find a different budget template. The needs of indie filmmakers are different than corporate video teams, and we're less profitable, so I understand why other software and templates from businesses don't cater to us. But we're here and we need good tools too.There Is No "Line"
Studio film budgeting has been built around the idea of an arbitrary line. Directors, stars, and others are "above the line", and most other things are "below the line." The idea is so they can plan for the large fixed costs of star salaries. But it's not how indie movies are made and it's not an intuitive way to structure a budget. This template is organized by the various stages of making a film.Marketing is an Essential Part of the Budget
If you're making a studio movie or a video for a business, marketing is a different department, a separate budget, and not something you'll need to worry about. But for the small team of filmmakers who will create and distribute a film, whether it's a short or feature, it's all one big venture. Also, this will help remind you to allocate resources to promote your film. People want to see it!Always Accessible on Google Sheets
No expensive software, no licenses, no learning new tools. Apparently some film budget software costs $500! Planning tools with a monthly fee or large upfront cost makes sense if you're a big production company or constantly outputting small videos for a company. But if you're spending 2 years making a movie and only making one budget, there's no reason to pay extra or risk getting locked out if your membership lapses. And once you've got it you're free to use it over and over again! Also, because it's in the cloud you can access it from anywhere and share with anyone.User Friendly
Most budgets are black and white, tiny text and lines that make my brain hurt. This one is relatively pleasant to look at and organized to help you find things quickly. And it's actually colorful, too. Which it doesn't have the robust detailed features that a dedicated budgeting software might have, it is much easier to use and quicker to create a useable budget.

How to Use It

Step 1
Get the template. It's Pay-What-You-Want, make a choice and move on!Step 2
On Google Sheets, select File > Make a CopyStep 3
Begin by filling your information in on the first few rows of the topsheet, then go the SETTINGS tab and customize a few numbers. Then toggle between the rest of the tabs inputting and adjusting. All totals will automatically update on the Top Sheet.

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Who would spend so much time making free a spreadsheet?

Hi, I'm Gedaly. I'm a filmmaker. I produced & directed several short films, I've run successful kickstarter campaigns, edited commercials for some big brands, and helped other filmmakers with their projects in various jobs & roles.I was a project manager in the corporate world. I ran a marketing campaign that became new york times bestseller. I've helped launch hundreds of websites and content projects.I've launched small businesses, helped run a theatre company, created online courses, and more.In all that time launching and managing projects, I learned that reinventing processes every time you do something is a quick way to waste time, get stressed, and burn out.Each film, each project has plenty of common elements. The solution is to have good processes and tools that you can use over and over again... so your brain can tackle the challenges that are unique to each project.

Happy Budgeting!

This button will take you to the template.Be sure to click File > Make a copy to use it.The final tab at the bottom includes instructions to help you get started.

• Click Here to Access The Template

Show Some Love

I spent a lot of time making this to make my life easier and am sharing it for free because making films is hard enough as it is.If you have the means to support my efforts, or just want to throw some encouragement my way, I'd really appreciate it!