4-Part Class: How to Budget & Manage a Production
Summary
Learn How To Budget and Manage Your Film or TV Project from an Emmy Winning Producer
Get Step-by-Step Practice Assignments to Help You with Your Project!
PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.
In this exclusive, on-demand 4-session Stage 32 class you’ll learn how to identify and determine your budget needs and learn tips and tricks to keeping on budget and making the most of each dollar. You’ll find out how to not only plan for each day, but to execute with the end-game in mind. Whether it’s a film festival premiere, distribution with a streaming platform, awards, or a theatrical release, you need to know where you’re going in order to pave the road to success.
A poorly planned film can derail quickly and the budget can balloon out of control. If you don’t have the right tools, resources, and foresight, you’ll end up with a film that can’t be completed.
This class and assignments will help you identify the budget level that’s right for your film, point you to the tools to manage it, and provide you with tips for building relationships and resources to support your efforts. Class take-aways prepare you for creating and managing a company of crew, cast, and stakeholders. You’ll come away from this class with the knowledge to ask the right questions and build a solid plan for your next film.
Sharing this invaluable information for you exclusively through Stage 32 is Allison Vanore, an Emmy Award-winning producer with projects at Amazon Prime, NBC Universal, Canvas Media Studios, Facebook Watch, and more. She produced the six-time Emmy-winning series AFTER FOREVER and directed the follow-up special RILEY'S UNFORGETTABLE SCHOOL PROJECT, for which she was awarded the Television Academy Chairman's Pillar Award for getting the production back to work safely during the pandemic. She also produced the award-winning series DARK/WEB and currently produces digital content for Mattel's doll brands, American Girl and Barbie. She was previously the Head of Production at Canvas Media Studios.
In this 4-part Stage 32 class, you’ll learn how to take your film from script to screen while mastering each key stage of production. You’ll start by breaking down your script, creating a realistic budget, and avoiding common development mistakes. Then, you'll dive into pre-production, exploring how to set up your production company, hire your crew, and build essential relationships. During production, you’ll discover how to manage your set, make smart financial decisions, and plan for the unexpected. Finally, you’ll learn to budget for post-production, distribution, and even how to create a marketing plan that gets your film red-carpet ready.
Praise for Allison:
"If you want to know how to successfully produce a film or television series... get Allison Vanore. She knows everything about the how, when, and where of producing. She’s the consummate producer on every level." - Kevin Spirtas, Executive Producer/Co-Creator "After Forever"
"Allison Vanore is a superb example of a great film producer and partner; from bringing a project to life and finding key creative collaborators to making sure a production is run smoothly, on time and on budget. An efficient and gracious leader with tremendous stamina and fortitude."- Alesia Glidewell, Director "Wear it to Win It" /Exec Producer "A Trip to Unicorn Island"
What You'll Learn
Session 1: Determining your Budget - Development
- Breaking down your script and the key elements to look for
- Tips for creating an efficient schedule
- What every film needs to have for success
- What makes your film unique and how to budget for it
- Common budget mistakes in development and how to avoid them
Assignment: Breaking down a 10-page script
Session 2: It’s Go Time – Pre-Production
- Identifying your budget level and what it means
- Assessing your Approach and Assumptions
- The difference between Union vs. Non-union
- Setting up your production company entity and identifying your resources
- Building and maintaining relationships – partnerships, community, and audience
- Hiring your crew – How to negotiate and onboard the team
Assignment: Research a city and its resources for filming
Session 3: Making Magic Happen - Production
- Shooting on stage vs. on location
- Tips for managing production
- Making your day - Where to spend and where to save
- Preparing for the unknown
Assignment: Identify a real location to film at and create a plan for a successful day with a 60-person crew, 10-person cast, 50 background, and 10 picture cars, for a 12-hour day.
Session 4: Piecing it all Together – Post Production
- Building and budgeting for post-production
- Shooting with the end in mind- distribution goals and deliverables
- Creating a killer publicity & marketing plan
- Red carpet ready-budgeting for the release
PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.
Who Should Attend
Directors (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner) interested in perfecting their financing skills.
Writers (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner) interested in perfecting their financing skills.
Producers looking to advance their knowledge of finances and budgeting for their next project.
Actors looking to understand finances when it comes to a project.
Executive
Allison Vanore is the Emmy Award-winning producer of the six-time Emmy-winning series AFTER FOREVER on Amazon Prime and directed the follow-up special RILEY'S UNFORGETTABLE SCHOOL PROJECT, which she was awarded the Television Academy Chairman's Pillar Award for getting the production back to work safely during the pandemic. Allison's notable award-winning films include BUCK RUN, THE RAINBOW EXPERIMENT, 42 SECONDS OF HAPPINESS, LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS, and coming soon PARIS IS IN HARLEM. Allison produced Emmy-winning anthology series DARK/WEB on Amazon, WOMAN IN THE BOOK for Facebook Watch, and currently produces digital content for Mattel's doll brands such as Barbie and American Girl. She was previously the Head of Production for Canvas Media Studios, where she produced shows including Emmy-nominated drama VANITY and fashion competition show WEAR IT TO WIN IT for Facebook Watch. Allison serves on the executive board of non-profit Women in Media (WiM), where she executive produces the CAMERAderie Initiative. Their films boast premieres at Tribeca and generous support from NBC Universal and Manhattan Beach Studios. Allison has taught producing at the college level and spoken on SAG-AFTRA, Comic-Con, and SXSW panels.
Testimonials
Praise for Allison:
"If you want to know how to successfully produce a film or television series... get Allison Vanore. She knows everything about the how, when, and where of producing. She’s the consummate producer on every level." - Kevin Spirtas, Executive Producer/Co-Creator "After Forever"
"Allison Vanore is a superb example of a great film producer and partner; from bringing a project to life and finding key creative collaborators to making sure a production is run smoothly, on time and on budget. An efficient and gracious leader with tremendous stamina and fortitude."- Alesia Glidewell, Director "Wear it to Win It" /Exec Producer "A Trip to Unicorn Island"
Credits
