Hello! While there is a general rule of thumb for the budgeting of story rights and screenwriter fees as a percentage of budget, I am not privy to any such rules for directing fees. My project is non-union, so DGA scale doesn't really serve any beneficial purpose here. Keep in mind that I am also not asking about back-end compensation in terms of net points. As far as director fees, is there any guideline for compensation as a percentage of production budget for non-union projects?
Producing : Guidelines for Director Fee as Percentage of Budget by Allen Gandler
Guidelines for Director Fee as Percentage of Budget
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Yes. If you aren't hiring a DGA director... Whatever you can afford to pay them and they are willing to take. What is the budget amount of your project? This will dictate...
I wouldn't want to divulge the budget in an open forum. That is why I am asking a general question regarding fee as a percentage of budget. But if this was a feature, it would fall under SAG ultra low budget. However, this is a short film.
Allen, what do you feel is fair compensation? Is there a range that you think you could afford?
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Without knowing the actual budget constraints and distribution plans, it's hard for me to give you the best answer. But if this is a micro budget project for example, you obviously want to "put the money on the screen". I think you could offer them 5% of the total budget or a flat rate that you can afford after you figure out your direct production costs. You always want to make your production look and perform like it cost more than you actually spent... and that means putting every cent that you can on the screen. Make sense? It also depends on what experience the Director has. As an other option, maybe you direct it yourself?
Thank you all for the valuable input! I wouldn't want to be the Director, as that isn't my forte. And for a limited budget, I entirely understand trying to put every cent onto the screen. As this is a short film, there really is no back-end compensation opportunity as there is no real revenue stream potential. This is merely a passion project that will be used as a showcase piece.