I am looking to find out how much it would cost to produce my feature with a SAG cast. Where would I go to have my script analyzed to determine average budget with union cast and crew?
Financing / Crowdfunding : Figuring out budget by Kim Donovan
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Kim, I've produced 18 pictures - SAG projects. I've worked with two Oscar-Winners and countless Oscar-Nominees, as well as recognizable character actors. I have a working knowledge of both cast and crew, as well as a good idea of what it costs to shoot - to what type of locations you would need (based on reading script). I would be happy to provide this service for you, at an affordable rate. If nothing else, why don't we have speak first and see if you'd like my services. Again, I do my best to offer very competitive pricing and fit into most budgets. - Sam
Going with an IATSE crew will cost you considerably. Don't know your script but just as a rule, the lowest budget you'd want to use for a union shoot would be 2 to 3 million. Less than that is pretty tough. Sometimes you can try for a union cast and if your shoot is struggling and it's an ultra low budget you can call IATSE and explain the situation, that you're really strapped and ask them for a pass. Sometimes this works. sometimes not. It all depends. You will probably need teamsters for your trucks however.
If you don't make IATSE aware of what you're doing and you go nonunion with your crew, you will be working under the constant "threat" of a flip. This is where the crew can essentially mutiny and blackmail you by calling in IATSE to vote the whole crew and show into a union production.
Sometimes producers plan for this and actually budget both a union and nonunion version of the show just to prepare for this type of event. The same way that states are priced and pitted against each other for tax breaks. So when you do a production budget, keep these issues in mind.