Author Topic: PRODUCING: Budget?!  (Read 8758 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

dru*

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 9
    • View Profile
PRODUCING: Budget?!
« on: Dec 09, 2007, 03:50 am »
okay. so the last theatre company in my town just dissolved, so a friend and I are planning on starting our own to fill the void. we both have a lot of experience (she in music, me in management *at the school level*, both in directing...), and are planning to do "Into The Woods" (i know it's a tough show...). We have a free venue, everyone is volunteering, we have all of the basic costumes but will rent the others, we have everything needed on the tech side, and the basics needed for a set.  We also have free publicity.

my question: what should i budget?

Here's what I'm thinking:
Rights: $3000
Sets: $1500
Costumes: $700
Props: $300
Misc: $1000
TOTAL: $6000

Is this even close?

THANKS!
« Last Edit: Jun 09, 2009, 01:33 am by PSMKay »

KMC

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 963
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: Project Manager, Systems Integration
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #1 on: Dec 09, 2007, 12:40 pm »
There's really no "right" amount that is the magic number for any show.  Obviously we'd all love to have deep pockets that don't run dry, but one of the magical elements of theatre is that you can do it with $0. 

In your case specifically it's tough to tell with the information you provided.  Is this a 2,500 seat house or a 100 seat blackbox?  Another big factor is time - how long until you open?  There is a golden triangle of producing a show.  There's good, fast, and cheap.  Any show can be two of three, but can never be all three.  The reason I ask about timeframe, now, is because if you've got six months - then you have a good chance to work a lot out, your show could be good and cheap, but it won't be fast.  If you don't have a lot of time it can be good and fast, but it won't be cheap.  And if you need it to be fast and cheap... well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news...



« Last Edit: Dec 09, 2007, 09:06 pm by kmc307 »
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

Scott

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 252
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #2 on: Dec 09, 2007, 01:11 pm »
$1500 for sets sounds darned cheap -- I wouldn't assume this is a reasonable (or even a possible) plan unless you have a existing set design that you have determined will cost this much to build.

(15k sounds like a closer starting budget for this line item).

You probably want to budget around $100/piece for any costumes you need to rent.

Mac Calder

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 977
  • Plan for the future, live for the now
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Live Performance Australia / Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance
  • Current Gig: Technical Director
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #3 on: Dec 09, 2007, 07:16 pm »
With $1500 for amdram set, I can get an entire box set built and painted, furnished and the like.

It depends on who is in your Amdram society. Because I know for a fact that one of the ladies near me loves theatre, so for free tickets to every show we do, she will pester her husband into supplying us with all the wood we need (He owns a building company) at a very discounted price. One of our best actors works at a hardware shop. The shop is really supportive of us, so paint, nails, 'misc hardware' etc is often provided at little to no cost - things like incorrect paint mixes (when they screwed up the die ratios) usually get put aside for us etc. The local opshops always have furniture, and usually put it aside for a week, so that our set designer gets first pick.

So nothing is impossible.

dru*

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 9
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #4 on: Dec 09, 2007, 08:25 pm »
well, as far as time goes, we're planning to run the end of july, and we're starting planning now. we'll rehearse for 8-10 weeks.

for sets, we're going to go pretty simple. i'm thinking mostly a unit woods set, and we have most of the supplies donated.

Our theatre seats 250, and we're thinking about 8 shows, with an average of 200/show.

THANKS for all your imput!

sievep

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 204
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AGMA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #5 on: Dec 09, 2007, 08:51 pm »
You've got time . . .that is A LOT of rehearsal . . I know the music is hard, but 8-10 weeks is a lot to ask people to set aside for volunteer work.

I remember looking into this years ago and I also chose Into the Woods . . .it's not a cheap show to produce.  You've got 300 budgeted for props, but where are you going to get Milky White?  He alone can cost that.  What about a lighting budget?  Sound?  Orchestra?  Contact Music Theater International to get a better idea if what to budget for rights and score rental.  Even a until set will require some kind of tower, a cottage, Cinderella's Tree . . .

I think you may want to look at other options for shows and work your way up to this.  Or do it "in concert"!
"This lovely light, it lights not me" - Orson Welles

KMC

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 963
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: Project Manager, Systems Integration
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #6 on: Dec 09, 2007, 09:42 pm »
Well as I said, good and cheap, but it won't be fast.  You've got time, keep planning and work far ahead and you should be good.  I'd encourage you to really meet with all involved and determine where the money is best suited.  Currently you've got about 17% of your budgeted allocated for "misc".  Plan wisely and get that down to 5%, you'll several hundred more to put where it's needed.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

dru*

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 9
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #7 on: Dec 09, 2007, 11:31 pm »
8 weeks is standard for a musical, and we're going to take it pretty slow, so i don't think 2 extra weeks is at all unheard of. I already have a milky white donated from another theatre. musicians will be volunteers. as i said, we have a venue with excellent sound/lighting and experienced volunteers to run it! all for free. that's the beauty of a small town.

Set really is what i'm not sure about. Those few pieces like the tower and cottage are what i'm not sure about, so if anyone has more info specifically about this show and sets, it would be greatly appreciated!

and the concert idea really isn't bad!

thanks!

killerdana

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 87
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #8 on: Dec 10, 2007, 12:57 am »
Unless you've already gotten an estimate, I think you've underbudgeted for rights.  Musical rights tend to be really high.  Also, are all your musicians volunteer as well?  What about your musical director and conductor?
Science without art is sterile.  --Albert Einstein

Scott

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 252
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #9 on: Dec 10, 2007, 11:01 am »
With $1500 for amdram set, I can get an entire box set built and painted, furnished and the like.


What's an andram set?

Joshua S.

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 76
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AGMA
  • Current Gig: Asst. Production Manager - Mason Gross School of the Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #10 on: Dec 10, 2007, 12:39 pm »
8 weeks is standard for a musical, and we're going to take it pretty slow, so i don't think 2 extra weeks is at all unheard of.

I suppose that depends on your definition of standard.  I've never rehearsed a musical more than 6 weeks...  and even that is usually overkill.

J

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 103
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #11 on: Dec 10, 2007, 01:36 pm »
I think the difference between "standards" for lengths of rehearsal depends on pay usually.  Equity houses will never (or rarely) rehearse for 8-10 weeks because they don't want to pay all the actors and stage managers for that many weeks.  Smaller houses that offer one time stipends have more flexibility in how long the rehearsal process will last as the only added fee is the electric bill and the rental of the space. 

Personally, I've never rehearsed more than 5 weeks (including tech), but that was working 48 hrs a week on the show, so depending on what the rehearsal schedule looks like, and since the actors are on a voluteer basis, maybe 8 weeks is ok.

I would warn though, as already mentioned above, that getting actors to commit to 8-10 weeks of rehearsal with a week or two of shows after that can be tough. You may get some drop outs as things come up in their lives. That's a long commmittment with no pay.

jwl_868

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 20
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #12 on: Dec 10, 2007, 01:44 pm »
If you have to move all of the sets and scenery out of the venue when you're done (or for that matter, if you are bringing in alot from off-site), you may need to set aside some money to rent and fuel a truck.

Joe

dru*

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 9
    • View Profile
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #13 on: Dec 11, 2007, 01:40 am »
as i said, this IS community theatre. our performers are used to rehearsing for AT LEAST six weeks... usually eight.

avkid

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 259
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Philip LaDue
  • Affiliations: RFL, IATSE
  • Current Gig: Carpenter/Flyman at Count Basie Center For The Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Budget?!
« Reply #14 on: Dec 11, 2007, 02:09 am »
If you are using wireless microphones don't forget the wallet draining bane of my existence.
Batteries!
Philip LaDue
IATSE Local #21 Newark, NJ

 

riotous