Crafty Table: Breaking Down a $1M Indie Film Budget (Where Does the Money Go?)

In this edition of Crafty Table, we’re rolling up our sleeves and walking through a sample budget for a $1 million indie feature — because knowing your numbers is one of the strongest tools you bring to the table when negotiating with buyers, sales agents or investors. This model is tuned for the kinds of deals you’re seeing at festivals and marketplaces now: sub-$1 m, cast-feasible, genre or high-concept, delivery in 12-18 months.

Here’s a breakdown of where that $1 m goes — adapt to your project’s needs, but use this as a baseline framework.

1. Above-the-Line (~ 25 % or ~$250,000)

This includes the creative leads, key deal-makers, and project initiation costs. Typical line items:

• Script development / rewrites

• Producer(s) fee(s)

• Director fee (if attached)

• Lead cast advance + options

• Key supporting cast (if required for packaging)

Why it matters: Buyers in 2025 are wanting recognizable faces + packaging in place. If your budget neglects above-the-line, you’ll struggle to check the “name talent” box.

2. Below-the-Line Production Costs (~ 40 % or ~$400,000)

This covers what happens on set and day-to-day production. Typical line items:

• Crew salaries (DP, AD, camera, sound, grip & electric)

• Equipment rental (camera package, lighting, grip)

• Location fees & permits

• Production design, set dressing, costumes, make-up, props

• Film stock / digital media, consumables

• Catering / craft services / production office

• Insurance & safety (especially if stunts / VFX)

Tip: If your genre has FX or stunts, budget a little extra here—even modest genre titles in 2025 are expected to look “cinematic enough” to justify theatrical positioning.

3. Post-Production (~ 15 % or ~$150,000)

This stage transforms raw footage into the finished film. Typical line items:

• Editor & assistant fees

• Post-sound (dialogue editing, ADR, sound design, Foley)

• Music (original score or licensing)

• Color grading

• Visual effects (if applicable)

• Post-production supervisor, delivery-format prep

Insight: If your film aims to be picked up by a studio/streamer or have a theatrical window, the finish must feel “clean” — good sound mix, solid color grade, no rough patches. Cheap looking = risk in buyers’ eyes.

4. Marketing, Festival & Delivery (~ 10 % or ~$100,000)

Even for indie films you cannot ignore this category:

• Festival entry fees, travel, lodging

• Press kit / EPK (still photography, poster design, trailer)

• Delivery costs (digital masters, DCP, captioning, closed-caption, QC)

• Legal counsel & clearances (music, archive materials)

• Marketing materials (key art, website, social media assets)

Why this is critical: Buyers will evaluate not just your film but your “launch readiness.” If you lack workable festival/delivery packaging, you’ll be seen as risk.

5. Contingency & Overhead (~ 10 % or ~$100,000)

Often underestimated, but essential:

• Contingency buffer (unexpected costs, schedule overruns)

• Insurance over-runs (weather, cast change, location problem)

• Producer overhead / office costs / legal/accounting support

• Completion bond (if one is required)

Reminder: For many buyers in 2025, the fewer “moving parts” they see the better. A clean budget with a contingency signals you’re realistic about production risk.

Example Summary Budget Table

Category	%	$ Amount
Above-the-Line	~25%	~$250,000
Production (Below-the-Line)	~40%	~$400,000
Post-Production	~15%	~$150,000
Marketing / Festival / Delivery	~10%	~$100,000
Contingency / Overhead	~10%	~$100,000
TOTAL	100%	$1,000,000

Packaging & Investor/Buyer Readiness: Key Notes

• Talent matters: Attaching a name actor or a director with a track-record can move you out of “generic low-budget” territory.

• Risk reduction = bankability: Buyers in 2025 ask: “If I take this, what’s the downside?” A finished script, cast commitments, realistic budget, festival plan → all reduce perceived risk.

• Genre = advantage: Genre (thriller, horror, elevated concept) still moves better than straight drama unless you have major festival/award potential.

• Exit windows are evolving: Think beyond domestic theatrical — know your AVOD/FAST downstream, PVOD, non-theatrical schools/libraries potential. Having those mapped strengthens your ask.

• Delivery matters: Even if you’re low budget, showing you know what you’ll deliver — DCP, HDR version, QC passed masters — removes a headache for a buyer.

• Budget discipline communicates seriousness: A budget that puts 50% in “guess what we’ll shoot later” raises red flags. Make your cost structure transparent.
  

Closing Thought

A $1 million budget is a sweet spot today for many indie features: big enough to attract talent and legit production value, small enough to manage risk and cash flow. But what counts is how you allocate that million. With buyer lanes narrowing and selectivity heightening in 2025, you want to show not only “we can make this film” but “we can make this film that fits the lane and delivers.”

In other words: don’t just ask “can you buy my film?” Ask: “Do you have a budget line that looks like this and fills your mandate?”

Use this budget map to sharpen your investor deck, your sales presentation, your AFM marketplace outreach. The more you speak buyer-language, the fewer questions they’ll have — and the fewer surprises you’ll face during deal negotiations.

Until next issue of Crafty Table — happy packaging.