I fell in a hole...

A very big hole.... This budget is kicking my behind. I'm helping a friend do a micro-budget short, but like a typical filmmaker my friend has got champagne taste and Kool-Aid money. I've worked on some really small films and some big films, and let me tell you, the differences are purely cosmetic. When, (and I hope for all of your sakes' you are out there plotting now) you decide to do a film, remember EL MARIACHI, BLOOD, GUTS, BULLETS AND OCTANE, SIX STRING SAMURAI and any other micro-budgeted film you can see. Your imagination is the limit. Make up your mind that you will beg, borrow or steal the amount of money you need, plan ahead, don't waste anyone's time or money, always write thank you notes, and don't burn bridges.

It is not really possible to plan for everything. If you know how much money you have, the amount you are "backing into," you're halfway home. On a microbudget, it's easier to start there, than to just budget for broke and throw in everything but the kitchen sink. There's no such thing as a "firm" number when you are thinking creatively.

That said, if you come across a filmmaker who has it stuck in his/her head that they have to know how much the film is going to cost instead of just putting their pennies on the table... RUN!