Budget Templates for 3D Animated Movie

[anumukonda]

Hi,

Do any one have the Budget Template ( Spreadsheet ) for 3D Animated Movie, It would be interested to the see any of the budget sheets of any of the sucessfull completed 3D Animated movies, ( can any one let me know the link where i can get the spreadsheets/excell sheets ?

Thanks in Advance

[Wade K]

I hate to say it, but I am afraid that you are going to have a very, VERY hard time finding these. Studios are very protective over these things. Let me see what I can do. I might be able to get my hands on a budget for a 3D feature film that was done here in Canada. Don't hold your breath though, but I will try my best

Cheers!

[Shany]

budget,
well, you can make the calc by your self in an rough assumption.

exmaple:
take 'Pixar' studios:

1. buy 3d software (e.g: maya) * Copies per Computer * yearly product subscription * plugins (unless you code them your self)

we get +-: 3,599.00$ * Sum(Computers) * Y per year * Sum(Plugins)

+

2. pay salary for the animators (unless you work for your self :) )
we get +-: X Salary * Sum(Animators) + Y Salary * sum(managers) + (other emplyee related expenses such as: food/bonuses..etc)
+

3. Maintain/buy A Computer * X Computers (Computer farm)
we get: dynamic expenses

+

4. Maintain/buy company related stuff (e.g: office/computers/building renting/cars..etc)
we get: dynamic expenses

+

5. goverment taxes/lawyers..etc
we get: dynamic expenses

6. budget=1+2+3+4+5+x ; rough budget on how the studio spend money for an animated film :)

as you can see, creating a 3d movie has its BIG BIG BIG Budget, and i am sure i haven't even touched an inch of the real expenses :)
i am sure you get the idea anyway.

:D :D

usually, i rather use the lowest 3d software available and master it (student releases of maya/3dmax for example..although still high)

[Wade K]

Shany, I am afraid, my man, that there is much, MUCH more to making an animation budget (2D or 3D) than that. You have to factor every little detail into it from photocopy costs, to legal fees, to animation and modeling, to travel expenses and post-production costs (these are just a few of the many details). Seriously, an animation budget cannot just be pulled out of thin air, based on any other production... You need to know the cost of each individual step that will be needed during the course of production, and account for it. I have budgets on my computer that are many pages long.

I don't mean to discount your trying to help, but just so you know for the future.

Cheers

[anumukonda]

Hi Wade & Shany,

First thank you very much for your responce,

I had a glance of how the budget looks, running for more than 12 pages, what i am unable to figure out is that,.............. when i go through the media/press , Studios claim , a huze figure ,say $150 million to $300 million USD, as the cost for making the Animated movie. ( What would be the % break up , between Pre Production , Production and Post Production , as well as marketing/distribution cost ? ) Is the printing / distribution cost taken in to account when they say the total cost of production ?

cheers,

[Shany]

hi Wade,

yeah, i know, thats why i wrote:

"as you can see, creating a 3d movie has its BIG BIG BIG Budget, and i am sure i haven't even touched an inch of the real expenses
i am sure you get the idea anyway."

[Dave]

Originally Posted by anumukonda

when i go through the media/press , Studios claim , a huze figure ,say $150 million to $300 million USD, as the cost for making the Animated movie.

That's exagerating a bit. Treasure Planet had a reported budget of around 140 mill -making it one of the most expensive bombs in animated history together with FF:TSW; while HOTR and Shrek2 came in around 60 to 70 mill.
In general printing and distribution will be included in this, but marketing isn't; and that can chew up another giant chunk of cash, sometimes half or more of the amount given for the production budget.
These figures are kinda easy to manipulate as well. The reported budget for 'Dinosaur' wasn't all that high, but that didn't include R&D, nor the cost of setting up -and subsequently closing down- The Secret Lab.

[Wade K]

You have a 12 page budget in your possession and you are unable to see how it is broken down? Do you have any animation or production experience? It should be VERY clear in that budget as to how it breaks down indeed. Everything will be laid out in detail, but if you do not know what "track reading" or "on-line editing" or "Rendering" are, then you wil have a very VERY hard time. There are no such percentages that we can pull from our knowledge of other productions, as they vary from film to film, depending on the film's needs. You, and ONLY YOU can get these numbers for YOUR film.

As for $150-$300 million, I do not know what kind of a budget you are looking at, but that is a VERY unrealistic number... ESPECIALLY in India. If you were ot produce a feature (90 minute) feature completely in india, there is no reason why you cannot do it for $10 million, and it will be of the best quality possible in India. It will not sell in any other countries in this hemisphere probably due to inexperience showing through in quality levels...

Cheers

[Shany]

usually studios uses a low price workers (animators) in order to save money
take alook at japanease animators who get hired for a low salary. (note that you can make higher working in mcdolands hehehe)

[anumukonda]

DAVE -The figures which i had seen in the press/media ...are for the making of FINAL FANTASY, is some where around $250 Million USD, I was refering to 3D Animated movies,

WADE - I do have exprience of working for , two of the animated features, as a lead visal effects artist, ( that was in 1998/1999 ) and later I moved in to Business Developments. I am sure that some one shoudl be able to do a 3D Animated movie in India , ranging form $ 10 Million USD to $15 Million USD. " what i was enquiring is more to get the budgeting details of the sucessfull 3D Animated movies in North America, ( I do not know, i am asking for some serious confidential information, such as BUDGET sheets of sucessful animated movies, if it is so, Please let me take back my question )

SHANY - I do agree with your point of view too , ha ha.