|
The only way to ensure that you do complete
the project on time and within the agreed budget is to plan and
manage the project correctly. Effective budgeting can be brought
about by good foresight, solving problems as they arise and good
communication between a team.
It is important to ensure that you don't end
up doing more work than you originally agree to do for a client.
It is difficult to assess accurately the time and resources needed
to complete a job, but the project could end up costing you money
rather than making it for you if you're not careful. It is also
important to ensure that you do not include elements in the design
or project that will be too expensive and too time consuming for
the agreed budget. Unexpected costs do arise all the time, but you
must analyse desirables against essentials in a tight budget and
be able to deliver within budget and on time, so be realistic.
Budgets are sometimes split into stages, for
example there may be a design budget, a production budget and a
post-production budget. The instalments will be paid on an agreed
date from your commissioning broadcaster or client, so it is vital
that you deliver on time for each stage. This can also be an effective
way of monitoring efficiency, because work on the next stage may
not go ahead until the finance is in place, therefore targets must
be met.
In order to ensure that a project is completed
on time and within budget is to always have a plan B. If you are
shooting outside there are weather considerations, and wherever
your location there may be noise or power supply issues, so it is
important to plan a back up location in case unavoidable difficulties
hold up production.
Multi-skilling is increasingly becoming the
best way to make the most of limited budgets, particularly in the
independent sector, and it's important to learn how to manage the
money you've got and to find out what's most important in the production
you're making. The end format of your project may also prompt you
to come up with money saving ideas and make you think about how
to shoot the footage you need in the most cost effective way, for
instance if the footage is going to be compressed for a website,
DVD or CD Rom.
Don't waste money in unnecessary areas and talk
to experts in each field to find out what is possible within your
budget. Research each area carefully to ensure that you are getting
the best value for money. Companies who are looking to commission
projects often put their projects out to tender and you may be competing
against other people in your field, so it is essential to present
a cost efficient proposal while still leaving a respectable profit
margin.
It is also important that your schedule makes
the most of your time and resources. Each location should be visited
only once if possible, the minimum number of props should be hired
and keep travelling time and overnights down. You also need to estimate
realistically how many minutes can be shot each day or how many
minutes of a piece can be animated or rendered, and allow flexibility
in the budget for unexpected events.
|
