ur-grue Budget estimator
What this skill does
Generates a structured production budget estimate for a specific project element or an entire short-form production, broken down by standard industry cost categories.
When to use this skill
- You are preparing a budget for a pitch deck or funding application and need realistic line items
- A commissioner or funder has asked for a cost breakdown and you need a starting framework
- You want to sanity-check your own budget against industry norms before submitting
- You are comparing production approaches (studio vs. location, in-house vs. freelance) and need cost estimates for each
What you need to provide
Required:
- Project type (documentary, short film, podcast series, corporate video, etc.)
- Duration or scope (e.g., "6 × 30-minute episodes" or "one 90-second brand video")
- Key production elements (number of shoot days, locations, crew size, talent, post-production needs)
- Territory or market (costs vary dramatically between countries and cities)
Optional:
- Known fixed costs (e.g., "archive licensing budget is capped at €5,000")
- Format constraints (e.g., "4K delivery required" or "must include subtitles in three languages")
- Whether this is for internal planning or external submission (affects level of detail)
How the Assistant Approaches This
- Identifies the production type and maps it to standard budget categories (development, pre-production, production, post-production, delivery, overheads, contingency)
- Estimates realistic cost ranges for each line item based on the territory, scale, and format specified
- Flags assumptions made (day rates, equipment costs, post-production timelines) so you can adjust with real quotes
- Adds a contingency line (typically 10% for controlled productions, 15–20% for location-heavy or international work)
- Notes which line items are most likely to be challenged by funders or commissioners
Output format
A structured budget table with:
- Category headings (development, pre-production, production, post-production, delivery, overheads, contingency)
- Line items with unit cost, quantity, and subtotal
- Notes column explaining assumptions
- Summary totals per category and grand total
- A short "budget notes" section flagging the three biggest cost risks
Currency matches the territory specified. Estimates given as ranges where exact costs depend on quotes.
Quality criteria
- Every line item has a unit cost, quantity, and subtotal — no lump sums without explanation
- Assumptions are stated explicitly (e.g., "camera operator day rate estimated at €450/day based on Western European freelance market")
- Contingency is included and justified
- The budget is structured so a funder or commissioner can read it without explanation
- Cost ranges are realistic for the specified territory and market
Example
Input
Project: 3-part documentary series (3 × 45 minutes) about urban farming initiatives across three European cities. Production includes interviews, observational shooting, some aerial drone footage, and archival material. Budget territory: Germany/Western Europe. This is for a public broadcaster funding application.
Output
Budget estimate — Urban farming documentary series (3 × 45 min)
| Category | Line item | Unit cost | Qty | Subtotal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development | €18,500 | ||||
| Research & development | €3,000 | 1 | €3,000 | Desktop research, contributor identification | |
| Location scouting (3 cities) | €2,500 | 3 | €7,500 | Travel + 2 days per city | |
| Development producer | €4,000 | 1 | €4,000 | 10 days @ €400/day | |
| Rights research | €2,000 | 1 | €2,000 | Archive pre-clearance | |
| Legal (option agreements) | €2,000 | 1 | €2,000 | Contributor agreements | |
| Pre-production | €14,000 | ||||
| Producer (prep) | €400/day | 15 | €6,000 | Schedule, logistics, permits | |
| Director (prep) | €450/day | 10 | €4,500 | Treatment refinement, shot planning | |
| Travel & accommodation (recce) | €1,500 | 2 | €3,000 | 2 recce trips | |
| Insurance | €500 | 1 | €500 | Production insurance | |
| Production | €89,400 | ||||
| Director | €450/day | 30 | €13,500 | 10 shoot days × 3 episodes | |
| Camera operator | €450/day | 30 | €13,500 | ||
| Sound recordist | €350/day | 30 | €10,500 | ||
| Producer (shoot) | €400/day | 36 | €14,400 | Including travel days | |
| Drone operator + equipment | €1,200/day | 6 | €7,200 | 2 days per city | |
| Camera kit rental | €300/day | 30 | €9,000 | 4K documentary kit | |
| Sound kit rental | €100/day | 30 | €3,000 | ||
| Travel (crew, 3 cities) | €3,000 | 3 | €9,000 | Flights + ground transport | |
| Accommodation | €120/night | 75 | €9,000 | 3 crew × 25 nights | |
| Per diems | €30/day | 120 | €3,600 | 4 crew × 30 days | |
| Miscellaneous production | €700 | 1 | €700 | Parking, consumables, contingency items | |
| Post-production | €52,500 | ||||
| Editor | €400/day | 60 | €24,000 | 20 days per episode | |
| Edit suite rental | €150/day | 60 | €9,000 | Or license fee if in-house | |
| Director (post) | €450/day | 15 | €6,750 | 5 days per episode | |
| Composer / music licensing | €3,000 | 3 | €9,000 | Per episode | |
| Sound mix | €1,500 | 3 | €4,500 | Per episode | |
| Grade / online | €2,500 | 3 | €7,500 | Per episode | |
| Archive licensing | €5,000 | 1 | €5,000 | Estimated; depends on sources | |
| Graphics / titles | €2,000 | 1 | €2,000 | Series package | |
| Delivery | €7,500 | ||||
| Subtitling (3 languages) | €1,500 | 3 | €4,500 | DE, EN, FR | |
| Delivery masters | €1,000 | 3 | €3,000 | Broadcaster specs | |
| Overheads | €9,100 | ||||
| Production office | €500/month | 8 | €4,000 | 8-month production period | |
| Communication / admin | €300/month | 8 | €2,400 | ||
| Accounting | €2,700 | 1 | €2,700 | Production accounting | |
| Contingency | €19,100 | ||||
| 10% of total | €19,100 | Standard for controlled European doc production |
Grand total: €210,100
Budget notes:
- Archive licensing is the wildcard. €5,000 is a placeholder. If the series uses significant broadcast archive, this could triple. Get clearance quotes early.
- Drone costs assume local operators in each city. Flying your own drone internationally adds permit complexity and may require local co-pilots. Budget could rise by €2,000–4,000 if permits are difficult.
- Music licensing vs. original score. The €9,000/episode estimate covers a modest original score. Library music would reduce this to €1,500–2,500/episode but limits exclusivity.
Known limitations
- All costs are estimates based on typical Western European rates. Actual costs depend on specific quotes, crew availability, and market conditions at time of production.
- Does not account for co-production financing structures, tax incentives, or regional fund requirements that may affect budget presentation.
- Cannot predict archive licensing costs without knowing specific sources. Always get quotes before committing a figure to a funder.
- Day rates vary significantly even within the same market. These estimates assume mid-range freelancers, not top-tier specialists.