1.png
THE INDIE FEATURE BUDGET GUIDE 2025 (4).png
3.png
1.png
THE INDIE FEATURE BUDGET GUIDE 2025 (4).png
3.png

The Indie Feature Film Budget Guide

$20.00 $30.00

Creating a detailed, line-item budget is one of the most important — and often most intimidating — steps in developing a feature film. If you’re preparing your first feature and unsure how to set rates, prioritize spending, or anticipate real-world costs, this guide is designed for you.

This is not your average budget template.

Built from firsthand experience, Femme Regard’s Indie Feature Budget Guide transparently breaks down the actual costs of producing and distributing our debut feature film SYNC, made on a $60K budget. Rather than vague estimates or industry guesswork, we share real numbers, strategic decisions, and lessons learned — from pre-production all the way through distribution.

Inside the guide, you’ll find:

  • Complete budget breakdowns for pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution

  • How to make strategic, informed negotiations on a limited budget

  • Where it’s worth investing — and where you can realistically save

  • How we chose collaborators and structured deals to stretch resources

  • Practical DIY approaches that helped reduce costs without sacrificing quality

  • Recommended platforms and tools we used for locations, legal, post-production, delivery, and more

Our goal with this guide is to replace anxiety with clarity. By sharing our real numbers and approach, we hope to demystify feature film budgeting and show that making a high-quality, distributed film on a modest budget is not only possible — it’s achievable with intention, preparation, and the right strategy.

Creating a detailed, line-item budget is one of the most important — and often most intimidating — steps in developing a feature film. If you’re preparing your first feature and unsure how to set rates, prioritize spending, or anticipate real-world costs, this guide is designed for you.

This is not your average budget template.

Built from firsthand experience, Femme Regard’s Indie Feature Budget Guide transparently breaks down the actual costs of producing and distributing our debut feature film SYNC, made on a $60K budget. Rather than vague estimates or industry guesswork, we share real numbers, strategic decisions, and lessons learned — from pre-production all the way through distribution.

Inside the guide, you’ll find:

  • Complete budget breakdowns for pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution

  • How to make strategic, informed negotiations on a limited budget

  • Where it’s worth investing — and where you can realistically save

  • How we chose collaborators and structured deals to stretch resources

  • Practical DIY approaches that helped reduce costs without sacrificing quality

  • Recommended platforms and tools we used for locations, legal, post-production, delivery, and more

Our goal with this guide is to replace anxiety with clarity. By sharing our real numbers and approach, we hope to demystify feature film budgeting and show that making a high-quality, distributed film on a modest budget is not only possible — it’s achievable with intention, preparation, and the right strategy.