NOTE — Below, find a general breakdown of potential costs for the series. The page is inspired by a conversation with some (non-film) friends who were like, “Bro, why does it cost so much” and “Wait, what’s a DP?” The sections and items are determined with up to a full season in mind. Things will vary with the final number of episodes to be produced.

the story depts.

— The ones that most influence the storytelling.

WRITING

SCRIPTS + CONTINUITY

— The first four episodes of the series have been written, though they’re up for major review after casting and location selection. Before writing the next set, we’d like to fund more writers to offer different voices on the new episodes and to help review the ones written, plus brainstorm on ideas for the future story at large.

CASTING

CASTING + DEVELOPMENT

— For Bound, we’re looking for fresh faces across the board and it could take some time to find the main and support ensembles. To help, we’d like to fund a dedicated casting director for the large cast and guest roles. We would also allot resources for the cast’s development, with funds for adequate study and rehearsal time.

SETTINGS

DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION

— Creating the world for everyone to write and work within. One option is to find a space to custom-build two, (smaller) main sets, which are a hotel lobby and a cafe. Another option is to rent out an existing hotel and cafe that can fit the story’s objectives. Funds cover the set construction and/or property rental, plus decor pieces.

CHARACTER

COSTUME + VANITIES

— Creating total “looks” for the characters, from wardrobe to makeup and hairstyling. Over the course of a season, there will be dozens of looks for all the main and supporting characters, each of whom have a distinct style. We’ve considered allotments, per character, for wardrobe pieces and sufficient funds for hair/makeup.

Potential crew members.

* The potential crew members listed would be “full-time” over the course of multiple episodes. There would also be part-time/day players and partnering companies as well throughout production.

  • Story Director/Editor

  • Episode Writer(s)

  • Scripty/Script Supervisor

  • Casting Director

  • Main Cast (8)

  • Support Cast (4-8)

  • Featured Guests

  • Production Designer

  • Lead Artisan (Manager)

  • Set Decorator

  • Props Master/Wrangler

  • Key Scenic

  • Costume Designer

  • Lead Hair & Makeup

  • Makeup Artist

  • Hair Stylist

  • Stylist / Tailor

Potential line items.

  • Writing (on location)

  • In-person auditions

  • Hotel set build/rental

  • Diner set build/rental

  • Secondary sets build

  • Decor pieces

  • Prop pieces

  • Wardrobe pieces

  • Character props

  • Makeup inventory

The STYLE depts.

— The ones that most influence the presentation.

PHOTOGRAPHY

CAMERA + LIGHTING

— Our goal is to budget a little more money upfront to try to purchase some (pre-owned) professional gear, like a camera kit, rigs and maybe lens(s). This prevents the costly rental loop, plus it allows far more flexibility in scheduling and filming, as you’re not at the mercy of a rental house or of the potential lack of resources in a location.

EDITING

CUTTING + EFFECTS

— In addition to stitching the episodes, we’ll also include here color correction and a suite of visual elements fine-tuned in post-production. For example, we’ve got ideas for cool graphics or animations (for credits), plus at least two sequences which may require some VFX love, which would be done by a partner company.

SOUND

RECORDING + MIXING

— Here we include two facets of sound: first, the recording of dialogue and sounds during filming, and second, editing and mixing those sounds, plus creating new ones, during post-production. Our goal is, again, to try to purchase some sound gear upfront, to both cut the rental loop and to be able to customize for production needs.

MUSIC

SCORE + SONGS

— In building the music team, we’ll look for crew member(s) who can both compose score and potentially facilitate music production. For score, we want to create a base “theme” sound, to be dictated by the setting’s cultural qualities. We’ve also considered a small fund for use of songs (likely by less-discovered artists) that can elevate a scene.

Potential crew members.

  • Director(s) Photography

  • Gaffer(s)

  • Camera Operator

  • Key Grip

  • 1st AC

  • DIT

  • ELT

  • General Operator

  • Chief Editor

  • Lead Colorist

  • Editor

  • Colorist

  • Editing Asst.(s)

  • Sound Director/Designer

  • Sound Recorder(s)

  • Boom Operator(s)

  • Sound Editor

  • Foley Artist

  • Sound Asst.

  • Music Director

  • 2nd Composer

Potential line items.

  • Camera(s)

  • Camera accessories

  • Rigs

  • Primary lighting

  • Power/electrical

  • Storage

  • Post software

  • VFX work

  • Recording gear

  • Post software

  • Songs (licensed)

The SCOPE Depts.

— The ones that most influence the production.

STAGING

LOCATION + (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS

— Staging includes a fluid coalition of actions like scouting and securing filming locations; coordinating for practical effects; sourcing props or gear and cultivating municipal or business relationships. For Bound, we want to film on-location in a city/area authentic to the story and then feature locations and build up partnerships within it.

LOGISTICS

SCHEDULE + TRANSPORTATION

— This is where the master and block schedules get made and where inventory is handled. It’s where production progress is facilitated by persistently ensuring teams are on the same page and that movement of people and pieces are on point. Every day can bring an obstacle, or a switch up, so it’s really important to fund proper coverage here.

MANAGEMENT

ACCOUNTING + COMPLIANCE

— This is where overall and block budgets get crafted and/or enforced. Management also address HR structures, plus greener (footprint) practices by all. We’ve budgeted for insurances and supplies and considered more complex sequences in the scripts which may require the addition of security or medical personnel.

SERVICE

TRAVEL + CARE

— Any way you spin it, people are going to have to travel for Bound. We’ll work to keep support crew local to mitigate cost, but the main cast and department heads will likely be spread out. So, flights and housing are budgeted for them. We’ve also included funds for grocery and/or meals for crew who will be on-location for extended periods.

Potential crew members.

  • Chief Coordinator/Producer

  • Deputy Coordinator

  • Effects Coordinator

  • Background Coordinator

  • Field Director(s) (AD)

  • Lead Driver

  • Driver(s)/Loader(s)

  • Production Chief/Producer

  • Set Marshal

  • Office Asst.

  • Service Director/Coordinator

  • Chef / Caterer

  • Asst. Chef / Crafty

  • Set Attendant

Potential line items.

  • Location permits/rentals

  • Location set ups/retrofits

  • Background extras

  • Stunt work

  • Team software

  • Base camp/office space

  • Work vehicles/vans

  • Ground transportation

  • Payroll structures

  • Filming insurance(s)

  • Security personnel

  • Medical personnel/supplies

  • Flights

  • Housing (Cast, Dept. Heads)

  • Food/Stipends

  • Misc. (household) supplies

The SCALE Depts.

— The ones that most influence the sustainability.

PLATFORM

STREAMING + ENGAGEMENT

— For an independent production, it’s important to consider the totality of a series. Not just the episode production but also the environment in which they can play. So, we’ve included funds to build and maintain a lean, mean, custom website which can be used for streaming, if needed, plus other engagement with the series.

MARKET

PRODUCTS + FEATURES

— In the future this would involve cultivating sponsors or other, financial partnerships for the series, but for now, it’s finding creative ways to deliver and sustain the series financially, like with campaigns, select merchandise and site features. Funds will help develop such items and ventures, for supplementary income for the series.

BRANDING

ART + ADVERTISMENT

— You do judge a book by its cover. Here, we considered funds for art and copy on just about anything - from themed art that accompanies a season, to promotional campaigns, to continually updating work for the website. We also budgeted for digital advertising space and select, physical installations in locations.

PUBLICITY

MEDIA + EVENTS

— Let’s have some fun. We’d like to produce material like team profiles, behind-the-scenes documentation, short/social videos, plus a screening or two, all to help spread the word on the series and the people within it. Because when you really believe in and enjoy something, you want to try to tell as many people as you can.

Potential crew members.

  • Platform Director/Developer

  • Translations Coordinator

  • Producer/Modeler

  • Features Coordinator

  • Art Director

  • Artist(s)

  • Animator

  • Social Director

  • Video/Photographer

  • Copy Editor/Writer

Potential line items.

  • Custom website

  • Site features

  • Episode translations

  • Manufacturing partners

  • Contest (trip) rewards

  • Digital + print advertising

  • Art installations

  • Screenings

  • Bookings/partnerships

The SHAPE Depts.

— Turns out there’s a lot of five-letter words that start (another one!) with “S.” Anyway, these are the people or departments that have a hand in molding everything.

STRATEGY

DEVELOPMENT + SUPPORT

— This producer/department focuses on a myriad of elements from fundraising, to securing the final film locations, to helping find key cast and crew members and purchasing gear inventory. In production, they’re the go-to for any planning or support, from bottom to top. Finally, they’ll play a big role in setting up the series for distribution.

DIRECTION

COMPOSITION + PERFORMANCE

— I probably don’t need to elaborate on who/what the director is. Even my (non-film) friends know about the director. … I think.

Potential crew members.

  • [Executive] Producer(s)

  • Series Accountant

  • Senior Director

  • Episode Director(s)

Potential line items.

  • Taxes — You know it! A large portion of the budget and thus funding goal goes to taxes. The series Producer will try for municipal partnerships to ease the amount, but of course it has to be listed into the cost.

The truth is, the budget and plan for Bound has been in mind for years. The first, real attempt at it was in 2020 as soon as COVID hit. Looking back, I can see that if something were made way back then, it would have been much lesser. After years of more life lessons and industry digestion, the series is now more built to last.