Unit 4: Costing/Commercial Viability

Budget Breakdown for Production Stage

Equipment/ resources needed	Professional Costs	My Costs
Canon MD 101 DVD Camera	On Amazon this camera is sold for £160.	1 Canon MD Camera will be given to me but I won’t have to buy my own materials or facilities as it is too expensive for a student like me. Fortunately, my collage has provided me with all the relevant materials or equipments that I am required for the production of my documentary. As there are only 15 cameras in the whole Media Department and there are around 52 Media and Film Studies students, we do have to compromise or book the equipments we need on time, yet also it should be brought back on time so that other can use it too. As students for us it is more about taking up responsibilities and complying with the rules when using cameras, tripods, camera dollies, microphone, red head lights, batteries and SD Cards or tapes.
Velbon Tripods	To buy it costs £35.	We get a one Velbon Tripod in between two counterparts. For example, when there are students who are siblings and they do the same subject they can take one of each in between with them so that other can have one to in the class. Again all the responsibilities and rules comply with all of the facilities we borrow from the Media Department, which is mandatory to comply with. Or else, fees must be paid back if there nobody takes responsibilities for borrowing an institute’s facility.
3 tapes	To buy it costs 5 tapes for £4 in Currys or PC World.	We get 1 tap, which we’ll have to not lose or damage as the department can’t constantly give out new tapes to one student. That will be too costly for them.
SD Card	To buy it costs £10 for a high quantity of GB.	1 SD Cards are also given at the beginning of the film production because SD Cards can be used all over again.
Boom Microphone	To hire this costs around £42 a day.	Again, one Boom Microphone is also given to us for effective sound qualities. This is required to be carried in a suit case or in a bag so that it doesn’t get lost or damaged, in case it drops somewhere. As we know that all of these equipments are very expensive, we have to take care of them as if it was ours with a lot of responsibilities.  In case, a student is immature and don’t comply to the rules and doesn’t meet responsibilities they have to either pay back the money or buy back the equipments that they have lost or damaged. The Head of The Department will take the situation serious and there will be consequences for the loss and damage.
Batteries	To buy, batteries are sold for only £7. 59.	Likewise, 1 charged battery is given to us, which is displayed on the side of the camera. It is does become a nuisance, if the batteries are not charged and we are planning to film. That’s why, booking in advance, will give time to the Media Department to charge the batteries fully and all the resources are well organized and prepared. For instance, the whole kit needs to be packed so that nothing is forgotten, lost or damaged. We have to keep good hold of all the resources including the batteries that we are given to.
Flip Camera	To buy it costs £80 in Currys or PC World.	Booking in advance due to fewer resources and many students, the departments has to know who needs what or when. Keeping records of what has been borrowed, how many is borrowed, by whom it is borrowed and when it is brought back to the Media Department, so that nothing is lost, stolen or concealed due to damage.
Red Head Lights	To hire, this costs £75 a week.	Often to get adequate lighting, three red head lights are provided for anyone who really needs them but one of the Media Department’s technicians will be guiding us too in case something happens due to health and safety reason as the red head lights do get very hot when they are on for a long period of time. Therefore, precautious must be taken. Yet also, as the red head lights cost a lot of money, the Media Department can’t risk students taking over responsibilities on their own.
Shure Microphone 545 SD Classic	To buy it costs around £134.	Just like the Boom Microphone, we only get 1 Shure Microphone, which can be shared with other media student. As students it is our responsibilities, to keep the microphone or other collage equipments safe. For instance, protect it from rain or other weather conditions that could damage or disable the microphone, camera and anything that is electronic. When we’re finished with filming we have to hand the kit in to the Media Technician who will check and maintain a record of what has been brought back so that he can tick it of in the Recording Book. Again, our responsibilities would be to inform the technician if anything is not working, is lost, stolen or damaged.
Travels Costs	For top up on Oyster Card to Central London or other destination it would cost me around £15 My budget is £25.	As with any other resources, the travelling costs are refunded by the Media Department too. For example, if I need to buy a box of chocolate for my documentary, all I have to do is show the receipt to the Head of Media Department and they will give my money back. Overall, all of the costs and budgeting are in the hands of my Collage as they support all the media and film students financially.
Studio Location	For hire this costs £700	The studio would also be arranged and provided by the school in case a student needs it but I don’t think I will need a studio. Real studios are not bought by the school as it is over expensive.
Crew	For hire it costs £50 per person per hour.	For my documentary, I won’t be needing a crew as I have got my other media counterparts or Media Production teachers who will be able to help me in case I can’t do something independently. A real professional production manager or sound operator will cost the school a lot of money as it won’t be affordable. For instance, a sound operator will have to be paid £50 an hour. That will be impossible. But, the Media Technician is well skilled with the media teachers who will help and support us throughout the course.
Lighting	To hire it costs £75 per week	Finally, for the lighting part we are also given as much as we are required for our documentary which will be around three to four lighting with the support of a teacher or a technician. As a student, all we have to do is the work load and the rest is done for us. Unlike, the real world of work nothing is bought for us but we have to provide the facilities ourselves.

The above grid denotes the commercial viability of my documentary. As you can see, the production of my documentary is clearly going to cost a lot of money as filming and producing resources as very expensive.  In the real professional world of producing a documentary, I would be spending approximately £1500, to get every specific materials or facilities together to be able to film a good, professional and high quality documentary. On the other hand, my program is also going to make money in return through the winning awards, salary and my documentaries could be sold worldwide as a collection or separately.