Do You Believe Hollywood?

Simple Question. When you hear or read about the announced budget of a movie… Do you believe it.

So What’s Your Budget.

Now here’s what I learned with playing the “What’s Your Budget” game.

If you have $100,000-$200,000 and someone asks “What’s your Budget”… you are going to say “Just-Under $500,000”

If you have $200,000-$300,000 and someone asks “What’s your Budget”… you are going to say “Just-Under a Mill”

If you have $300,000-$500,000 and someone asks “What’s your Budget”… you are going to say “Just-Under $1-2 Million”

If you have $500,000-$700,000 and someone asks “What’s your Budget”… you are going to say “Just-Under $2-3 Million”

If you have $700,000-$900,000 and someone asks “What’s your Budget”… you are going to say “Just-Under $3-5 Million”

If you have $1-2 Million and someone asks “What’s your Budget… you are going to say “Just-Under $5-7 Million”.

Don’t you just love that “Just-Under” phrase

So What’s the Point?

Hollywood lies. Join in… Play the game.

Can you name me another industry other than the movie industry (aka: Hollywood) that actually tells the consumer what it costs to make their product just prior to selling it to them?

Answer is “No”.

Did Apple tell you what it costs to make an iPhone6? Did BMW really tell you what it costs to make a 650i? Does Whirlpool tell you what the dishwasher costs to make?

No. No. And No.

However, Hollywood actually tells you the budget of every feature film they make.

Will you please-please-please stop believing what something cost because “you read about the budget” or heard someone “say the budget”.

Now Here’s the Point.

Hollywood lies. There must be a reason. And the reason is… “marketing…create a perceived value”

Haven’t you found it interesting that everyone asks everyone “What’s your Budget?” This is rude. For what my budget is is truly no ones business except, of course, the investors. However, everyone enjoys asking Producers, Filmmakers or Directors “What’s your Budget” and Producers, Directors, Filmmakers along with Studio and Network Executives love announcing “What their budget is”.

Huh?

Possibly you own a home.

Would you like it if I asked you “What’d you pay for it”, or  “What did your house cost” or “What’s your mortgage”. No, you would not and you would likely hink it quite rude of me to be asking.

However, in the movie industry everyone seems to be rude and ask “So what’s your budget”… when the response should be “It’s none of your F*ckin’ Business” but no one says that. And everyone says a number… a dollar amount.

Why?

Moment of Clarity.

Do you actually think when someone in Hollywood, on tv or to print media, states the budget for their project that they actually are telling the truth?

Do you? Do you?

This is a marketing industry. And the higher the budget; the higher the perceived value; the better chance of the audience attending; and a better possibility of a higher sale when you license your movie to a Ancillary Revenue stream or a Foreign Buyer.

Every movie has 2 Budgets. The first is the actual NEGATIVE-COST or what it costs to mechanically make the movie.

The second is for the press and media which is usually inflated 3-10 times and called the  BUDGET.

Why do they Lie? Simple. It is marketing.

Hollywood is a Marketing Industry…Not a Filmmaking Industry.

If you have $6 Million to make a movie… which by the way is a lot of money… and more than enough money to pay 2-3 actors $1 Million each… and someone asks you the budget.

You can answer by saying $6 Million.

You can also answer by saying (2-numbers) and stating “Just-Under $10-20 Million”…. $6 Million is “Just-Under $10-20 Million… So you’re not lying (yuk-yuk) and you feel you’re gonna go to heaven.

You can also answer by saying (1-number) and stating the budget is “just-under $50 Million”… Again, you are not lying… you are marketing.

Would you rather see a $6 Million movie or a $50 Million…Just-Under (yuk-yuk) movie?

Play the game and remember to go the other way when talking to crew or equipment suppliers and you have $200,000-$300,000 to make a movie you DO NOT tell them you have “Just-Under $1 Million… No sirree, you now go the other direction and tell crew and equipment suppliers if they ask you your budget you go down and state, “Oh it’s just Low-Budget maybe $100,000 and I hope you’ll help me”…

So Welcome to Hollywood.

Play the game.

***** NO-BULL *****

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