Short Film Budget Template
Short Film Budget Template
2 people × 3 days × £150 = £900. With no other cast costs, the Summary sheet shows £900 for Cast.
Illustrative rate only. One editable workbook; Microsoft Excel required.
CAUSEWAY PICTURES / BUILD THE BUDGET
Know what your short film will cost.
Plan your short film in one editable Excel workbook. Enter quantity, rate and units, then review department totals, the budget summary and contingency.
Editable Excel budget · ZIP download
Download link sent by email after checkout. Microsoft Excel required for workbooks.
Inside the workbook: a principal cast example
Enter 2 people as Quantity, £150 as Rate and 3 days as Units. The line total is £900. With all other cast rows at zero, the Summary sheet shows Cast: £900.
This is an illustration of the formula, not a suggested rate. The supplied workbook starts with zero rates for you to fill in.
What you receive
One Excel workbook with three sheets: Short Film Budget, Summary and Read Me, supplied in a ZIP download. For filmmakers preparing a working short-film budget. Microsoft Excel is required.
Use it to
- Break down production costs
- Track totals and contingencies
- Organise departments and spend
- Present a clearer working budget
Designed for short-film production. Digital spreadsheet
File format and support
Included: one ZIP download containing one editable Microsoft Excel workbook (.xlsx) with three sheets: Short Film Budget, Summary and Read Me. Open it in Excel, then save a separate working copy for your project. No physical item is supplied.
The zero values are template inputs, not suggested rates. The workbook totals quantity × rate × units and calculates contingency.
Working in dollars or euros? The rate column is labelled in £. If you budget in another currency, change the £ in the Rate column heading and enter your own rates. The workbook does not convert currencies for you.
Need schedules and production planners too?
The Short Film Starter Pack includes the short-film budget workbook plus production checklist, schedule, crew, cast, locations and delivery planning sheets. Choose the pack if you need those tools alongside your budget.
Production experience behind these tools
Created by Chris Patterson, founder of Causeway Pictures, Belfast, with over 20 years in film and television. Chris produced Lie of the Land, winner of Best Irish First Feature at Galway Film Fleadh 2023, and Hostage to the Devil. He co-produced the UK section of Netflix’s Senna.
These resources focus on the practical decisions behind a production: what needs doing, who owns it and what it costs. Explore our credits and industry recognition.
Download help
Your download link is sent by email after checkout. If the email is missing, check your spam or junk folder. For help, email info@causewaypictures.com with your order number and the email address used for your order. Please do not place a second order to recover a missing download.