Budgeting Audio Post-Production for Indie Films

Before diving into the specifics of audio post-production, let’s talk about the foundation: production sound. Investing in quality sound capture during filming is critical. Imagine spending a chunk of your budget on a location, actors, and visuals only to have it undermined by poor audio. Bad sound on set?  Good images won’t save that film. It’s dead, or saved by massive investment in a full ADR of the entire film (some films plan on this from the start, and production sound is just reference…  but they have millions to spend). Investing in skilled operators with top-notch equipment, and location scouting with sound in mind (not just the look), can save costly fixes later on. But as they say, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

A bit extra spent upfront ensures your foundation is solid, potentially saving funds in the post-production stage to do more creative and less fixing.  Even with great production sound, you need several stages of audio post. For each audio post category below, plan to add a percentage of your available budget for finishing the film. Even if you have no money, consider how you’re budgeting your time (DIY). As resources are available, what will you invest in?  Don’t overspend on camera if you haven’t planned how to make amazing sounding dialog.

These categories are the bare minimum for a good sounding film. Any budget of any amount should make plans for…

1. Dialog Editing: Not Just Cleaning, But Enhancing

Every line of dialog is pivotal to your story. Don’t let it sound sloppy! Clear. Noise free. Controlled.

• Potential Costs: Depending on the quality of your original capture, dialog editing can range from simple touch-ups to extensive clean-ups. Great location sound will reduce expense here. Basics like breath control, de-essing, and fades are important!
• Budget Impact: A scene shot on a quiet set might require minimal budget allocation. But a downtown scene with unexpected construction noise or insects by the outdoor swamp location? That’s going to need more intensive work. Anticipate and allocate accordingly.  This (among other factors) is why top films build sets indoor on SOUND stages. It’s that important…. hence the name.

2. Foley: Subtle Yet Significant

The unsung HERO of film sound. Foley fills in gaps and creates a tangible world. It helps the images jump off the screen. Don’t fall flat here.

• Cost Implications: Creating custom sounds tailored to your film’s needs might be more costly than using library sounds. However, the originality and control could elevate your film’s quality. There is also a speed achieved when recording Foley that makes the post process faster than searching stock sounds. Worse? Hand-editing THOUSANDS of footstep sounds.  Do NOT do it that way.  Hire a Foley Walker (performer with props) and a Foley Mixer (recording engineer that captures the walker’s performance) for a small amount of your total budget. Perform the foley yourself to save money. But…  plan to emulate real film production for something that sounds like a real film. Invest time or money, but don’t skimp the details. Plus…  it’s as fun (or more fun) that film sets.
• Budget Strategy: For a minimalist drama, you might lean on sound libraries for room tone and diegetic noises. But for a detailed period piece or action sequence? Custom Foley could be invaluable.  Custom Foley will absolutely be necessary when delivery to distributions that require a fully-filled M&E (more on this below).

3. ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement): The Necessary Do-Over

Sometimes, what sounded great on set doesn’t translate in the edit. Maybe the capture was perfect, but the performance was muffled on your favorite shot. The dialog needs to be changed to make the edit/story work best. The original location was terrible and we knew it while shooting, and planned to ADR for the perfect sound later (every Star Wars film ever made and 100% of Alien was majority ADR).

• Budget Concerns: ADR requires studio time and bringing actors back. It can be pricey, especially for a film that requires A LOT of ADR. Don’t assume it’s cheaper than fixing the problem on set. The reality is, you’ll be paying the actors twice.
• Budgeting Tip: If you suspect a scene might be challenging acoustically, factor in potential ADR from the start. An emotional, pivotal scene might be worth the investment to get just right. Minimize this expense by hiring top-rate location sound and providing them with proper budgeting and accommodate their needs on set.  It hurts the project to listen to camera department who wants a perfect WIDE shot with no boom, when you’re going to need to hire all the actors AND a recording studio later for a full day to replace the terrible location sound. Consider shooting a plate and allowing the boom in tight.  Rotoscoping with a plate is cheaper than ADR.

4. Mixing: Where Everything Finds Its Place

All your audio components need to harmonize.  This is the most important step for every film, regardless of the style.  If you don’t hit the spec,  your film will fail QC or worse…  it will sound bad at the festival, or not even make the cut because of the perceived poor quality.

• Stereo vs. Surround:
  • Stereo mixes might be more budget-friendly and are suitable for online-only releases. Also acceptable for drama or gorilla docs.
  • Surround can cost more but pays off for theater releases or certain festivals. It’s mandatory for world-building and immersive filmmaking goals of making the audience feel like they’re in the scene and along for the ride.
• Allocating Funds: If your film is a character-driven drama for online platforms, stereo could suffice. An epic action film destined for theaters? Surround will give it that immersive edge. It costs more simply because there are more decisions to make and more content to generate that fills the environment.

5. Music: Setting the Tone and Mood

Music, whether it’s a catchy theme or a subtle score, significantly enhances a film’s emotional impact.

• Origination Choices:
  • Original Composition: Tailored scores that resonate with your film’s themes and characters. This offers a unique sound, but hiring a composer and potentially recording musicians can be pricier.
  • Library Music: Pre-existing tracks available for licensing. They’re more budget-friendly, but might not be as personalized to your film’s nuances.
• Licensing and Rights: Even if you opt for library music or use a popular song, licensing fees apply. These can range drastically based on the track’s popularity and intended usage.
• Budget Implications: An indie drama might thrive on a minimalist, original piano score, which could be cost-effective. A genre piece, like sci-fi or fantasy, might benefit from a grander, thematic score, which would require a larger budget allocation.
• Allocating Funds: Consider your film’s emotional beats. Where do you want the audience to feel, to pause, to anticipate? Factor in music’s role in these moments when deciding where to invest. If music is a foreground element in your film, like in a musical or a movie about musicians, then prioritizing a higher budget for original compositions might be beneficial.

Remember, music isn’t just background noise; it’s an integral character in your film. Choosing wisely and budgeting accordingly ensures that this character plays its part effectively, enriching the overall cinematic experience.

6. Delivery: Different Releases, Different Budgets

Match your audio delivery to your release platform.

• Festival Release: Some festivals demand specific audio standards. Meeting these might require tweaks to your mix. It also enhances festival awards performance to have a theatrical mix that meets the specifications expected by theater playback systems. Invest more here if you can.
• Informal Online Release: Stereo mixes, being more budget-friendly, are often ideal here.  You also will mix it louder for YouTube distribution than you would for direct-to-streaming.  Corporate video, advertising, and news style productions also are often stereo.
• Formal Distribution with M&E: The expense of a fully-filled Music & Effects mix pays dividends for international distribution, as it provides flexibility for foreign dubs. This is a mix with NO DIALOG but it never goes blank. So any production sound hear (footsteps or cloth movements) heard in the dialog track must be recreated via Foley and filled into this alternate mix. It’s REQUIRED by any major distributor. Distributors also want surround as a feature for their product.

Crafting the soundscape for your film is as important as managing its budget. Recognize the potential costs associated with each phase. That can guide your financial planning, ensuring your project not only sounds professional but also remains economically viable. Have a clear budgetary vision toward making a great film…  and it’s got to sound great to be a great film. Plan it out.

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Our studio has participated in every category listed above.  We also have provided turn-key complete audio post packages, managing the entire pipeline. We’ve done this for local NC and SC based short films, national TV series, for films distributed by Lions Gate International and for series produced by Disney…. and more. We’re always ready to help with these things. Please get in touch to discuss your project, or schedule a visit at our Fort Mill SC studio location.