10 Things That Increase Movie Production Costs: Elements to Leave Out of Your Screenplay

1. Crowd scenes

Small staged crowd scenes can look cheesy and fake. Authentic crowd scenes can be complicated by weather and cost huge amounts of money for venues and crowds. Even crowds willing to work for free must have facilities, lights, catering, parking, water, and transportation. That's in addition to the crew and principal actors.

2. Music

Songs that are famous of that people know by name must be licensed for use. If you specify certain song that song must be licensed for use. The first thing a funding company or production company does is add up the costs of the music. A screenplay featuring some music must have music in other parts of the film to balance it. Dogme style independent film making uses atmospheric sounds that can be scored into the editing room print versus a formal orchestra and sound scoring costs.

3. Too many characters

Unnecessary characters or characters not contributing to plot development in the film add a lot of money. These take extra effort to cast and pay for. Try making multiple characters a composite. Instead of three friends on a football team, make it one. If you have an office full of co-workers, choose one to say things that speak for the group.

4. Locales

Film permits, gas, crew expenses, meals, and complexities of unpredictable weather and technical problems make film locations an issue. Expect to offer local Film Commissions money or credit for film use of their city or venue. Use radio, television, and telephone dialogues to cover material developed in scenes that might be cut. Extensive outdoor scenes may suffer in quality if too many days shooting requires the weather stay consistent.

5. Exterior Shots