In a film budget, above the line is the creative talent whose fees are negotiated individually: the writer, the producers, the director, and the principal cast. Below the lineis everything else: the crew, equipment, locations, and post-production, priced by the day, the week, or the unit. The split exists because the two halves are costed differently, and the ratio between them tells you what kind of film you are looking at.
What does above the line mean?
These costs are set before the shoot is planned. A director's fee does not change if the schedule adds a day; a lead actor's deal is a negotiated number, not a day rate times a count (even if the contract is written in days). Because they are deals, they are usually the first numbers in a budget and the last to move.
What does below the line mean?
Below-the-line costs are built from the breakdown and the schedule. Eighteen shoot days means eighteen gaffer days, eighteen location days, eighteen days of catering. Add a day and every below-the-line production line moves. This is the half of the budget that scheduling decisions control.
What goes where?
| Cost | Side of the line | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Director’s fee | Above | Negotiated deal |
| Lead actor | Above | Negotiated deal, even if written in days |
| Day player (one scene) | Below | Paid at a set day rate |
| Extras | Below | Paid by the day, per head |
| Director of photography | Below | Crew, day or weekly rate |
| Camera package | Below | Rental, rate × days |
| Location fee | Below | Rate × days |
| Editor | Below (post) | Weekly rate |
| Music licensing | Below (post) | Per cue or flat |
| Insurance, contingency | Below (other) | Percentage of the budget |
| Producer’s fee | Above | Negotiated deal |
| Line producer / UPM | Below | Weekly rate; runs the below-the-line |
The line producer is the neat edge case: a producer by title, below the line by function, because they are paid a weekly rate to manage the below-the-line budget. The name is the job.
Why does the split exist?
Two reasons, one historical and one practical.
The historical one is the studio top sheet. Budgets were summarized on a single page with the creative deals at the top and a ruled line under them. The people above the line were the ones the studio negotiated with; the costs below were what the production office estimated. The rule became the vocabulary.
The practical one is that the two halves behave differently. Above-the-line costs are fixed early and barely move. Below-the-line costs are driven by the schedule and move every time it does. Financiers read the split because it tells them what they are buying: a $2M film with $1M above the line is a star vehicle; a $2M film with $250K above the line is putting the money on screen.
What is a typical ratio?
How to use the split when budgeting
- Set above the line first, because those are deals and they are fixed. Know what is cash and what is deferred.
- Build below the line from the schedule, not from a template. Every production line is a rate times the day count. Our day rates guide has the rates; the schedule has the count.
- Put post and other in their own sections. Post is 15 to 25 percent of an indie budget; contingency is 10 percent of the subtotal. Neither belongs hidden in production.
- Read the ratio. If above the line is over a third on an indie, check whether the money on screen is enough to make the film the deals imply.
What comes next
For the full structure of a film budget and how to estimate each category, read How to Budget a Film. The free budget template is laid out above and below the line, with Nightfall's numbers filled in as an example.
Frequently asked questions
What does "the line" refer to in a film budget?
A literal line on the traditional studio budget top sheet. Above it sat the creative deal-makers whose fees were negotiated individually: story, producer, director, principal cast. Below it sat everything priced by the day or the unit. The layout survived; the line became the vocabulary.
Is the director above or below the line?
Above. The director, the producers, the writer (story and screenplay), and the principal cast are the four classic above-the-line categories.
Are extras above or below the line?
Below. Extras, stand-ins, and day players are usually below the line because they are paid by the day at a set rate. Principal cast with negotiated deals are above it.
What is a typical above-the-line percentage?
On indie features, 10 to 25 percent of the total. On studio films with star salaries it can pass 50 percent. The ratio is a quick signal of what kind of film a budget describes.
Does post-production count as below the line?
Yes. Post is below the line, usually as its own section after production, alongside "other" costs like insurance, legal, and contingency.