Record actual throughput
Track attempts, generated seconds, approved seconds, hands-on time, subscriptions, and one-off purchases for a representative scene.
Free production planning tool
AI movie production cost calculator.
Turn runtime and workflow choices into a readable budget. Every result shows the footage, labor, sound, and contingency assumptions behind it.
8Planning inputs100%Formula visible$0Tool cost
Build an illustrative budget
Set the production assumptions.
Start with a planning preset, then replace it with the real terms, quotes, and labor expectations for your project. Nothing here is a vendor price or promise.
Illustrative planning total$2,100$420 per finished minute
1,200Generated seconds25Editing hours$420Contingency
Calculation
1,200 generated seconds × $0.25 + voice + music + 25 edit hours × $50 = $1,680 subtotal.
$1,680 + 25% contingency = $2,100.
This is an educational planning model, not a quote, forecast, or guarantee. It excludes live-action production, hardware, travel, legal review, festival fees, marketing, distribution, taxes, and any item not selected above.
The planning model
Budget generated seconds—not just final minutes.
A five-minute film does not usually require only five minutes of generated output. The useful cost driver is the approved generated portion of the film multiplied by the number of attempts needed to reach it.
- 01
Approved generated seconds
Final runtime in seconds × generated-picture coverage.
- 02
Generated footage
Approved generated seconds × attempts per approved second.
- 03
Direct production subtotal
Generated footage × model rate, plus voice, music, and editing.
- 04
Planning total
Direct subtotal + the selected contingency reserve.
Make the estimate yours
Test one hard sequence before funding the whole film.
Use your real rates
Compare the preset with current account terms, invoiceable labor, music scope, voice permissions, and finishing requirements.
Update after 10%
Apply the tested acceptance rate and editing pace to the remaining shot list, then reserve pickups and stakeholder review.
What the total means
A planning range starts with an honest boundary.
Included in this model
Generative moving-image output, selected voice and music allowances, editing/finishing labor, and a contingency reserve.
Not included unless you add it externally
Writing, storyboards, still-image generation, live production, performers, hardware, storage, travel, legal review, insurance, festival entry, marketing, distribution, taxes, or rights not covered by the selected assumptions.
This tool provides general educational information and does not replace a production quote, license review, accounting advice, or legal advice.
Calculator questions
Before you rely on the number.
Is this calculator using current vendor prices?
No. The model-tier rates are clearly labeled editorial planning assumptions, not live vendor quotes. Replace them with the current terms and charges for the exact tools, plan, resolution, and date you use.
Why does it count more generated footage than the final runtime?
A finished edit normally uses only selected portions of generated clips. The attempts multiplier represents rejected versions, alternate coverage, extensions, handles, and pickups required to produce approved screen time.
What does generated-picture coverage mean?
It is the percentage of the final moving picture expected to come from generative video. A hybrid film may use generated shots for only part of its runtime; the calculator does not estimate the cost of live-action footage outside that share.
Does the estimate include rights clearance?
No. The total does not include legal review, releases, insurance, or clearance work. Voice, music, source assets, likenesses, collaborator permissions, and tool terms still require project-specific review.
How should I set contingency?
Use a reserve that reflects uncertainty. A tested workflow may justify a smaller reserve; a new model, difficult interactions, recurring characters, heavy compositing, or several stakeholder rounds may justify a larger one.
From estimate to production
Turn the number into a controlled workflow.
Plan the scenes and generated footage, read the full cost guide, map the filmmaking stages, or package the finished film for release.