Ep #141: Budgets for Screenwriters - conversation with Paul Dudbridge

Have you ever found yourself staring at your finished screenplay and wondering: how on earth would anyone actually make this? What would it really cost? And does that number make your script more - or less - likely to see the light of day?

Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Dudbridge and I sat down to discuss this, because honestly: knowing this information is your superpower as a screenwriter.

This conversation is GOLD. I thought about editing it down but there's so much that would be lost.  I invite you dive in and just listen to small chunks if you don't have time for the whole thing.  I assure you it's worth your time!

This topic is so much more than numbers in a spreadsheet. It’s about empowering your creative choices, understanding the real-world landscape your story will step into, and giving yourself a much better shot at seeing your words come to life on screen.

We opened up about those big, dreamy scripts—the ones with zombie hordes swarming fifty-foot walls, or epic battles fit for Ridley Scott (and his $300 million budget!). And then we brought it back to earth: what does it actually mean to write a film you can see happening, soon, with the people and resources in your own circle?

Paul and I shared stories - some hilarious, some slightly painful - about those little line items in a script that turn into logistical mountains on set (can we talk about the pig pyramid?!). We explored essentials versus embellishments, how sometimes paring back your vision actually makes it stronger, and why collaboration with your team is the heartbeat of the process. We even tackled those classic questions about locations, children on set, special effects, car scenes, and those subtle details that quietly balloon your budget or eat your precious shooting days.

But what I loved most about this session is that we didn’t frame any of it as a limitation. If anything, we saw it as creative liberation. Understanding what things cost, and why, lets you pick your battles, fight for what’s truly essential, and find magic (or movie magic!) in the most unexpected places. You don’t have to be the line producer or the accountant - but having a sense of where your project lives in the cinematic universe will help you find the right people, frame your expectations, and get your film made.

So if you’ve ever wondered how to write that next script with both your heart and your head - this special episode is for you. It’s about aligning your creative dreams with the practical path to getting them on screen, and learning that sometimes the most beautiful art is born not just from inspiration, but from working smart, collaborating well, and trusting that what’s essential really is enough.

Here’s to stories that make it off the page, and the wild, practical, joyful journey of bringing them home to the screen.

CONNECT WITH PAUL DUDBRIDGE:  click HERE.

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