## The Producer's Perspective on Budgets
We spoke to two active Tamil film producers about how they evaluate budgets. Here are the patterns that came up repeatedly.
### What they actually look at first
**1. Shoot days and locations**
The number of days and the location mix is where most budgets either make sense or fall apart. If someone proposes a 45-day schedule in 6 states with a ₹3 crore budget, they don't trust that person's math.
**2. Contingency**
Any budget without a 10% contingency is risky. They immediately ask where the overrun will come from.
**3. Below-the-line vs above-the-line split**
For most Tamil films, above-the-line (director, lead actors, story rights) should be 20–30% of the total. If it's higher, they worry about production value.
**4. Post-production realism**
VFX and DI costs are almost always underestimated by first-time directors. Producers have been burned enough times to scrutinize these line items carefully.
### The single most important thing
They want to work with people who have clearly done this math before. A budget that shows you understand the real costs of Tamil film production earns trust immediately.
Budgets are not a formality. They are your first proof that you know what you're doing.
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