An intelligent production assistant that transforms your scripts into comprehensive production kits, including automated scene breakdowns, department-specific budgets, and professional coverage reports.

Film Budget Top Sheet Template & Guide

What Is a Film Budget Top Sheet?

A budget top sheet is the summary page of a film's budget — the one-page overview that producers, investors, and studio executives look at first. It breaks down above-the-line and below-the-line costs into categories with subtotals and a grand total.

Standard Top Sheet Categories

A professional film budget top sheet includes:

Above the Line

Story rights / screenplay
Producer fees
Director fees
Principal cast salaries
Freelance/contractual talent

Below the Line

Production staff (AD, line producer, etc.)
Camera department
Electric department
Grip department
Sound department
Art department / production design
Set construction
Costume / wardrobe
Makeup / hair
Special effects
Stunts
Vehicles
Locations
Post-production (editing, sound, VFX)
Music / score
Insurance / bonds
Contingency

How to Create a Top Sheet

Complete a script breakdown first — the breakdown feeds the budget
Estimate costs per category based on your breakdown
Add above-the-line costs (talent, director, producer, rights)
Calculate below-the-line costs by department
Add post-production costs
Include insurance, bonds, and contingency (typically 10%)
Sum all categories for the grand total

How ScriptKit Generates a Budget Top Sheet Automatically

ScriptKit reads your screenplay, identifies every production element, and generates a budget top sheet with above and below the line estimates plus a full department-by-department budget. You walk into your next meeting with real numbers, not guesses.

Get a budget top sheet from your script in minutes. Try ScriptKit