Directing Thesis Financial Overview

The vast majority of the budget dedicated to each production is covered and directly allocated by the Theatre Program. This includes, but is no limited to, costs associated with shop and technical labor; rehearsal spaces; the performance venue; venue lighting, sound, and video packages; stagehands and crew; lighting programmer(s); stage and production management; administration; photocall; marketing materials templates; and the Theatre Department’s own inventory of stock set pieces furniture, props, and costumes. 

Columbia also provides each Directing Thesis Production with a $5000 discretionary budget that is primarily meant to cover artist fees and custom design elements for each specific production. The creative team led by the Director and Producer will collaborate with the production staff to allocate this discretionary budget as is needed for the show.

Additionally, Columbia will provide standardized $500 stipends to the Scenic, Lighting, Sound, Props, Projection, and Costume Designers.  If a production is not using all six of these design areas, these $500 stipends can be reallocated to other people working on the production, but not to purchase items or supplies, only people.  These stipends are separate from the discretionary budget. Performance Agreements and employment paperwork are still required for this payment. Details on how to process payments for artists can be found here: Paying Artists.

If, after consultation with the student’s Concentration Head and the Theatre Production staff, there is an aspect of a thesis production that cannot be realized within the allotted discretionary budget, third-year students may submit a proposal to raise additional funds. Details can be found here: Fundraising.

Overview

Each production will be sent a link to the master budget for their individual show called the Expense Tracker. This document is the primary budget from which the production staff gets all financial information for the discretionary spending and fundraising for the show. It is a live and collaborative document.

Directors and Producers will be given edit access to parts of the Expense Tracker. It is important to keep this document as up-to-date as possible, so that everyone is operating on the same information.

Expense Tracker Details

There are seven tabs on the Expense Tracker: 

  • Tab 1 - Approved CU Budget: This is your overview of where your CU budget is at.  This tab is not editable by you.  You can use this tab to see what money has been spent and what money is left on each CU budget line.  
  • Tab 2 - CU Itemized Expenses: This where you can see each line item that is impacting your budget.  Production Management will enter expenses into this tab as we purchase things.  If you purchase something that will go on the CU Budget (i.e. something you will be submitting for reimbursement) you can enter those items into the tracker by using the Itemized Expenses form.  This form will be sent to you along with the expense tracker link. 
  • Tab 3 - CU Itemized Estimates to Complete: This tab is editable by the producer!  This is where you can track expenses that have not yet been purchased, but area planned to be purchased.  This tab will populate the estimate to complete column on the Approved CU Budget tab.  This is a great way to make sure you are not overspending budget.  We highly recommend you take advantage of this tab.
  • Tab 4 - CU Designer Stipends: This is where we will track the $3000 of CU Designer stipend payments.  This tab is not editable by the producer. 
  • Tab 5 - Fundraised Budget: This is your fundraising budget.  It works exactly like the Approved CU Budget tab, but this one details your fundraising.  This tab is not editable by the producer. 
  • Tab 6 - Fundraised Itemized Expenses: This is where you detail items purchased with fundraising, and this tab populates the Fundraised Budget tab.  This tab is fully edited by the producer.  
  • Tab 7 - Fundraised Itemized Estimates to Complete: This works just like the CU Estimate to complete tab, only it populates the fundraising budget.  This tab is fully edited by the producer. 

Important Notes

If and when you decide to reallocate money in one line item to another, notify Production Management about the change. On the Expense Tracker, this is usually indicated by changing the Estimate to Complete Column. This will show a deficit in one line item and a surplus in another, but the totals will add up correctly.

The Scene Shop will create the bid for the scenic build, and maintains a separate spreadsheet tracking the actual purchases (linked in the Expense tracker). Unless otherwise noted, please assume that the scene shop will be spending all the money that they projected in their bid. The director and producer will be notified if a surplus or deficit is discovered midway through the process.

The costume budget maintains it's own spreadsheet because much of the purchasing is done with the expectation that 60-70% of all costumes will be returned for a full refund due to multiple sizes being ordered. As costumes make purchases, it is not uncommon for their part of the budget to temporarily appear to be 2 or 3 times over budget. This is normal, and is not cause for alarm. Always assume that costumes will spend 100% of any money allocated to them, unless otherwise notified by production management.

For shows that are fundraising: At least 5% of the discretionary budget ($250) should be allocated on the CU side of the budget.