What goes into a web series budget?
- Development: story, screenplay and episode scripts, and sometimes a pilot or teaser.
- Above the line: director, writers, producers and lead cast.
- Below the line: crew, camera and lighting, sets and art, locations, wardrobe, make-up, transport and catering.
- Post-production: edit, sound design, music, colour, VFX, subtitles and platform QC.
- Insurance, contingency, legal and production fee.
Factors that change the cost most
- Number of episodes and runtime per episode.
- Pages shot per day, which sets the number of shoot days.
- Cast: known faces cost more than fresh talent.
- Locations versus sets, and how many unit moves are needed.
- Period, action or VFX-heavy scenes.
- Platform delivery specifications such as 4K and HDR.
OTT, YouTube and branded series
OTT commissions usually have the highest production values and strictest delivery requirements. YouTube series are often lighter, with fewer locations and smaller casts. Branded series sit in between: a brand funds a series that carries its message, and the budget depends on how premium the brand wants it to look.
How to plan a series budget smartly
- Write with production in mind: reuse key locations across episodes.
- Block-shoot episodes by location rather than in story order.
- Lock scripts before pre-production to avoid costly rewrites on set.
- Plan promos and social cut-downs during the main shoot.
How BeeHive budgets a series
BeeHive breaks down every episode script, builds a shooting schedule and shares a line-item budget per episode and for the full season. Our founders have delivered 5+ OTT shows and 10+ primetime TV shows, so budgets are based on how long-format productions actually run.