May 20, 2025
Class: Documentary Scheduling & Budgeting
Registration For This Event Has Ended

Learn to create a schedule and prepare a budget for your documentary or unscripted project with Stephanie Dawson!

Overview

This course is for budding producers, enterprising directors, and anyone who wants to understand how to create a schedule and prepare a budget for a documentary or unscripted project. In two sessions, participants will learn how to break down their proposal, making note of the elements that will affect the budget. Then, participants will learn how to create a budget for the project from development, through production and post.

This course will use basic tools that are easily accessible like MS Office products and Google Sheets so that participants are on a level playing field. However, industry standard programs such as Movie Magic, Showbiz and HotBudgets will be demonstrated, giving participants a glimpse into the larger landscape of budgeting and scheduling.

Instructors

Stephanie Dawson
Stephanie Dawson is a producer, line producer, and production manager for narrative, unscripted, and branded content. She is currently a Producer for the national PBS series Great Performances with The WNET Group where she contributed to the feature documentary "Making Shakespeare: The First Folio," and live captures of Shakespeare in the Park "Hamlet" and "Richard III," and Broadway shows "Purlie Victorious" and “SUFFS.”

Her narrative feature film credits include "Down with the King" which premiered at Cannes and won the Grand Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2021, "Maya & Her Lover," "Derek Delgaudio’s In & Of Itself" (Hulu), "Holiday Rush" (Netflix), "Blood Bound," "Kelly & Cal" and "Beneath."

Her documentary and unscripted credits include the feature documentary “At Your Cervix,” and the unscripted series “American Doers,” House Hunters International, The Amazing Race, and America’s Got Talent.

In the commercial and branded content space, she has previously worked for VaynerMedia, Inception Creative, Kampfire, Embassy Row, and Golden Arm.

Stephanie is a founding member of Women Independent Producers, a networking group for non-binary and women-identified Producers. She is on the advisory board for the Hollywood Climate Summit, the Climate Film Festival, and is a member of the WGA PGA Climate Storytelling Working Group.

Date, Time & Location

This event takes place over multiple dates.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Virtual Online

Thursday, May 22, 2025
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Virtual Online

RSVP DEADLINE: May 22, 2025 @ 8:00 PM

RSVP Instructions

GOTHAM MEMBERS: Enroll in this class through your Member Dashboard to receive your member discount.
If you are coming with a guest, they must RSVP independently.
This event will occur virtually via Zoom and be recorded. A video replay link will be shared with registrants in the week following the event.
Not yet a member? The Gotham community has access to year-round programming, resources, and support, plus exclusive perks and discounts. Learn more about membership

Contact

Questions about the class? Contact [email protected]