Budget

Below the line

Also called BTL

What is below the line in film production?

Below the line refers to the budget section covering the technical and logistical cost of actually making the film — crew, equipment, locations, construction, transport, catering and post-production. These are the costs that scale directly with the number of shooting days.

Because below-the-line cost is a function of the schedule, it is where scheduling decisions become money. Removing a company move or collapsing two half-days into one changes this section and nothing above it.

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Budgeting software

Reviewed 2026-08-27

Related terms

Above the line: Above the line refers to the budget section covering the creative principals whose deals are usually negotiated before production begins — story and rights, producers, director, and principal cast. It sits above a literal dividing line in the traditional budget top sheet.
Top sheet: A top sheet is the one-page summary at the front of a film budget, listing each account category with its total and showing the above-the-line, below-the-line and grand totals. The detail sits in the accounts behind it; the top sheet is what gets circulated.
Company move: A company move is the relocation of an entire unit — cast, crew, equipment and support vehicles — from one location to another during a single shooting day. It is scheduled as a block of lost time, typically one to three hours, during which no filming happens.