The sheet is a complete bid for "First Pick," a fictional :30 and :15 for a regional produce co-op, shot in one 12-hour day in a stone fruit orchard in Arvin, southeast of Bakersfield. It follows the section letters and summary lines of the AICP bid form's 2023 update, which is what an agency producer expects to see when three companies bid the same boards. For how to scope a commercial before you price it, read how to budget a commercial shoot. This page walks through the form section by section and explains the math.
How the AICP form is organized
The first page of the form is the summary of estimated production costs, with one line per section. The detail pages behind it follow the same letters:
| Section | What it holds | "First Pick" |
|---|---|---|
| A. Prep crew | Crew labor on prep days, with fringes | $8,142 |
| B. Shoot crew | Crew labor on the shoot day, with overtime and fringes | $22,243 |
| C. Prep and wrap expenses | Casting, scouting, office, deliveries | $2,260 |
| D. Location expenses | Location fee, permits, motorhome, meals, security | $6,430 |
| E. Props, wardrobe and animals | Props, wardrobe, picture vehicle, home econ | $3,800 |
| F. Studio costs | Stage rental and charges (not used) | $0 |
| G. Art department labor | Production designer, set dresser, fringes | $4,425 |
| H. Art department expenses | Set dressing, kit, trucking | $2,600 |
| I. Equipment rental | Camera, lenses, lighting, grip, generator, sound, VTR | $7,500 |
| J. Media | Cards and drives | $400 |
| K. Miscellaneous | Petty cash, supplies | $450 |
| L. Director's fees | Prep, shoot, and post days | $10,000 |
| M. Talent | Principals, extras, voice over, fitting fees, fringes | $5,015 |
| N. Talent expenses | Wardrobe allowance, payroll service, agency fees | $570 |
| O. Other | Editorial and finishing on this bid | $8,350 |
| P. Breakouts | Stills, priced outside the total | $2,938 |
Section F stays on the sheet at $0. A zero on the line shows the agency the section was considered, so nobody wonders whether a stage day was forgotten.
How the production total is built
The summary adds the direct production costs first. Sections A through K come to $58,250. The production fee and insurance are then figured on that subtotal, and the sections that aren't marked up are added after.
- Subtotal A to K: $8,142 + $22,243 + $2,260 + $6,430 + $3,800 + $0 + $4,425 + $2,600 + $7,500 + $400 + $450 = $58,250.
- Production fee at 20% of A to K: $11,650.
- Insurance at 2% of A to K: $1,165.
- Director's fees (L): $10,000. The director is on a loan-out, so there's no fringe line.
- Talent (M) $5,015, talent expenses (N) $570, and other (O) $8,350.
- Production total: $58,250 + $11,650 + $1,165 + $10,000 + $5,015 + $570 + $8,350 = $95,000.
The production fee percentage and whether it applies to L, M, or O are negotiated with the agency. The AICP form also has handling fee lines under talent and other sections for companies that charge one. This bid doesn't use them, and the 20% and 2% here are example rates. The AICP's bidding best practices recommend settling at the outset whether the agency's number is "all in," including post, talent, and insurance.
Crew labor and overtime in sections A, B, and G
Crew rates on this bid are quoted for a 10-hour day. The shoot day is scheduled for 12, so section B carries 2 overtime hours for everyone at time and a half, figured as 1.5 x (day rate / 10). A $700 gaffer day becomes $700 + 2 x $105 = $910. That pays slightly more per overtime hour than backing out an hourly base the way the SALT FLATS crew deal memo does. Whichever method you use, check it against California's Labor Code 510 with your payroll company. The two PAs share one row, so that row carries 4 overtime hours.
Prep days in A and art department days in G have no overtime, because prep runs 10 hours or less. Fringes are 18% of each labor subtotal as an example rate: $18,850 x 18% = $3,393 in section B.
Filling in your own bid
- Fill in the job information block from the boards and the agency's bid specs: spot lengths, prep, stage, and location days, and talent usage.
- Build crew in A and B from the shoot schedule, with overtime hours per person in B.
- Enter expenses in C through K from quotes. Put home economist supplies in E and walkies and VTR in I, where the agency will look for them.
- Subtotal A to K and apply your production fee and insurance rates.
- Add the director's fee in L, talent and usage in M, talent expenses in N, and post or anything else in O.
- Price anything the agency asked for separately in the P breakout sections.
- Show contingencies as not billed, with what triggers them. This bid shows a weather day at $31,923: section B, section I, the motorhome, and meals.
Lines an agency producer will question
Usage is the most common gap. The principals on this spot are non-union with a one-year regional broadcast and online buyout written into their rate. If the advertiser later wants national use, that's a new negotiation, and the bid should say what it covers.
Overtime is often left out of B because the boards look simple. A 12-hour day is normal for a food spot with hero product and a moving camera, and the $4,350 of overtime in B (before fringes) is real money.
The weather day gets forgotten until it's needed. On an exterior shoot, list it under contingencies so the agency has already seen the number.
Commercials in Storiara
Storiara's Budget module uses a film chart of accounts, so an agency that requires the AICP lettered sections will still need this form. Storiara is more useful earlier in the job: the setup wizard takes production type, shoot days, and contingency, and the budget exports to Excel if you want to move numbers into an AICP sheet. See the budgeting feature and the commercials solution page.