Art Dept Budget Rule for Sci-Fi/Period Indies: How Do You Balance It?

Hey everyone, Catalina Morales here. I'm scouting for an indie sci-fi short right now, and I've been grappling with the standard 10-20% art department budget guideline. It feels like for a genre piece with heavy world-building or a period film requiring specific props and set dressing, that 10-20% doesn't stretch very far, especially on a tight indie budget where every dollar is already spoken for.

I've tried prioritizing key locations that truly sell the 'feel' of the world, and focusing on practical builds that can be repurposed, but even then, it feels like I'm constantly compromising on things that are visually crucial. How do you all approach this? Do you just accept that the percentage needs to be higher, or are there creative ways to achieve those high visual demands within a more typical indie budget structure for these kinds of films? I'm genuinely curious about your strategies.