Low-Budget RAW Workflow: $70k+ in extra costs?

Hey everyone,

I'm Antoine, a Camera Op usually working on commercial gigs with ALEXA Mini or V-RAPTOR XL. Recently, I've been approached to DP a passion project, a short film with a super tight budget (think indie festival circuit). The director is really keen on shooting RAW for the post-production flexibility, especially for the specific look we're after.

I was looking into what a true RAW workflow entails beyond just the camera, and some estimates I've seen for storage, processing power, and DIT personnel alone are hitting $70k+ for a feature, even scaled down. This figure feels astronomical for a low-budget short.

My current setup for tests is a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2, and while it shoots BRAW, the sheer volume of data and the potential DIT needs are daunting. I've tried managing some of the data myself with a basic RAID, but it feels like a full-time job on set, especially when I'm also pulling focus.

So, my question is: How are low-budget filmmakers realistically affording a RAW workflow, especially considering these implied infrastructure costs? And what are the absolute most critical corners not to cut if you're trying to keep RAW viable on a shoestring budget?