Budgeting in the New Era: Scripty's Perspective

Hey everyone, Nadine here. I've been a working Script Supervisor for over a decade, mostly on indie features and episodic TV. Lately, I'm finding myself in conversations about budget allocation that feel very different from even a few years ago. My usual methods of predicting needs and estimating departmental spend are feeling a bit... outdated, especially when it comes to post.

I'm specifically thinking about the rising VFX costs that productions are facing, the ripple effects of the new union agreements, and honestly, the increasing availability of AI tools, some of which are already impacting workflows, even if subtly. I've tried to factor in larger contingencies for VFX, and I'm watching dailies for potential AI-assisted corrections, but it still feels like I'm guessing.

So, for those of you who’ve been dealing with budgets more directly, how have these recent developments changed your approach to budget allocation in the last couple of years? What new considerations are you making?