WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING? The album will take 3 full studio days to record. An orchestral recording of this nature is based on 3 hour sessions. We will need a total of SIX 3 hour sessions (18 hours total). This cost could range anywhere from $75,000 - $110,000 depending on where the recording is done. Our aim is to keep the budget low and the quality HIGH! A top-of-the-line recording studio (including ALL costs) will be approximately $5,000 per day ($15,000 total). Mixing with a top Hollywood film (& game) audio engineer (one week including studio and assistants) = approximately $25,000. Mastering will take place at the most famous Mastering Studio in Hollywood (Bernie Grundman's) by one of the most highly regarded mastering engineers in the business... Patricia Sullivan. Patricia has personally worked with and mastered films by John Williams (including Star Wars & Indiana Jones films), James Newton Howard, James Horner, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, John Powell and Mark Isham. Mastering budget for this type of project (both 24bit 96KHz & 16bit 48KHz versions) could go upwards to $7,500. Other parts of the budget will include things like, CD manufacturing based on 5,000 initial units (approximately $5,000), Music Licensing/Mechanical Licensing to the Game Publishers, composers, right holders, etc. based on 5,000 initial units ($5,000), Kickstarter & Stripe fees (10% = $15,000), hiring of a PR firm in both North America and Europe ($10,000), Shipping & Handling of goods, added physical products at certain tier levels, etc.
Musicians (symphony & choir) = $75,000 - $110,000 (Includes all conductor, score supervisor & travel fees)
Recording Studio = $15,000
Track Recording Editing = $5,000
Additional Musicians/Instruments/Studio Time = $5,000
Mixing = $25,000
Mastering = $7,500
CD Manufacturing = $5,000
Music Licensing/Publishing/Mechanicals = $5,000
Kickstarter/Stripe fees = $15,000
7% non-payment from backers = approximately $10,000
Project PR (Worldwide) = $10,000
Marketing (Facebook, YouTube, etc.) = $5,000
Domestic U.S. Shipping & Handling of Rewards = $5,000
International Shipping & Hadling of Rewards = $10,000
Physical Reward products (mouse pads, magnets, balloon, commemorative tickets & passes, Sheet music, etc.) = $5,000
Majora's Mask piano album creation & recording = $5,000
Video recording & editing for the "Making of" documentary = $5,000
Music Orchestrating/Copying/Proof Reading/Printing for new arrangements = $15,000
5% Contingency = $7,500
Taxes on Gross money raised (minus Kickstarter/Stripe fees and 7% backer non-payment) = $30,000
TOTAL = Approximately $275,000 - $300,000