Short Term 12 Budget

What is the budget of Short Term 12?

"Short Term 12," a drama released in 2013, was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr.. The production budget was $1,000,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Production: right|Short Term 12 was originally conceived by Destin Daniel Cretton as a short film based on his experiences as a line staff worker at a group facility for teenagers where he had worked for two years; it served as his thesis project for his master's degree in film at San Diego State University.

What were the major cost factors in Short Term 12?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Short Term 12."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does Short Term 12's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $1,000,000, Short Term 12 sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Gone in 60 Seconds (1974): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $40,000,000
• A Woman Under the Influence (1974): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,200,000
• Rear Window (1954): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,042,336
• How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $73,800,000
• Raise the Red Lantern (1991): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $16,600,000

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Short Term 12 Box Office Performance

"Short Term 12" earned $1,013,100 domestically and $1,645,164 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $1,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Short Term 12," that break-even threshold was roughly $2,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $1,645,164, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $1,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $1,645,164
• Net Return: $645,164
• ROI: approximately 64.5%

At 64.5%, "Short Term 12" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Awards and Recognition

37 wins & 72 nominations total

Critical Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 98% based on 172 reviews, with an average rating of 8.36/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Short Term 12 is an emphatic, revealing drama that pulls audiences into the perspective of neglected youths." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".