Ordering too little prop money leaves a scene looking thin. Ordering too much puts budget into bundles the lens never sees. The answer is not a single number. It depends on what the camera shows, how many takes and set-ups there are, how many days you shoot and how closely the shots match. This guide gives you a method for sizing prop money for any scene, with the real stack sizes and prices, worked examples for common scenes and tips for stretching a small budget on an independent production. It is written for art departments, line producers and independent filmmakers. All PROPPS notes are specimen-marked, non-legal tender props.
The short answer
Count the stacks the camera sees, add the hidden ones that sit behind them, double the count for any repeat set-up and add one sealed reserve. A wallet shot needs a Starter Stack, a desk spread one or two stacks, a briefcase five, and a vault ten or more. Prop money cost is driven by stack size, and orders start at $300 AUD.
The stack sizes and prices
Every product in the New Notes range uses the same stack tiers. Sizes are described by face value, and prices are in AUD.
- Starter Stack: $1,500 face value, $115
- 1 Stack: $2,000 face value, $200
- 5 Stacks: $10,000 face value, $850
- 10 Stacks: $20,000 face value, $1,600
- 50 Stacks: $100,000 face value, $7,500
- 100 Stacks: $200,000 face value, $14,000
Orders start at $300 AUD, so a Starter Stack alone does not clear the minimum. Delivery is free from $500 AUD, and crypto payments receive a 10% discount. Prices come from the live range, so check the product page before you order.
A five-step method
- Break the scene into shots. List every shot that shows money: wide, medium, insert and close-up.
- Count the visible stacks in each shot. Include stacks in the foreground and the background.
- Add the hidden ones. Stacks behind hero bundles, under a bag or on a shelf out of focus still need to be there.
- Allow for repeat set-ups. If the same money appears before and after a handover, you need matching stacks for both sides of the cut.
- Add a reserve. One sealed stack is cheaper than a rush order on the morning of the shoot.
How much for common scenes
A wallet or hand shot
The camera sees a few notes. One Starter Stack covers it, with plenty for continuity. Spend the saved budget on a clean hero note for the close-up.
A table spread or desk scene
A pile on a table needs volume without depth. One or two stacks give a natural-looking spread. Let notes fall loosely and vary the angles.
A bag, briefcase or handover
A bag opening shows a thick bundle at the top. Five stacks usually fill a briefcase to the lip. Put $100 and $50 notes on the visible faces and filler beneath. If the scene shows the same bag twice, order enough matching stacks to avoid rebuilding between set-ups.
A heist, vault or cash room
A vault is where the camera pulls back. Count the shelves, pallets and bags in the frame and work out how many bundles each holds. Ten stacks fills a modest vault. A larger set with pallets suits 50 Stacks, and a full cash room is where 100 Stacks and a wholesale conversation make sense. Read our guide to prop cash for heist and bank scenes for more.
A till or shop counter
A till drawer needs a mix of denominations and a few bundles under the tray. A Starter Stack plus a 1 Stack usually covers a till and a counter, and the combined $315 clears the order minimum.
Prop money cost: what drives it
Prop money cost is driven by four things.
- Stack size. The tiers above scale the price, and larger tiers lower the price per dollar of face value.
- Denomination mix. A scene that needs $100 and $50 hero stacks plus smaller denominations for tills may need more than one product.
- Finish. Matte, double-sided paper with consistent print costs more than a basic print.
- Delivery and paperwork. Free from $500 AUD, and the invoice goes on your production file.
Our guide to cheap prop money explains where cheaper listings save money, and our wholesale guide covers larger runs.
Making a small budget look big
Independent productions rarely buy a full vault of hero notes. These methods stretch a small order.
- Hero on top, filler underneath. The camera sees the top note and the edges of a stack. Put $100 notes at the visible faces and cheaper material behind.
- Fan the notes. A fanned handful reads as a thicker stack than a flat one.
- Vary the denominations. An all-$100 drawer looks staged. Mix in $50 and $20 notes. The best Australian banknote denominations for film and TV guide shows how.
- Use depth of field. A shallow focus blurs bundles in the background, so they do not need to be hero quality.
- Break the line. Open a strap, spill a few notes and leave one stack at an angle. Perfect order looks fake.
- Reuse the same stacks. Reshoot angles with the same stacks, and move them around the set.
For a longer look at a single denomination, read $100 prop money bundle sizes.
Reading the script for cash
Before the first order, read the script and the shot list for every mention of money. Mark each scene where cash appears, note whether it is held, counted, hidden or thrown, and write down how many bundles are visible. A scene that says only "he pays" needs a wallet and a few notes. A scene that says "the vault is full" needs a very different order. Doing this once, early, is the cheapest way to avoid both a thin scene and an overspend.
Questions to ask the director and DOP
Ask before you order, not after.
- Which shots show money, and which are close-ups?
- Is any shot a hero insert that needs a clean note?
- Does the same money appear in two places in the story?
- Will the notes be handled, thrown or dropped?
- How many takes and set-ups are planned?
- Is there a pickup day or reshoot allowance?
The answers decide quantity, finish and how many spares you need. A ten-minute chat before the order usually saves a rush delivery later.
Planning over several shooting days
If cash appears across several days, order the whole quantity once. The stacks match, the paperwork is one invoice and the delivery is one signature. Keep a log of which stacks went where, count them in and out each day and store them with the prop master. Our ready stacks guide covers strapped stacks for fast resets.
A worked budget example
Imagine a short film with three cash scenes: a bank counter, a car handover and a kitchen table. The bank counter needs a till and three hero bundles. The car handover needs a briefcase of cash. The kitchen table needs one stack in a close-up.
A practical order is 5 Stacks for the bank counter and the briefcase, which are shot on different days and can be reused, plus a Starter Stack and a 1 Stack for the kitchen table and the till. That comes to $850 plus $115 plus $200, which is $1,165 in AUD, clears the order minimum and qualifies for free delivery. Keep one stack sealed as a reserve and count them in and out on each day.
Compliance
Every PROPPS note carries permanent specimen markings, is printed on paper rather than polymer and is sold as a non-legal tender reproduction for motion pictures, television, theatre, visual arts and simulation training. Keep the notes under the prop master's control, keep the invoice on file and never spend them. Read the Section 22 guide and the Reserve Bank guidance for the full picture.
Where to go next
Start with the New Notes range, see Money Stacks for counted bundles, or contact the studio with your shot list and we will suggest a quantity.
