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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Software to run your post company

Emery Wells

Emery Wells

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The 'business' of running a business always gets in the way of running your business.

From scheduling to inventory and media tracking to invoicing and beyond. I thought it would be helpful to get a list of the software everyone in the community finds useful for running their post and/or rental business.

I've recently been reviewing various software solutions and here is what a short list to get things started.

All in one post production management:
Studio Suite - One of the more full featured post production management apps on the market. This app does it all but the interface still makes me cringe and thought of living in this app from a day to day basis makes my designer bones shutter.
Farmers Wife - More streamlined than studio suite with a paired down feature set.
Shot Gun - Its strong suit is scheduling and they have a few big industry heavy weights like Pixar and Digital Domain but it looks less useful to a smaller shop.

Inventory and Media Tracking
Data Net Intellitrack Check In/ Check Out In industry standard for asset tracking.
Bento 2 A very simple and streamlined customizable database. This is what we have been using for the past year and while it's nice, it certainly has it's limitations and isn't practical for running a shop where you have media assets coming and going by the dozens everyday. No integrated barcode printing. Single user only.
File Maker - This is an obvious one but worth mentioning.

Financial
Quickbooks - nuff said
Freshbooks - elegant online invoicing

Look forward to hearing what you guys use.
 
production management:


we use this a lot

http://www.revolver.info (Revolver Mail)

... its quit simple (network-capable: projectmanagement, email, address book, calender...) - but its free. there is a much extensive version too ... for a little money, though ...

free version: (http://www.revolver.info/de/mail/index.php)

unfortunately it's in german i think ... but maybe there are some german RED users out there :)
 
Emery Wells said:
The 'business' of running a business always gets in the way of running your business.

From scheduling to inventory and media tracking to invoicing and beyond. I thought it would be helpful to get a list of the software everyone in the community finds useful for running their post and/or rental business.
Click to expand...

The most popular systems used by major post facilities are Xytech and ScheduAll.
 
We run StudioSuite at Offhollywood - Version 9 is due in a less than 2 months - has an entire overhaul - iPhone app - web integration - including equipment rental (which we pushed them hard to implement and are driving them crazy with feedback) - and also use 37Signals BASECAMP and HIGHRISE for internal project collaboration - but we would LOVE to be running project management on SHOTGUN based on what we have seen. We looked hard at Xytech and Farmer's Wife - but they didn't work for us on price/performance level.

With respect to Quickbooks - we learned the hard way - you need to be OFF the mac version - and on Quickbooks Pro on a PC for MANY reasons.
 
Rfo said:
Gorilla http://www.junglesoftware.com/home/index.php

Scenechronize http://www.scenechronize.com/

Currently evaluating these for production use.
Click to expand...

Production software is another story - or lack - thereof -

When I tested Gorilla - it was a NO GO - (before Offhollywood I was a production manager/line producer for more than a decade) - you can use it for small stuff - but if you want to invest some time in a solution - this is not the one IMHO -

Scenechronize is the first real SaaS for film production that I have seen.

I don't agree with the price point - but they did a great job. There are at least THREE other apps in development - one we are involved with - that are chasing this inevitable future -
 
Mark L. Pederson said:
We run StudioSuite at Offhollywood - Version 9 is due in a less than 2 months - has an entire overhaul - iPhone app - web integration - including equipment rental (which we pushed them hard to implement and are driving them crazy with feedback) - and also use 37Signals BASECAMP and HIGHRISE for internal project collaboration - but we would LOVE to be running project management on SHOTGUN based on what we have seen. We looked hard at Xytech and Farmer's Wife - but they didn't work for us on price/performance level.

With respect to Quickbooks - we learned the hard way - you need to be OFF the mac version - and on Quickbooks Pro on a PC for MANY reasons.
Click to expand...

Yea Studio Suite has so far been the leader for us as well and I've been watching closely over the past year. Are you using it for asset/media tracking as well or separate system? Version 9 does seem to bring some much welcomed improvements.

My accountant has been yelling at me for months to get Quickbooks off the Mac but I've yet to succumb. Are you using the studio suite integration with Quickbooks?
 
Emery Wells said:
Are you using it for asset/media tracking as well or separate system? Version 9 does seem to bring some much welcomed improvements.
Click to expand...

Currently, we run asset/media tracking on a custom coded solution that Pliny built called Offhollywood Extranet. When we turn the key on Version 9 of Studio Suite we will migrate that over.

Emery Wells said:
Are you using the studio suite integration with Quickbooks?
Click to expand...
Yes.
 
Mark L. Pederson said:
There are at least THREE other apps in development - one we are involved with - that are chasing this inevitable future -
Click to expand...

Hey Mark, how far away are these other apps you mentioned? Do any of them include budgeting tools?

PM sent too.
 
We ended up writing our own in Filemaker. Took some time but really ended up being great. While it does financial tracking as well as all the usual stuff we also use QB Pro to keep the books of the company.
 
Any updates in this area? Did any new solutions get released? I'd love to find a "magic bullet" that handled accounting, invoicing, production related tasks (scheduling, call sheets, budgeting, etc) and post production management. Currently, I need multiple apps to do these things.
 
Did Studio Suite do what you wanted in the latest version?
 
Steve Sherrick said:
I'd love to find a "magic bullet" that handled accounting, invoicing, production related tasks (scheduling, call sheets, budgeting, etc) and post production management. Currently, I need multiple apps to do these things.
Click to expand...

Good luck with that Steve! No such magic bullet. We are running Studio Suite 9 with a LOT of customizations - for equipment quotes, invoices, inventory, post scheduling, etc. - the thing I like the most is that you can export invoices directly into Quickbooks from Studio Suite.

Shotgun for project management and asset tracking ** we are hosting Shotgun's roadshow next week http://www.shotgunsoftware.com/roadshow/ in NYC - you should come by Steve!

Quickbooks Pro on PC for accounting.

With respect to production scheduling, call sheets, etc. - check out https://www.scenechronize.com/
 
simple equipment tracking (code 128 and iphone?)

simple equipment tracking (code 128 and iphone?)

Hello,
I am just looking for something simple to check in and out my gear.
I was hoping that I could just get a label printer (like a brother PT-2730),
print out some code 128 barcodes on a sticker, slap them onto my gear, and then scan them with my iphone to check them in or out.
But I cant find an app for that last part.

I am not a big company, just one guy with a lot of stuff to keep track of and renting it out all the time (or using it myself).

The equipment screenshot of the Studio Suite 9 looks great but all the rest is way overkill for me and the solo user agreement does not work come with iPhone support

Any suggestions of any decent way to do it?
I have some rough DIY ideas, but I am sure I am not the only one doing this.

Bryan
 
Edgar Pitts said:
Are there any Shot Gun users here? How does this compare feature wise with StudioSuite? Thanks.

Edgar
Click to expand...

I can't compare to StudioSuite, but I LOVE SHOTGUN for management of our animation pipeline. Clean interface, tools very well thought out. It's all hosted on their servers (if you want, you can run on your internal server, but it's way easier to let them maintain an upgrade).

Call them for a demo. You can get enough demo time to get it configured and make sure it works for you.

The only think I wish it had was an out of the box integration with perforce for a version stack.
 
We started using Shotgun during the beta and love it. We aren't a digital domain, we're just a handful of artists but it's been an invaluable tool on project managing even small sized projects that need any task-tracking.

It doesn't have any asset tracking although I know they're working on solution that I believe will be going public over the next year or so called Tank.
 
Anyone checked out DAYLIGHT?

Looks like a great Mac/iPhone solution for managing projects, calendars, tasks for small creative business.

Were in the process of checking it out
 
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