PreProducer is a browser-based film production system for developing stories, planning shoots, and handling financing and budgets. Story tools include script writing and imports, scene analysis, outlines, index cards, image treatments, character profiles, and storyboards. Production planning covers shooting plans, script and department breakdowns, calendars, call sheets, daily reports, shot lists, and cast, location, and crew lists. Budgeting includes financing and cashflow plans, FFA and ZDF calculations, cost status, regional-effects overviews, travel costs, and equipment lists. Crews can collaborate online, with unlimited film-project employees able to use a project access without per-user licensing fees. It can exchange data with Final Draft, DramaQueen, Celtx, and Adobe Story, and has an API connection to the Lockit Script app. The application is accessed through an internet browser and works across operating systems, including the listed Windows, macOS, and Linux environments. It is not currently available as a smartphone app. PreProducer has a free demo project usable for seven days; paid choices include single-project bookings and subscriptions with a one-year minimum term.
Who it is for
PreProducer suits film professionals involved in making a project, from story development through shoot planning and budgeting. It is a fit for crews who need shared browser access, but not those requiring a current smartphone app.
What is good
- Story, planning, and budgeting tools are in one system.
- Unlimited project staff can share project access.
- Imports and exports data with four named script tools.
- Project files can be downloaded in encrypted form.
- Data is stated to be stored in Germany or the EU.
What to know first
- No smartphone app is currently available.
- Subscriptions have a one-year minimum term.
- Permanent telephone support is not guaranteed.
Verdict
PreProducer spans story development, production planning, and budgeting, while supporting online crew collaboration and several script-tool exchanges. Its browser-based model may suit a distributed crew, but mobile-app users should note the stated limitation.
PreProducer plans and pricing
All plansCompared on film production scheduling software
- Free plan
- No
- Script breakdown
- Yes
- Scheduling views
- stripboard
- Cast and crew tracking
- Yes
- Location management
- Yes
- Call-sheet support
- Yes
