4 Essential Tools to Make Your Film Production a Breeze

Making a movie is like going on a wild expedition, and every traveler needs some tools in their backpack to make the journey a little less treacherous and a lot more fun. Here are 4 tools we recommend to help make your next film project an easy(er) climb!

1. Film Sourcing – Sharing Filmmaking Resources

Shot lists.  Deal memos.  Camera logs.  Storyboards….  Seems like everything requires a template these days.   Luckily, there is a resource for that.  Film Sourcing is an online collection of filmmaking templates, articles, and other tools to help filmmakers.  We love the idea of filmmakers helping other filmmakers.  They have 70+ document templates, and you can start downloading for free.

2. Hedge for Mac – The Fastest Way to Backup Media

When it comes to data management for your shoot, you can’t afford to cut corners — one lost or corrupt video file could cause significant problems.  Hedge is a software for Mac that makes copying and verifying data transfers as easy as sipping a cup of coffee.  We’ve never seen such a “technical” data transfer tool designed to be so simple and beautiful.  Transfers are lightning-fast and every file is verified after being copied, meaning you don’t have to feel stressed every time you format your camera card.  You can also run multiple transfers at the same time.  Hedge offers a free 10-day trial, after which you can use a free lite-version or buy the Pro version for $99.

3. SetHero – Send Better Call Sheets

One thing film projects of all scales and sizes have in common: call sheets.  If you’ve ever had to make one, you know they can be a major pain.  And if you’ve ever had to decipher a poorly made call sheet, you also know they can be a pain.  Enter SetHero.  With this tool, you can build professional call sheets online in minutes (not hours).  Then publish your call sheet to the cast and crew via email, text message, and print.  You can also see who has viewed and confirmed their call time. Other features include watermarked prelims, adaptive precalls, automatic weather forecasts, and instant map links for company moves.  Pricing is per-project and is based on the size of project, but your first project is free!

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4. Moxion – Dailies for the Digital Age

Keeping track of files and edits can get confusing. On top of that, add entering all the metadata from the camera logs and script supervisor notes, and you’ve arrived at Tedium Central.  Moxion says “no more!”.  Using Moxion, footage can be processed in near real-time and uploaded to a secure cloud, allowing collaborators to view footage, comment, annotate, and much more.  It’s designed to be the “home” for your digital assets from the moment you start shooting until you deliver the final film for distribution.  Pricing is per-project and is available upon request.

 

Have thoughts on one of these tools?  Did we miss a good one?  Share your thoughts in the comments.