Photography

scenechronize - film production gets web-based

scenechronize - film production gets web-based
The stripboard page on scenechronize
The stripboard page on scenechronize
View 11 Images
The characters department page on scenechronize
1/11
The characters department page on scenechronize
Additional actors considered for one role, on scenechronize
2/11
Additional actors considered for one role, on scenechronize
The Day Out of Days page on scenechronize
3/11
The Day Out of Days page on scenechronize
Images of one of the actors, on scenechronize
4/11
Images of one of the actors, on scenechronize
The document library on scenechronize
5/11
The document library on scenechronize
A distribution list on scenechronize
6/11
A distribution list on scenechronize
A breakdown element on scenechronize
7/11
A breakdown element on scenechronize
The project news page on scenechronize
8/11
The project news page on scenechronize
The stripboard page on scenechronize
9/11
The stripboard page on scenechronize
A script and breakdown page on scenechronize
10/11
A script and breakdown page on scenechronize
11/11
View gallery - 11 images

If you’ve ever worked on a major film project, you’ll know just how complex all phases of the production can be - scripts and schedules get faxed and/or emailed back and forth, a bazillion phone calls and messages are made and left, and then whenever anything goes wrong (which is usually about once every 15 minutes) everything needs to be rejigged, and everyone needs to be notified of the changes. If only there were some way of posting that information where all the cast and crew could see it, people could make changes to it, and then everyone would be made aware of those changes. Gee, anything come to mind? Yes, it’s a new application for our friend, The Internet. scenechronize is its name, and it promises to save filmmakers a ton of confusion, frustration, time, money and paper.

The developers at Clever Machine, who created scenechronize, appear to have thought of every stage of a production. It includes pages for things such as...

  • The script
  • Breakdown sheets (a list of production elements required for each scene)
  • The stripboard (where the different scenes are laid out in color-coded strips, which can be rearranged to represent the shooting schedule)
  • Day Out of Days (a tally of the number of paid days each cast member works)
  • Call sheets (states where everyone is supposed to be, and at what time)
  • Shooting schedules

Any time a change is made in one area, the program automatically figures out how that will effect everything else, and makes those changes too. Needless to say, users can set limits on which people can make changes to which areas, and which people are notified.

A distribution list on scenechronize
A distribution list on scenechronize

There are currently two versions of scenechronize, one covering the whole production, and one concentrating on the needs of the office. A version for the crew is in the works. The pricing is a little complex, so visit their website if you’re curious.

scenechronize is currently being used by clients such as ABC Studios, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures Television, Columbia Pictures, and over 30 independent features, according to Clever Machine COO Darren Ehlers. If you’ve ever seen the series Breaking Bad, then you’ve seen a production that uses it. We're told they reduced their paper usage by 15% by doing so.

View gallery - 11 images
1 comment
1 comment
Matt McRobbie
I have used Scenechronize a few times, but I would also recommend Setkick. Setkick seems to have a much simpler interface, which makes it easier to use.
I also have been using it on my new iPad of late - which is pretty handy when on set.