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Getting Started

FilmBase is a desktop application for managing film and television productions. It brings together script breakdown, budgeting, scheduling, and crew management in one offline-first workspace.

Creating a Project

From the Project Hub, click New Project to create a new production. Each project is a self-contained file that you can back up, copy, or share.

Projects are organized around shooting blocks — distinct phases of your shoot like "Main Unit", "Second Unit", or "Reshoots". Every new project starts with a default block. You can create additional blocks in the Production Schedule page (Schedule > Production Schedule) by adding a phase and marking it as a shooting block. Each block can have its own script, stripboard, and schedule.

Typical Workflow

  1. Import your script: go to Script > Script Breakdown and click Import
  2. Tag breakdown elements: manually highlight text, or use auto-tagging
  3. Set your shoot days: go to the Stripboard, type the number of shoot days in the toolbar
  4. Arrange your schedule: drag strips manually or click Optimize to let FilmBase arrange the schedule for you
  5. Assign calendar dates: go to Shoot Schedule and click dates on the calendar
  6. Build your budget: go to Budget > Detailed Budget
  7. Generate call sheets: go to Schedule > Call Sheets, select a shoot day, and export

You can work on any section independently, so you don't need to follow this order strictly.

Download & Install

Getting the Installer

After purchasing a license, you can download FilmBase in two ways:

  • Email receipt: Your purchase confirmation email from Polar contains a download link. Click it to go to the download page.
  • Download page: Visit the Download page directly and choose your platform.

FilmBase is available for Windows (Windows 10 or later) and macOS (macOS 12 Monterey or later).

Installing

  1. Download the installer for your platform (Windows or Mac).
  2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts.
  3. Launch FilmBase once installation is complete.

Activating Your License

On first launch, FilmBase will prompt you to enter your license key:

  1. Find your license key in the purchase confirmation email from Polar.
  2. Paste the key into the activation field.
  3. Click Activate.

Need to re-enter or change your license key later? Go to Settings > Licensing inside the app.