Prep
Estimate the production and export the Studio timeline
Read the script-driven estimate as a model, correct its assumptions, and choose the right Studio turnover file.
Start from a verified breakdown
The Producer’s Estimate reads the Studio screenplay and breakdown. Before reading totals, confirm page count, scene count, locations, cast, night work, and script drivers. Keyword-driven drivers can count dialogue or names as production events, so inspect the driver chips rather than trusting the complexity score alone.
Correct the production assumptions
Use the available selectors for production scale, director, lead and supporting cast, crew or union basis, locations, equipment, VFX intensity, genre, and incentive. The schedule board can supply more specific day assignments and breakdown tags. A top-sheet seed uses the midpoint of each range and replaces the existing sheet, so export a budget first.
Choose Documentary when appropriate
The current form switch supports Feature Film and Documentary. Documentary mode changes the estimate to interview days, vérité work, travel, archival, music, and documentary post assumptions. Detection may suggest the switch but does not make it automatically. Review Sales after switching because form selection can change strategy.
Treat the result as a planning range
The estimate applies stored rates, schedules, and headline incentive terms to script analysis. It is not a quote, payroll calculation, legal position, or incentive opinion. Marketing and print costs may be outside the model, cast spans can remain conservative until the stripboard is built, and incentive eligibility needs a production accountant.
Choose a Studio export
Studio can export project JSON for CINAMATE, a CMX-style EDL for conform, a stitched MP4 from eligible clips, or a ZIP when stitching is unavailable. It does not produce OTIO, FCPXML, Premiere XML, or timeline CSV. Set and verify Master frame rate, then confirm event count, duration, and relinking in the receiving application.