FILMMAKER TOOLKIT
The verified tools behind the practice. This is a collection of some of our favorite business tools and resources. We’ve personally used everything on this list to grown and run our business, full-scale productions & launch GURL GRANT. From design tools, content creation, planning, organizing, learning, and even legal protection, I only recommend the tech & infrastructure that has proven its utility in the field. We hope you find something that truly saves you time, or helps in some way!
TECH + TOOLS
EMAIL MARKETING
I use FLODESK✷ for all GUEST HOUSE emails + managing GURL GRANT submissions and correspondences.
TECH SCOUTS & FLOOR PLANS
I love using the POLYCAM✷ app for tech scouts and inter-departmental collaboration! Polycam makes it easy to scan rooms/sites to generate floor plans, lighting plans and 3D models when you’re working with a small & mighty team. I use this like a pocket survey team to get as close to accurate measurements while on the go.
ON-THE-GO GRAPHICS
Canva makes graphics easy using pre-made templates as a starting point for free. Great for on-the-go content graphics and digitally native work. Canva is a great design tool whether you’re an experienced designer or a total beginner.
IMAGE CURATION
SHOTDECK is amazing for building, organizing and collaborating on visual decks. I use this to build image galleries for each room, tone & theme for new projects. The image curation is premium-level cinematic (founded by Lawrence Sher), they have a good presence at Tribeca and a partnership with Canva.
IMAGE CURATION
FRAMESET✷ is an amazing resource for stills and videos while building pitch decks. I find that Frameset is best for diverse casting, experiential camera angles & diverse casting. Plus their filtering system is super intuitive and art-brain friendly. Images range from high concept to commercial-friendly.
CRM / CONTRACT WORKFLOW
HONEYBOOK✷ is a powerful business management tool/CRM system that allows you to send contracts, invoices, integrate your calendar, email, handle project management, and more. You can also create workflows to automate these processes which is a huge time saver!
PAYMENT PROCESSOR
STRIPE✷ is my online payment processor. Stripe plugs into just about everything else I use & allows for payment plans (very indie-coded). I also use this for merch orders, invoicing and ACH Bank Transfers.
GEAR & GUILTY PLEASURES
B&H is the go-to NYC locale for film gear, lights, my mobile content set up. Most of my big purchases happen here. Their Manhattan based pickup service is incredible for convenience and speed & their free annual BILT Expo is a gear nerd haven!
ALL THINGS GRAPHIC & PRINT
The OG graphic powerhouse. I use the Adobe Suite for any graphics that I need entire control over, want a heavier design hand on, or any print or book layouts that require grids, snaps and guides. I’m not an expert, but once you know one program, you understand the entire Adobe ecosystem.
SCRIPT FORMATTING
All things script writing, collaborating & formatting. I typically start writing my scripts long-form, in a notebook and messy as hell. Currently I don’t use index cards or anything else, so when I get to the computer I typically have entire scenes or entire scripts done. This is my go-to software at that point.
DIGITAL SKETCHING & PAINTING
One of the quickest ways for me to truly understand a space after a tech scout is sketching directly onto scout images. Rough, dirty, nothing fancy — I plop them into PROCREATE and go for it. It’s usually the first time I start seeing spaces as frames not rooms.
SKETCH TO 3D MODEL
What my fever dreams were made of in design school, but never existed. FEATHER 3D allows you to go straight from digital sketch to model (mind-blowing) and keeps the creative juices flowing while iterating, so you don’t get bogged down with rigid measurements right away.
Please Note : some of these tools contain affiliate links where I may receive a small commission when you purchase through them at no extra cost to you!HIVE MIND
MEMBERSHIPS I’M A PART OF & LOVE
