Film Unit Calculator for Budget Creation

The Film Calculator allows the user to calculate BUDGET positions with Services based on parameters like minutes, meters or frames.

Content

• Configuration
• Prepare your Budget Objects (Extras)
• How to use it
• All Formats
• Final Length Of Film
• Adding a second/third Format
• Film Calculator Access from "Menu"

Configuration

Enable new option in Toolbox > Settings > Server Setup > “Use Film Units Calculations” to be able to display a calculator icon in the Budget Window, in the budgets list.

Prepare your Budget Objects (Extras)

a. You can apply film unit calculations on any Extra (Service, Material, Expense).

b. Set the Force Unit Name to either: Meter, Meters, Foot, Feet, Frame, Frames, Minute, Minutes (lowercase/uppercase are also supported).

c. Setup a Custom Field template for these Objects with the following 2 fields:

1 - “Film format” (lower/uppercase supported) with the same value of the format that you want to use. For instance, 35mm.

Here's a copy and paste ready list:

35mm

16mm

8mm

All Formats

"All Formats" - this Service should be able to pick the calculation from any format chosen in the Film Calculator.

2 - “Use Final Length Of Film” (case insensitive) where the value can be “Yes”, “No”, “All Formats”. This will allow to have a service charging for final length of film e.g. 90min, whereas the "Film Length in Minutes" could be different based on the meters or frames.

Copy & paste into selector field:

Yes

No 

All Formats

If “Yes” or “No” the custom field “Film Format” should match, otherwise if “All Formats” value is selected, the format will always match for applying “Final Length Of Film”.

How to use it

When clicking the calculator icon, the “Film Units Calculations” window will be displayed. You can now calculate units based on film format, fps and meters, feet, frames or minutes of film. 

The calculations are saved in the budget and by using the button “Apply To All” in the “Film Units Calculations” window the Budget Line quantities are pulled from the calculation automatically when adding the line/object to the budget.

You can also change the calculation and "Apply To Selected Lines". The new calculation will be applied to newly aded lines. Or select a few budget lines and then based on the recalculation only "Apply To Selected Lines" the new calculation.

All Formats

Selecting a Service that has the "All Formats" will apply always the selected amount from the Calculator matching the Unit Type.

Final Length Of Film

Independent from the calculations based on Format and FPS you can also create Objects (Extras) that are charged per minute of final film. For this we've added the field: Final Length Of Film to the calculator.

It will apply the quantities to those objects with an Object Custom Field called: “Use Final Length Of Film” (case insensitive) where the value can be “Yes”, “No”, “All Formats”. See above. 

This will allow to have a service charging for final length of film e.g. 90min, whereas the "Film Length in Minutes" could be different based on the meters or frames.

On selection of an Object that has the corresponding custom fields set, the amount is filled automatically:

Adding a second/third Format

To add a second format open the calculator and select the other format from the dropdown, choose the FPS and fill in the amounts. Select "Apply To Selected Lines". Next add the Services, select the lines, open the Calculator again and "Apply To Selected Lines" again.

Do not select "Apply To All Lines" as that will overwrite the amounts on all Services that have the "All Formats" selector.

Instead add the lines that should have the new format and then select them and apply the new format to the selected lines:

You can switch between the different Formats and the entered amounts are displayed again.

Film Calculator Access from "Menu"

You can also quickly access the calculator from the farmerswife "Menu" if needed.