How to use AppleBoxe

Getting Started

AppleBoxe is a pre-production platform built for independent filmmakers. Every tool connects to your screenplay. Upload your script once and your breakdown, schedule, budget, and crew all auto-populate from it.

Your first project

1. 1Create an account at appleboxe.com and sign in.
2. 2From your Dashboard, click "New Project" and give it a name.
3. 3Open the Script Editor — it opens straight into a blank script. Write, name it, and hit Save. Or import an existing PDF or .fdx (Final Draft) file.
4. 4Once your script has pages, go to Script Analysis and run the breakdown to pull props, cast, locations, and scenes.
5. 5From there, your schedule, budget, and crew have a head start. Open each tool and fill in the details.

How tools connect

AppleBoxe tools share data. When you run Script Analysis, extracted props flow into the Props tool and its Pull List, extracted characters become your cast list, and scene headers seed the Shot Planner. You do not need to re-enter data across tools.

Build Production Plan

On the project page, Build Production Plan reads your extracted props and scene list and generates a first pass of your entire pre-production in one click: budget line items per department, per-scene shots, a crew roster, and shoot days grouped by location. Existing items are preserved — it fills gaps, it doesn't overwrite your work.

Script Editor

A full-featured screenplay editor with automatic formatting. Write in standard screenplay format (Film, TV multi-cam, single-cam, or Short) and export when you're done.

Formatting

The editor auto-detects element type as you type. Press Tab to cycle forward through Scene Heading → Action → Character → Parenthetical → Dialogue → Transition, and Shift+Tab to cycle back — the same muscle memory as Final Draft. Press Enter after a character name to drop into dialogue automatically, or use ⌘1–⌘7 to jump straight to a type.

• Start a line with INT. or EXT. and it becomes a scene heading.
• An ALL CAPS line after action becomes a character cue.
• Type "cut." and press Space to insert "CUT TO:" automatically.

Pages and Continuous view

The editor opens in Pages view — true US-Letter pages that match the imported PDF and print output, with industry-standard margins you can adjust from the Format menu. Switch to Continuous in the toolbar for one uninterrupted scroll while drafting.

Story panel

The Story panel (open by default beside the page) tracks your structure as you write: story beats with plain-English descriptions and status (On track, Off-position, Not found), a tension curve across the script, plot threads, and cast presence. Hit Analyze to detect where your beats actually land — templates adapt to your format, from feature film to TV hour to stage play.

Command Palette

Press ⌘K (or Ctrl+K on Windows) to open the command palette. From here you can quickly change the element type of the current line, insert scene transitions, jump to a scene, and more.

Import

• PDF: import an existing screenplay PDF — pages, scene headings, and elements are converted into editable script format.
• .fdx: import Final Draft files with formatting preserved.

Export

• PDF: standard industry-format script with page numbering.
• .fountain: plain-text screenplay format, readable by most script apps.
• .fdx: Final Draft format for handoff to industry-standard software.

Focus Mode

Click the Focus Mode button in the toolbar to hide all UI chrome and write distraction-free. Press Esc to exit.

Script Analysis

Script Analysis reads your screenplay and extracts every prop, character, location, and scene element automatically. The goal is to eliminate the manual breakdown process and get you into production faster.

Running an extraction

1. 1Open your project and go to Script Analysis.
2. 2Run the breakdown. The extractor reads every scene and identifies props, characters, locations, and scene elements.
3. 3Results land in tabs: Props, Cast, Locations, Scenes, and Insights.
4. 4Verify or reject items to lock in your breakdown — corrections improve future extractions.

Cast, Locations & Insights

• Cast: every speaking character with dialogue share, scene count, role tier (Lead / Supporting / Cameo), and a screen-time timeline.
• Locations: busiest sets by scene frequency, split INT vs EXT.
• Insights: instant production analytics — INT/EXT and Day/Night mix, page counts, and complexity signals, computed straight from the parsed script.

Where the props go

Extracted props flow into the dedicated Props tool (next section) for review, sourcing, and tracking. The Props tab inside Script Analysis embeds the same workbench, so either entry point works.

Props

The Props tool is the art department's workspace: everything the extraction found, reviewed and turned into a sourcing plan. It runs on the industry breakdown-sheet convention — props are violet, and every prop links back to the scenes and characters that use it.

Catalog

The Catalog is the review surface. Each prop is a card with its name, hero/safety/ consumable badges, cost tier, confidence, scene count, and quantity. Approve, edit, or reject from the card; approved props can be highlighted directly in the script editor so you can see them in context.

Pull List

The Pull List organises approved props for acquisition, grouped by method: To Buy, To Rent, To Build, Pull from Stock, or TBD. Add vendor notes, supplier links, and rental windows, then export to CSV for the props master.

Tracker & photos

• The Prop Tracker follows each physical item through the shoot: who holds it, where it lives, and its current status.
• Attach reference photos to any prop or set-dressing item from its card.
• In the Assets tool, "Import approved props" copies your approved props in as assets for QR-tagged check-in/out.

Shot Planner

The Shot Planner combines your shot list and shooting schedule into one tool. Use the Shot List tab to plan camera coverage scene by scene, and the Schedule tab to organise shooting days.

Shot List

1. 1Open a script and go to Shot Planner → Shot List.
2. 2Scenes from your script are listed automatically. Click a scene to expand it.
3. 3Add shots with a number, type (wide, medium, close-up, OTS, insert), description, lens, and notes.
4. 4Reorder shots within a scene by dragging.

• Shot types: wide, medium, close-up, over-the-shoulder, insert, aerial, POV, two-shot, and more.
• Equipment tags: handheld, dolly, crane, gimbal, steadicam, tripod.
• Each shot can include estimated duration in minutes.

Schedule

The Schedule tab shows shooting days and lets you organise scenes across them. Drag scenes from the scene pool onto shooting days to build your day-by-day production plan.

• Each shooting day shows total pages and estimated shoot hours.
• Mark days as shoot days, travel days, or prep days.
• Auto-populate from script extracts scenes in script order as a starting point.

Budget

Track every dollar of your production. The budget is organized by department and auto-populates with line items from your script breakdown.

Structure

• Above the Line: story, producers, director, cast.
• Below the Line: production, art department, camera, grip, sound, wardrobe, makeup, and locations.
• Post Production: editing, VFX, color, sound mix, music.
• Other: insurance, legal, contingency.

Line items

1. 1Each department has a list of line items. Click "Add Line Item" to add costs.
2. 2Enter the name, quantity, rate, and rate type (flat, day, week, allowance).
3. 3The total calculates automatically.
4. 4Mark a line item as approved or pending.

Auto-population

After running Script Analysis, click "Auto-populate" in the Budget to pre-fill department totals from extracted props, locations, and cast size. Treat these as a starting estimate. Adjust each line item to match your actuals.

Call Sheets

Generate and distribute daily call sheets to your crew. A call sheet covers who needs to be where, when, and what they're shooting that day.

Creating a call sheet

1. 1Go to Call Sheets inside your project.
2. 2Click "New Call Sheet" and select the shooting date.
3. 3Set the general crew call time and location.
4. 4Add the scenes shooting that day with their set, page count, and cast.
5. 5Set individual department call times.
6. 6Add any special instructions, advanced schedule, or production notes.

What a call sheet includes

• Production title, date, shoot day number.
• General crew call time and base camp / staging location.
• Scene breakdown: set, description, int/ext, day/night, pages, cast IDs.
• Cast call times listed individually.
• Department calls: camera, grip/electric, art, wardrobe, hair/makeup, sound.
• Weather forecast and nearest hospital.
• Producer and AD contact information.
• Advance schedule for tomorrow.

Distributing

Once a call sheet is complete, use the Export button to download a PDF. Share the PDF with your crew via email or your preferred production chat.

Crew

The Crew tool is your production directory. Track every person on the project — their role, rate, availability, and contact info.

Adding crew

1. 1Open your project and go to Crew.
2. 2Click "Add Crew Member".
3. 3Enter their name, role (department + job title), deal type, and rate.
4. 4Add contact info: phone and email.
5. 5Set their availability dates if they have specific start or end constraints.

Roles and departments

• Departments: Direction, Production, Camera, Grip, Electric, Art, Props, Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup, Sound, Locations, Post.
• Each person has a single primary role but can be flagged as multi-department.
• Rate types: flat deal, day rate, weekly rate, or unpaid (deferred/student).

Force re-populate

If you've made significant changes to your script, use the "Force Re-populate" option on the Crew page to re-run the extraction and update suggested crew based on the new scene count, locations, and complexity.

Daily Report

Daily Production Reports (DPRs) are the official record of each shoot day: what was scheduled, what was actually shot, who worked, and what went wrong. Producers and financiers read these before anything else.

Filing a report

1. 1Go to Daily Report inside your project and start a report for the shoot day.
2. 2Log scenes scheduled vs. scenes completed, with page counts.
3. 3Record crew call, first shot, meal in/out times, and actual wrap.
4. 4Note delays and anything producers need to know about the day.
5. 5Export the finished report as a PDF for producers and production files.

Onboarding

Crew Onboarding collects start paperwork before day one: NDAs, W-9s, I-9s, deal memos, and start work orders. Production uploads the forms once and shares a single link — crew sign from any device, no accounts required.

Setting up

1. 1Go to Onboarding inside your project.
2. 2Upload your production forms: NDAs, W-9s, I-9s, start work orders.
3. 3Copy the share link and send it to your crew (or attach it to their deal memo).
4. 4Watch acknowledgements arrive in real time — the tracker updates live as each person signs.

Tracking

• See at a glance who has signed and who is outstanding.
• Acknowledgements are timestamped for your production records.
• Crew access is free — onboarding never costs your crew anything.

Assets

Assets is gear inventory with QR check-in/out. Track cameras, lenses, props, vehicles, and every other piece of production equipment — who has it, where it is, and when it's due back.

Building your inventory

1. 1Go to Assets inside your project and add gear with a name, category, and value.
2. 2Or click "Import approved props" to copy your approved props in as trackable assets.
3. 3Each asset gets a QR code. Print and tag the physical item.
4. 4Scan the QR from a phone to check gear out to a crew member, and scan again to check it back in.

• Categories: camera, lenses, grip, electric, sound, props, vehicles, and more.
• Check-out history shows who had what, and when.
• Flag items as missing or damaged so nothing disappears quietly at wrap.