Let's take a brief tour of the production book!

 
 

The Production Book Features

 
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CREW ASSEMBLE

Less back and forth / More staying on the same page
  • Enter all project details  - book name, job number, start and end date of the shoot, client, agency, shoot notes, usage terms, and usage start and end date
  • Add crew members to the project and save roles as templates for future use
  • Share access to the book and designate production collaborators as viewers or editors
  • Check and receive crew availability by selecting first option, second option, or unavailable
  • Option, confirm and release options
  • Customize the cover and call sheet by uploading multiple logos to reflect collaborative work
  • Label each crew role into groups as you option for the final call sheet view
  • Send and receive notes during the optioning process
  • Download all pages as a PDF to save to your desktop or share with clients that are still attached to printouts
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SCHEDULE

Less “Where the F am I going?” / More clarity at a glance.
  • Link to corresponding crew members for better task delegation
  • Add personalized notes, location pins for each action
  • Tailor specific call times to every crew member
  • View the days full schedule or view only your schedule
  • Add to you personal iCal, Google, Yahoo, or Outlook Calendars
  • View all shoots in a monthly calendar format to avoid double-booking
  • Get information to crew members quickly by making it public
  • Add New Dates for Pre-Pro meeting, Casting or create your Post Production schedule

 

 

 

 
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TRAVEL

Less planes, trains and automobiles / More door-to-door in a wink.
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ATTACHMENTS

Less fear of the unknown / More in the know.
  • Customize and share individual itineraries for crew members
  • Pick from one of three templates: cars,flights and hotels
  • Attach tickets and important confirmation documents
  • View and organize itineraries by crew member name or project
  • Leave instructions in the Notes section
  • Upload and share attachments with selected crew members or all crew members
  • Share creative briefs, moodboards, location image, casting, wardrobe permits, shot lists, directions and more
 
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BILLING

Less lost checks / More $ cha-ching $$.
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MESSAGING

Less dropping the ball / More dropping a line.
  • Assign Billing contacts with billing address
  • Set final invoice due dates
  • Share individual job billing information with selected crew and vendors
  • Allow agents, vendors and crew to privately upload and label deal memos, w9’s, expenses and invoices to be sent straight to the assigned billing contact
  • Collect and store all invoices, memos, and attachments in one place
  • Skip email and directly contact any confirmed crew members
  • Communicate with crew members within the production book
  • Keep all communication “on the record” in one place for quick referral in the future
  • Create GROUP CHATS and communicate with multiple crew members at once
 
 
 

What type of Lenspire User are you?

 

The AGENT: The Talent  & Client Whisperer

When a job lands on your desk, you act as the first point of contact for the talent and the rest of your agency. You receive every brief, concept, and project detail before determining whether it fits in with your roster. But once it begins, you suffer from MAJOR information overload. With artists that could work up to 20+ days a month, you depend on iCal, Outlook, and Google to keep the agency up and running. Multiply that by 10, 20, or even 50 artists/talent you represent, and you have yourself a pretty complicated schedule (regardless of your pretty color-coding).  You manage, nurture, and protect both your artists and your clients like a mother bear would her cubs. You must always find a balance between the two parties since you have strong relationships with both based on trust, respect and communication. Nothing makes you happier than when you’ve matched up the right artist to the right client and you see those magic words: YOU ARE CONFIRMED!

You estimate, negotiate contracts, introduce people, attend meetings, pitch ideas to clients,  pass along artist needs, challenge and inspire your artists, update websites, social media pages, create virtual portfolios, all while looking for new business. You deal with the fine print so your artist doesn’t have to. Remember that conversation you had with your new client about picking up more usage  6 weeks ago? Of course you do. In the onslaught of new job requests, others move forward, but your role requires an incredible recall for long lost details, so that everyone receives their due. Seeing a beautiful final image is your reward for a job well done but your name is almost never credited anywhere.

From fashion shows in NY, London, Paris and Milan, to red carpet events in LA,  to remote shoot locations halfway across the world, your artists have also become very familiar with planes, trains, and automobiles. Jet-setting can be fun, but for our industry, travel means business.  Itineraries are lost, travel instructions are confusing and tempers can flare when jetlag sets in. As your long day begins to wind down, your phone always pings, “So where am I supposed to be tomorrow?” Hours can be spent trying to track down the call sheet and you are left to explain why, at 8pm, you are just learning of a 6am call time.

Sound familiar? As an agent, you (over)see and know all, but even the most omniscient of industry roles could use a little help sometimes. With LENSPiRE, agents can stay updated on scheduling, send only necessary information from call sheets to artists, upload travel itineraries, and complete invoices all in real time. So your artists walk away with a little more cha-ching, and you have your sanity back.

The PRODUCER: On-Set Juggler & Point-Person Extraordinaire

No matter how many pre-production tasks you accomplish, how many to-do lists you check off, or how many times your assistant reminds you to book the caterer, there is still always something to be done. You thought the call sheet was complete but your client has just added 2 more setups to the shotlist causing delays in getting info to the crew.  No need to fear. You are the problem solver. You focus on finding solutions and are always quick on your feet to make things right. First to set, last to leave you, you are the person that makes sure that all of the moving parts of a production are in order and running smoothly. When someone else drops the ball, you catch it with ease. You are SUPER PRODUCER!

Whether working at a management agency as the in-house producer, production company, or freelancer (we’re talking about you: on-site managers, runners, PA’s, drivers), you take everyone from plan A to B to C, improvising along the way. You handle the negotiating, optioning, releasing and confirming the crew. With multiple clients, photographers, directors, and agents located all across the world, you need to be on top of all travel details. Communication is key and must be done quickly and efficiently. You are the source of information sharing layouts, casting, locations, creative briefs. Toggling back and forth between hundreds of emails to locate paperwork and job details can be overwhelming at times especially when you are working on multiple jobs at once.  You handle petty cash, hotel bills, per diems and give billing details to vendors, agents and crew. You may not have a degree in accounting but when it comes to managing a budget, you have a PHD. When the project wraps and the invoices have been received on your end (it only took five reminder emails), you still receive ZERO credit beyond a tiny blurb on your CV.

You are super organized but you can’t juggle everything on your own nor should you. LENSPiRE believes a producer’s job should be as easy as 1-2-3.

 

 

The Artist: Creative Genius

No artist can afford distraction from their craft. To stay focused on your creative process from the first concept to the final product, you need protection from all of the number crunching, contract writing, and deal making that can crush the spirit of your vision. Multiple emails, travel details, and call sheets can be a total grind, but you still need to be in the know to stay savvy in this business.

After being confirmed, your agent tries to connect you with the creative directors, clients, editors, set designers, photographers, hair/makeup, stylists, and models (just to list a few) so you are well prepped for the job. But even when paired with the best agent, getting all of the details that apply to you can be hard. You suffer airport delays, you have no idea where your driver is, and you never received the right contact info for the crew.

For some artists, you might book projects and work solo, doing it your own way and loving every second of it. Yet even with a studio manager or assistant assigned to the set, you might still need some help with organizing your overall schedule, avoiding double-booking nightmares and organizing your final invoice and expenses. You gain more control over the creative logistics and the finished product but introduce a lot more anxiety into your daily life.

So whatever your style—self-starter or agency-backed—every artist could use an extra hand. LENSPiRE serves as your personal assistant, billing organizer and artistic collaborator all in one place without overwhelming you. We’ll help you manage the details, so you can get back to the big picture - CREATIVITY!

The CLIENT: The Head Honcho

It all starts with you. Whether you are a corporate brand, advertising agency, or magazine, the industry wouldn’t exist without your need to showcase and monetize your product. Your team of creative directors, art directors, art producers, and editors dream big! You get the ball rolling for all events, editorials & commercial advertising by sharing your concepts with potential collaborating Artists to help make your brand vision a reality. Your creatives are in contact w/ the director/photographer/stylist/set designers, while your art producers are busy negotiating with agents and hiring production companies to give you “your creative dream team”, a seamless production and the best possible final results.

The Vendor: Most Valuable Player

Rarely can we say it, but in this case, it’s true. We’d be nothing without you. With your catering, equipment & lighting, studio & location rental, location finding, post production & editing houses, security, local permits offices, trucking, location vehicles and many more, you are an integral part of each and every production. You supply us with the highest level of quality service.

When a job comes in, we reach out to you first to let you know what we need and you are always there for us. You need to communicate with producers, agents and artists before, during and after the job.  You are also in direct contact with your internal and external team members to let them know the level of service your client expects. You need to receive the call sheet, and you send us estimates and final invoices. You hardly ever get to see your name credited but that is about to change w Lenspire.