Gorilla Scheduling 6 is a traditional film scheduling software with breakdown sheets, stripboards, calendars and cast and crew contact information, along with integration of information like locations, shot list and storyboards. Gorilla Budgeting 6 is a traditional film budgeting software that includes tools like globals, fringes, subgroups, tax credits, determinants, 4th level budgeting, ratebook integration and expense tracking.
Gorilla History
The founders of Jungle Software, makers of the Gorilla production tools, started out as programmers by day and filmmakers by night, so it was a natural fit to use their day jobs as a tool to advance their passion of filmmaking. After making enough modules, in 2002 their products became available to the world. Since then the suite of software that Jungle offers has expanded to many different facets of filmmaking. Born from this were Gorilla Scheduling and Gorilla Budgeting, now in version 6.
Scheduling Features and Options
With Gorilla Scheduling 6 you can import screenplays directly from your favorite screenwriting software such as Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter and you can even import story outline and index cards from Jungle’s StoryO.
If you’re used to a traditional production board, Gorilla Scheduling 6 has a stripboard where you can drag and drop strips over the stripboard and customize its appearance by adding labels, changing to vertical or horizontal view and saving design presets. It can even automatically email a board to the cast or crew.
Keeping your calendar straight for all of the moving parts of a production can be a logistical nightmare, but with Gorilla Scheduling 6 you are able to track the shooting schedule, rehearsals, meetings and location scouts, as well as print cast and crew call sheets. It has an easy to read monthly calendar. You can create blackout date alerts for cast, crew and equipment availability. You’re also able to sync screenplay scheduling from a schedule within a screenplay. With Gorilla Scheduling 6, you are able to show your screenplay and organize it by actions, characters or by dialogue. Also within the program are over 40 different video tutorials for just about every part of the software.
Say you’re building a storyboard to help with production planning or for better communication for your crew. Gorilla Scheduling 6 has a built-in shot library to create a storyboard with shots for each scene, you can also attach cast, equipment and other breakdown elements to each shot. Going one step further, to assist with location organization, you can add location pictures, location maps and other location information.
Getting all of your human resources together through a normal contact sheet is one thing, but with Gorilla Scheduling 6, you can store contacts by job or organization type. For example, you can label a contact as cast, crew, agent, manager or companies, and you can auto-email them all directly from within the program.
Budgeting Features and Options
Gorilla Budgeting 6 is an industry-standard budgeting software with topsheets and account detail levels. Going deeper, it offers special budgeting like globals, fringes, subgroups, 4th level detail, international currency support and customizable captions.
One of the cool features with Gorilla Budgeting 6 is that you don’t have to start from scratch with every new budget. Rather, it has over fifty templates for whatever type of production you’re making no matter if it’s a feature, short or even a documentary.
One of the cool features with Gorilla Budgeting 6 is that you don’t have to start from scratch with every new budget.
You’re able to set-up tax credits for different locations, attach them to groups or create individual tax credits. Plus, you can add an amount, be it a flat rate or percentage, to any production total. It supports multiple currencies and can globally change the currency of your entire budget from one currency to another.
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Track your expenses against a budget and get a real-time balance, so you know when you're on track — or over budget. There’s even a ratebook integration that covers over 13,000 union labor rates, so you're sure to know what things are going to cost. There are over 30 video lessons for Gorilla Budgeting 6 alone, and you can access them with in program. Both Gorilla Scheduling and Gorilla Budgeting are integrated to work well together.
Who’s it for?
This suite of products isn’t for everyone. It has many parts, and gives deep control over just about every piece of information regarding the logistics of filmmaking. However, when a project is big, these tools can be a huge asset, improving efficiency and saving time and money. In some cases, the money saved could pay for the cost of the programs and then some.
Overall the interface is not very attractive; the UI could be better looking and more intuitive. There are so many parts, that it could be very easy to create more data input than is needed. But if that level of detail is needed, these are very strong options. If simple organization is needed, a spreadsheet could work just as well — but the level of detail would be minimal and creating reports would be more difficult.
Value in the marketplace
There are options out there like Celtx that are free and offer screenwriting formatting and management tools like contacts and client organization.For a monthly charge, you get a full range of options similar to Gorilla Scheduling and Gorilla Budgeting. Depending on your needs, that could could cost $10 or $20 a month.
The value comes with how long you might use any program before you need to pay to upgrade, or decide if a lease option like Celtx would be a good fit. It all depends on your workflow and project needs. Together Gorilla Scheduling 6 and Budgeting 6 are $430, and individually, they are $250 each.
If a one-time purchase is less expensive for the amount of time you will use the software, Gorilla Scheduling and Gorilla Budgeting 6 are surely robust enough to cover many, if not all needs. Keep in mind, it’d take around two years of leasing Celtx to match the cost to buy the Gorilla 6 suite, though you may not get the wealth of features.
If a scheduling and scriptwriting tool is all you need and you already subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Story can coordinate a schedule and format your screenplay. Story also has the stripboard integration to make scheduling easier.
Summary
Overall, both Gorilla Scheduling and Gorilla Budgeting 6 are great tools, if you need them. With so many moving parts to a big production, it’s key you stay on time and on budget. But, they aren’t for every production because some aren’t complicated enough to require it. The price is good, but there are lease options out there that are similar but could be costly if charged monthly for too long. Would we recommend it? Yes, but only for more advanced projects.
Jungle Software
www.junglesoftware.com
PRICE:
Gorilla Scheduling 6 – $250
Gorilla Budgeting 6 – $250
Together: $430
STRENGTHS:
- Built in video tutorials
- Deep detail control
WEAKNESSES:
- Too complex for smaller productions
- UI isn't very attractive
RECOMMENDED USER:
- Independent filmmakers
TECH SPECS:
Minimum System Requirements:
Mac: OS x 10.7-10.10, Intel-based Mac, 1GB RAM, 512MB available hard disk space, 1024×768 or higher resolution video adapter and display, Safari 5.1 installed, internet connection (for location maps & weather features)
Windows: Ver 7 (Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium), 8 (Pro and Standard), 8.1 (Pro and Standard, and 10)
Chris Monlux has a large Pez collection, but hasn’t added to it for over a decade. He is also Videomaker’s Multimedia Editor.
