# Production Management/Budgets software?



## lighttechie5948 (Oct 17, 2009)

Hi Everyone,


I am the production manager for this annual dance production. It is produced every June, but takes the entire year to plan out and design. I was wondering if there is any good software or templates for making a production budget. I have to keep track of all of the expenses - everything from venue rentals, lighting and sound rentals, and staff salaries to gel and batteries. Then at the end of the show I want to input all ticket sale totals so I can give the producer a final profit.


Does anyone know of any good production management software or excel templates?


Thanks,
Joe


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## Footer (Oct 17, 2009)

I have been building an excel document for the last few years that does most of that. You could build a database in filemaker as well. There are some professional apps out there that can do this as well. Most of them are centered around payroll and purchase orders and not rental tracking. If you want one document to do it all, its going to take some time to build but excel can do it. I do not know of a free template to do it though.


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## lighttechie5948 (Oct 17, 2009)

Footer said:


> I have been building an excel document for the last few years that does most of that. You could build a database in filemaker as well. There are some professional apps out there that can do this as well. Most of them are centered around payroll and purchase orders and not rental tracking. If you want one document to do it all, its going to take some time to build but excel can do it. I do not know of a free template to do it though.



Yeah, I don't need to keep track of rentals, just the totals of the invoices. Would you be able to send me a copy of your excel template?

Thanks,
Joe


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## DaveySimps (Oct 18, 2009)

I spoke at length at USITT with the guys from Tech Planner. I got a trial membership. It is really a great system. 

~Dave



Tech Planner : Home


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## Footer (Oct 18, 2009)

DaveySimps said:


> I spoke at length at USITT with the guys from Tech Planner. I got a trial membership. It is really a great system.
> 
> ~Dave
> 
> ...



I used that a bit a few years back when I was in school and it was in beta. It has come a long way since. Illinois Shakes has hit it hard the last few years and has really knocked a lot of bugs out of it.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 19, 2009)

If you are really just tracking budgets (income and expense) there are some apps out there for that. You can go all out with QuickBooks, which will do what you want it to and more. You probably could do it in Quicken, which would be less expensive.

On the mac side, I found a great program that I use to track my budgets called Easy Money. It is very simple, but very effective.

As hs been mentioned, you can build an Excel workbook or a Database, but you would probably have to design it yourself.


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## Raktor (Oct 19, 2009)

Free Accounting Software | GnuCash


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## Drmafreek (Oct 23, 2009)

I also highly recommend Tech Planner. I worked at Illinois Shakes for 6 seasons and Chad Lowell is an excellent production manager. The other guys that make up the group are excellent technicians and know their stuff. I've tested it out, but don't have the money for a full on purchase yet. It takes a bit to learn, but seems to work very well.


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