For Filmmakers
Free production software for your first film.
Write the script, break it down, build the schedule, plan the shots and send the call sheets — the same tools a funded production runs on, free, because a student short has no line in the budget for software.
No credit card. No trial period. Nothing expires.
Why first films get run from spreadsheets
Production software is priced for productions that have a budget line for it. A student short, a proof of concept or a first feature shot over three weekends doesn’t have one, so those films get run from group chats, voice notes and a spreadsheet someone put together the night before.
That holds up until the call time changes. Then some of the unit arrives at the old one, the DP hasn’t seen the revised shot list, and the AD spends the morning on the phone instead of on set. None of that is about how good anyone is at their job. It’s about tools, and tools are usually the part money solves.
Per-seat suites charge for your crew
The common model bills every person who needs real access. Your AD, your DP and your producer each cost money before a single frame is shot — on a film where nobody is being paid.
Desktop licences charge upfront
The industry-standard screenwriting and scheduling packages are one-time purchases per machine, with paid upgrades between versions. Excellent software, and out of reach for a student short.
Free tiers stop at the useful part
Several let you build a call sheet but only send it to yourself, or cap breakdown at a handful of elements. Fine for a demo, useless on a shoot day.
Script to screen, without changing tools
Each stage feeds the next. Break down the script and the stripboard fills itself; schedule the day and the call sheet builds from it.
Develop
Get it on the page
- Fountain screenplay editor — unlimited scripts
- Story Room for spine, threads and character arcs
- Coloured revisions with a full paper trail
- Sides generation and formatted PDF export
Prep
Turn pages into days
- Scene-by-scene breakdown, uncapped
- Colour-coded stripboard with what-if scenarios
- Day Out of Days, generated from the schedule
- Budgets with cost reports and change orders
Shoot
Get the unit through the day
- Call sheets built from the schedule, sent to everyone
- Read receipts, so you know who saw the new call time
- Shot lists with camera metadata and storyboard frames
- Scene and take logging with continuity notes
Crew
Find the people
- Scout verified crew by role, city and availability
- Post a crew call and track submissions
- Off-platform crew join by link, no account needed
- Zero commission on every hire, always
Start from a structure, not a blank page
Narrative templates in Fountain, with the load-bearing beats already marked. Pick one and start writing into it — the breakdown reads it as real scenes.
Short Film
5–15 min
Image → Disturbance → Escalation → Turn → Last image
Feature Film
90–120 min
Setup → Confrontation → Resolution
Proof of Concept
3–8 min
Tone → Ability → The scene that sells it
Where we’re not the best choice
ScenePaper runs in the browser, so there is no offline writing — if you draft on trains without signal, a desktop editor will serve you better. The screenplay editor is less refined than software that does only that, and direct .fdx import isn’t supported, which matters if a production has asked you for that format as a deliverable.
We are also not a drawing tool. If you board your own frames by hand, Storyboarder is free, open source and better at it — use that, and bring the frames here to attach to shots.
Comparing your options first
Honest guides to what’s free in each category — including the tools that beat ours.
Frequently asked questions
Is ScenePaper free for students and short films?
Yes, and not as a student discount — it is free for everyone right now. Screenwriting, script breakdown, stripboard scheduling, shot lists, storyboards, call sheets, budgeting and crew hiring are all included at no cost. There is no paid tier, no trial countdown and no credit card at signup.
What software do I need to make a short film?
Practically: something to write a correctly formatted script, something to break it down into elements, something to build a shooting schedule, and something to get a call sheet to your crew. Those four things are what stop a small shoot from falling apart, and all four are free here.
Do I need a production company to use this?
No. Create a project as an individual and invite whoever you are working with. There is no company registration, no minimum team size, and no verification step before you can start writing.
Can my crew use it without making accounts?
Partly. Call sheets can be shared as a public link that anyone can open without signing up, which covers the crew members who will never log into a tool. People you want to message, assign shots to or collect availability from will need an account, and that is free too.
Will I lose my work if you start charging later?
No. Scripts export as Fountain or PDF, call sheets and reports as PDF, and schedules and breakdowns as CSV, so your work is portable by design. If paid plans arrive they will be aimed at funded productions with large teams, you will be told before anything changes, and nothing you have already made will be taken away.
How is this different from ScenePaper for creators?
It is the same product with a different starting point. The creator templates are built around YouTube, Reels, podcasts and brand work; the filmmaker templates are short film, feature and proof of concept, and the tools emphasised here are the ones a three-day shoot with a real crew depends on.
Go and make it.
Everything here is free. The script is the only part we can’t help you with.