AddOns & Variables

AddOns & Variables — Calculations Without Formulas

How much time do you spend debugging formulas in production budgets? Getting the AGA right, making sure overtime stacks correctly, double-checking that the markup applies to the right base? In Splinde, all of that is built in. This guide shows you how.

Watch the Video (2:40 min)

[Video Embed: Day 2 — AddOns & Variables: Math You Can Touch]

What Are AddOns?

AddOns are pre-built calculation blocks that you attach to line items. They replace the formulas you would normally write in a spreadsheet — but they are visual, configurable, and they always calculate correctly.

Instead of building a formula like =B12*0.175+B12*0.21+B12 and hoping the cell references are right, you drag an AddOn onto a line item, configure it once, and the math is locked in.

The AddOn Library

Splinde ships with a global library of calculation rules used across the production industry:

Employee Related & Fringes

• Employer Social Contributions (AGA / Arbeitgeberanteile)

• Overtime surcharges on salaries and fees

• Vacation compensation

• UNION / P&H: Union Labor Fringes (US productions)

• Statutory Payroll Fringes — FICA, Medicare, Federal/State Unemployment, Workers' Comp

Overheads & Risks

• Markup (percentage on cost)

• Agency provision

• Insurance policy premiums

• Insurance tax

Taxes

• Value Added Tax (VAT / Mehrwertsteuer)

• Section 50a of the German Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz)

• Import and export tariffs

Social Contributions

• Artists' Social Security Fund (Künstlersozialkasse / KSK)

• Employer social contributions for specific jurisdictions

Browse the full AddOn library →

How to Use AddOns

1. Open a line item in your budget (e.g., "Executive Producer" with a base fee of 850 EUR).

2. Open the AddOn library panel.

3. Drag the AddOn you need onto the line item. It attaches visually below the fee.

4. Configure it — set the percentage, choose the calculation base, adjust parameters.

5. The total updates immediately.

You can stack multiple AddOns on a single line item. For example: Overtime on the base fee, then Markup on the base plus overtime, then Employer Social Contributions on top. Splinde handles the stacking order automatically. The math is always correct, regardless of how many layers you add.

What Changes Are Highlighted

Every AddOn shows its individual contribution to the line item total. You can see exactly how much the overtime adds, how much the markup adds, and how much the social contributions add. No hidden formulas, no cell references to trace.

What Are Variables?

Variables are reusable values that live across your entire budget. Define a number once, reference it everywhere, change it once — and every reference updates instantly.

Common Variables in Production Budgets

• Shooting Days — the number of days on set

• Prep Days — pre-production days

• Wrap Days — post-shoot wrap days

• Standard Day Rate — a base fee that applies to multiple positions

• Travel Per Diem — daily allowances

How to Create and Use Variables

Creating a variable:

1. Open the sidebar and go to the Variables section.

2. Click Add Variable.

3. Enter a name (e.g., "Shooting Days") and a value (e.g., "3").

Using a variable in a line item:

1. Click into any input field in a line item (Amount, Days, Fee).

2. Type the @ symbol.

3. An autocomplete dropdown appears showing all available variables.

4. Select the variable. The field is now linked.

Updating a variable:

Change the value in the sidebar, and every line item that references that variable recalculates. If you change Shooting Days from 3 to 5, every salary position that uses @Shooting Days updates instantly — across the entire budget.

This is especially powerful in combination with Scenarios (covered on Day 4), where each scenario can have its own variable values.

AddOns + Variables Together

The real power is in the combination. A typical setup looks like this:

• A salary line item with Amount = 1, Days = @Shooting Days, Fee = 850 EUR

• AddOn: Overtime (15% surcharge)

• AddOn: Markup (17.5%)

• AddOn: Employer Social Contributions (21%)

Change the Shooting Days variable from 3 to 5, and the entire stack recalculates: base fee, overtime, markup, and social contributions. Every number in the chain updates. In a spreadsheet, this would require maintaining four separate formulas per line item — and getting the stacking order right in every single one.

What is Next

Tomorrow, you will learn about real-time collaboration — how your entire team can work on the same budget at the same time, without version conflicts.

Ready to try AddOns? Open your budget and drag an Overtime AddOn onto any salary line item.