The full workflow

The Complete Splinde Workflow

This is the final guide. Over the past four days, you learned about templates, AddOns, Variables, collaboration, Scenarios and Offer Documents one at a time. Today, you see them work together on one production, start to finish.

The Workflow: From Empty Workspace to Finished Offer

Here is the complete process, step by step.

Step 1: Create the Budget

A new project comes in. Open Templates and pick a template. If your team has saved a custom workspace template (see Day 1: Templates), use that, so you start from the structure your team agreed on as the standard.

Click Use this template, enter the budget name and choose the Project. Your budget opens with the full Section structure, ready to fill in.

Step 2: Fill in the Numbers

Go through the key positions: Producer, Director of Photography, Production Designer, Equipment, Location, Postproduction. For each Cost Item, enter the Amount, Days and Fee. The totals calculate as you go.

On an international production, give any Cost Item its own currency (euros, US dollars, British pounds) with the currency badge on its Fee field. Splinde converts it into the budget currency at a live or a manual exchange rate.

Step 3: Add Calculation Rules

For salary positions, drag AddOns from Insert → AddOns onto the Cost Items:

• Overtime on the Producer

• Markup on the Director of Photography

• Arbeitgeberanteile (employer social contributions) on all crew positions

You set each AddOn's rate and what it applies to, and Splinde does the math. (See Day 2: AddOns & Variables for details.)

Step 4: Set Up Variables

Define the production parameters as Variables in the sidebar:

• Shooting Days = 4

• Prep Days = 2

• Wrap Days = 1

Then link them to the relevant Cost Items: type @ in the Days field and select the Variable. Every salary position that references @Shooting Days is now connected. Change the Variable once, and the whole budget recalculates.

Step 5: Invite Your Team

Your line producer needs to see the budget. As an Admin, open Settings → Team, click Invite new Member, enter their email and choose the Editor role. Once they accept, they edit alongside you in real time, in the same budget. (See Day 3: Collaboration for details.)

Step 6: Model Alternatives with Scenarios

The client wants an alternative. Click Add Scenario, name it "Budget Option B" and adjust the Variables and fees. The difference to Main shows instantly how this option compares, in total and Section by Section.

For a third path, add another Scenario. All paths live inside the same budget. (See Day 4: Scenarios & Offers for details.)

Step 7: Write the Offer and Download the PDF

Open the Offer Document panel in the same budget. Write your proposal text: the introduction, the production approach and any notes for the client. From Insert → Document → Budget Blocks, add a Cost Overview block. The budget numbers fill in automatically.

If the client wants the alternative version, open that Scenario's document from the document toolbar. It shows the Scenario's numbers.

Click Download PDF. Splinde creates a PDF offer document with the budget numbers, your proposal text and all formatting in place, ready to send.

The Complete Stack

Here is everything Splinde gives you in one place:

Plans and pricing

To compare plans and see what each includes, visit splinde.io/pricing.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the product, about moving your existing budgets, or about anything else, write to care@splinde.io or reply to any of the emails from Joshua. Every message is read personally.

Thank you for going through the onboarding. We look forward to building the future of production budgeting together with you.