The verdict in three sentences
A production company above 30 shoots a year and 200 freelance crew members hits the limit of spreadsheets: missed registrations, wrong budget-versus-actual figures and film incentive claims rebuilt by hand. Off-the-shelf tools (30 to 120 EUR per user per month) handle breakdowns and shooting schedules well, but rarely crew payroll and each company's own budgeting logic. Custom software at 50,000-100,000 EUR, connected to your existing tools, usually pays back in 18 to 30 months.
What the software must cover, from budget to wrap
The head of production is not looking for yet another scheduler. She wants a continuous chain: the funder or broadcaster budget becomes a working budget, the budget becomes a shooting schedule, the schedule generates contracts and social security registrations, and every supplier invoice lands on the right budget line.
| Module | Key function | Estimated gain (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes and budget | Funder, broadcaster and commercial templates, versioning | 1 to 2 days saved per budget |
| Breakdown and schedule | Script import, locations, roles, shooting days | 30 to 40% less prep time |
| Crew contracts | Automatic generation, e-signature, collective agreement rates | 15 to 25 min saved per contract |
| Registrations | Social security and payroll filings for short-term crew | Near-zero missed filings |
| Budget vs actual | Invoice allocation, overspend alerts | Variance spotted at D+2 instead of after wrap |
| Incentive claims | Eligible spend breakdown, export for the auditor | Claim ready in 2 days instead of 2 weeks |
| Crew portal | Call sheets, notices, documents on mobile | Fewer calls and lost messages |
With 300 freelancers and 40 shoots, a company easily signs 1,200 to 1,500 contracts a year. At 20 minutes saved per contract, that is 400 to 500 hours of admin work recovered each year, a quarter of a full-time role.
Off-the-shelf or custom: the numbers
| Option | Upfront cost | Annual cost (15 users) | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheets and Word templates | 0 EUR | 0 EUR | Flexibility | Errors, no audit trail |
| Scheduling tool only | 0 to 3,000 EUR | 5,400 to 10,800 EUR | Solid schedule | No payroll, no budget |
| Crew payroll suite | 2,000 to 6,000 EUR | 8,000 to 20,000 EUR | Social compliance | Schedule and budget separate |
| Stack of 3 SaaS tools | 5,000 to 10,000 EUR | 15,000 to 21,600 EUR | Quick start | Re-keying between tools |
| Custom core (budget, schedule, contracts) | 50,000 to 65,000 EUR | 6,500 to 9,500 EUR maintenance | Your own workflow | 4-month lead time |
| Full custom (+ incentives, portal) | 75,000 to 100,000 EUR | 10,000 to 15,000 EUR maintenance | End-to-end chain | 5-month lead time |
The right choice depends on volume. Below 15 shoots a year, a SaaS stack remains reasonable. Above 30, re-keying and contract errors cost more than maintaining a dedicated tool.
Project plan and watch points
Such a project runs 4 to 5 months: 3 weeks of scoping with the head of production and the production accountant, 10 to 14 weeks of development in releases, then 3 weeks of acceptance on a real shoot. Three topics must be settled early: contract compliance with the applicable collective agreement, hosting crew personal data in the EU (GDPR), and migrating 2 or 3 years of budget history to benchmark new quotes.
Mini case study
Claire, head of production at a Berlin documentary and drama company, runs 40 shoots and 1,300 contracts a year with two production coordinators. Before the project, each contract took 25 minutes, 540 hours a year, and each incentive claim tied up 10 days per film. After deploying software at 78,000 EUR, a contract takes 5 minutes (430 hours saved) and an incentive claim 2 days (about 80 days saved across 10 eligible films). At a loaded cost of 45 EUR per hour, the gain exceeds 19,000 EUR on contracts and 28,000 EUR on incentive claims, close to 47,000 EUR a year: payback in about 20 months, maintenance included.
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FAQ
How much does custom production management software cost in Berlin in 2026?
Budget 50,000 to 65,000 EUR for a core with budgeting, scheduling and contracts, and 75,000 to 100,000 EUR for a full version with incentive tracking and a crew portal. Maintenance runs at 12 to 15% of the initial price per year.
Can the software file registrations for freelance crew?
Yes, filings can be sent automatically as soon as a contract is approved. On 1,300 contracts a year, this removes the main source of missed filings.
Do we have to drop our current scheduling tool?
Not necessarily. A connector to your breakdown tool usually costs 5,000 to 12,000 EUR and lets you keep what works.
How long before the first shoot runs in the tool?
The first release (budgets and contracts) can be live after 10 to 12 weeks. The full version arrives in 4 to 5 months.
Is crew data secure?
Hosting is in the EU, with role-based access and logging. Sensitive items (bank details, social security numbers) are encrypted.
Let's scope your project. Send us your shoot volume, current tools and priorities (contracts, budget, incentives) and we will price a scope between 50,000 and 100,000 EUR with a 4 to 5 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
