Note: For questions relating to licensing Movie Magic Budgeting or Movie Magic Scheduling product, please click here for support.

1) I have a PC. My friend has a Mac. Can she open my schedules? Can I open hers?

Yes to both.

To go from Mac to PC:

1.Insert a PC-formatted disk in the Macintosh and copy the schedule file to it.
(If your Mac cannot read PC disks, contact Apple about obtaining a program called PC Exchange.)
2.Now insert the disk in the PC and copy the file to the Scheduling folder.
3.Open Movie Magic Scheduling.
4.Click on File, select Open, select "All Files" and choose the schedule.

To go from PC to Mac:

1.Copy the schedule to a PC-formatted disk.
2.Now insert the disk in the Macintosh and copy the schedule file into the Scheduling folder. (If your Mac cannot read PC disks, contact Apple about obtaining a program called PC Exchange.)
3.Open Movie Magic Scheduling.
4.Click on File, select Open, and choose the schedule.

NOTE: If you do not know how to copy files or open folders, please refer to your Mac help.

2) Can someone with the old version (2.x) open a file I've saved in 3.x?

No. Changes have been made to enhance the reliability of Scheduling 3.x files. Therefore, once the file has been saved in 3.x it cannot be opened in 2.x.

3) Is there a way that the 3.x version can write out a 2.x version file that I could read?

No, our programs cannot save or read earlier versions.

4) Am I able to import a script from screenwriter into a scheduling file?

Yes, however it will import the entire script onto the end of your schedule. If the script you are importing is the same script that you used to create the schedule file, you will have to eliminate all redundant strips and keep only the ones where you have made changes.

5) When I launch the program it says, "Mac Hasp not found".

This is an older version of Scheduling. You should contact sales and upgrade to version 3.6 or higher. The dongle is either not connected or was not connected when the machine booted up.

1.Shut down the computer.
2.Remove the dongle.
3.Re-insert the dongle.
4.Restart the machine.
6) I have a super disk on my Macintosh and I am having problems installing Movie Magic Scheduling. It is not ejecting the disk when it asks for another. What is wrong?

This is an older version of Scheduling. You should contact sales and upgrade to version 3.6 or higher. The super disk drives sometimes have problems doing multiple disk installs. You can try copying one disk at a time into a folder on your desktop. Once all disks have been copied, launch the MMS 3.0 installer on the first disk.

7) When I try to open my schedule it says it was created with an incompatible version. What's wrong?

If you are trying to open a Movie Magic Scheduling 3.x file in version 2.x it will display this message because MMS 2.x cannot open MMS 3.x files.
If you received this file through e-mail and you get this message it may be due to the fact that the file is compressed. If the file has an extension that is anything other than .mms it is probably compressed. Contact the person who sent this file to you and find out what software th ey used to compress this file. Once you know, you can acquire the same compression software to open your file. There are many compression utilities online that you can get for free or for a small price.

8) I get an unimplemented trap error on launch.

Make sure you are using the correct version for your computer. If you have a 68K Mac and are using Movie Magic Scheduling for the PowerPC you will get this error message.
In addition, make sure you are using the latest display enabler. There are two versions available. Put the one that works for you in your extensions folder.
Contact Apple Support and make sure you are using the most updated display enabler for your machine.

9) Can you order a network version of Movie Magic Scheduling?

No, our software is not made to install on a network server. Movie Magic products are licensed per seat so it is necessary to buy one package per user. Future releases will enable multiple user log-ins.

10) How do I add int/ext or day/night choices to my schedule?

Click on design and select int/ext colors. Add your choices in this window.

11) After I enter an element, the message box displays "Element doesn't exist".

Enter a semi-colon at the end of the new element.

12) Is there a faster way to go to the next breakdown sheet? Do I always have to click on the right arrow?

There is a faster way! Hit CMD+3 or CMD+right-arrow on the keyboard.

13) How do I renumber the breakdown sheets?

Movie Magic Scheduling can renumber all your sheets automatically but once done it cannot be undone.

1.Go to the Breakdown menu.
2.Click on Renumber Sheets.
14) Can you renumber the scenes automatically?

No, only sheet numbers.

15) How do you make the element quick entry window appear by clicking on the category name?

This is a feature that you can choose in your preference menu.

1.Go to the Edit menu and click on Preferences.
2.Go to the section at the top left called Click on Category Names and choose the radio button that says Double-Click for Quick Entry.
3.Click OK.

16) Why can't I sort my schedule by a category like "Cast".

Sorting by categories can be done, but unlike "Sets", which only have one possible choice, categories like "Cast" have many. Therefore, to sort you must tell the program what order to sort by. For instance: "Sort by "Fred", "Charlie", "Steve". The "," is like saying "then". So all of Fred's strips are first, then Charlie's. If the two appear on the same strip Fred will take priority since he is named first.

17) Board swap does not seem to be working correctly.

This is normally just a misunderstanding of how board swap works. Here's what you need to know:

1.Board swap only saves the order the strips are in for this schedule: it doesn't save a separate copy of the board. What this means is if you delete a strip in one order, you delete this strip for all orders in that schedule.
2.Since board swap only restores the order of the strips that were there when the board was created, then if strips are added to the schedule after an order was created they will not appear when the order is restored. This is normal because they were not part of the order when you saved it. These strips will be placed in the boneyard. To make them a part of the order cut them from the boneyard and paste them into the order, then resave it in board swap.
18) How do you sort strips by set and then by scene numbers?

The directions below will take you step by step through the sort and select process and allow you to save your sort so that you can use it again.

1.Go to your Schedule menu and click on Sort & Select or (CMD+T).
2.Use the Language buttons or type: Sort all strips by "Set" then "Scene numbers".
3.Click the Save button.
4.Name this sorting method.
5.Click Save.
6.Once the dialog box closes, click the Sort/Select button.
7.The stripboard will now appear in your sort order.

19) How do I get my day breaks to show the day of the week?

You will need to do some design work.

1.Go to the Design menu and click on Strips.
2.Double click where the End of Day field is.
3.Change the date string to read: {Date/L} (the /L adds long date support).

If that does not show the date, try modifying your date format to the United States format.

1.Go to your Apple menu and click on the control panel.
2.Click on Date & Time.
3.Click on Date Formats.
4.Change the date format to U.S.
5.Click the OK button.
6.Close your Date & Time dialog box.
7.Go back into your Movie Magic Scheduling progam and now your date will now display the day.
20) My day breaks have the wrong background color.

Click on design and select int/ext colors. Click on day break and select background. Change to the desired color you want (black for instance) then select text and change that to the desired color you want (white for instance).

21) My cast member list in the header board is getting cut off at the bottom.

The design features are extensive in the program. It is recommended that you follow the documentation in the tutorial to aid in the following directions.

1.Go to the Design menu and click on Strips.
2.Go to the Strips menu and click on Switch to Layout.
3.A pop-up menu will appear. Choose the strips you are using. Note: Only vertical strips have a Headboard.
4.The field that controls the Cast Members list is actually controlled on the strip.
5.Adjust the size of the Cast Members field by clicking on the black box in it's corner and either compress the field or stretch it. You may want to move other surrounding fields so you have more room to manipulate.
6.Double click in the center of the field.
7.The Field Options dialog box will appear.
8.You can adjust the columns of the Cast Members list so you can fit more cast members on the header.
9.Change the numbering from Auto to specific. This will allow you to split the columns at a specific number. The number you put in Split Row will cause the columns to divide after that number.
10.When you are done adjusting the columns click OK.
11.If your Cast Members do not display make sure your Cast Members field fits within the borders of the strip.

You're done and it looks just like you wanted!

22) Why do I have an extra day at the end of my schedule?

You have some strips or banners between your last day break and the "end of schedule banner." The program accounts for this with an extra day. Move or remove them from between these strips.

23) My day-out-of-days is wrong: it shows people working when they're not.

This is likely due to banners being around the day strips.

1.Click on Schedule.
2.Click on Stripboard.
3.Scroll to the section of the stripboard that corresponds to the problem area on the Day Out of Days.
4.Are there any banners around those daybreaks? If so, double-click on them.
5.Only "comment only" and "no change" should be checked.
6.Uncheck "permit multiple daybreaks across banner."
7.Click on Okay.

Your day-out-of-days should now be correct.

24) My column headings are not showing for the day-out-of-days.

This is an older version of Scheduling. You should contact sales and upgrade to version 3.6 or higher. The headings will not show in the View window, but the headings will print.

25) In the day-out-of-days the dates of my actors working in or beyond the year 2000 are incorrect. Why is this?

Movie Magic Scheduling draws its time keeping information from the operating system. Apple System Software 7.5.5 or lower does not keep track of time accurately beyond the year 2000.
In order to correct this problem you must update your System Software to 7.6 or higher. Please contact Apple or go to the 7.6.1 update page.

General Scheduling

26) I'm missing all of my reports and strips from my schedule.

You can load the reports and strips into your schedule.

1.Go to the design menu and click on reports.
2.Go to the reports menu and click on import reports layout.
3.A dialog box will open in the Movie Magic Scheduling folder. If it does not, you will need to navigate to the Movie Magic Scheduling folder. Double click on the folder that says reports.
4.Select the name of the report you would like to have in your schedule and click "open". You will now see the template for that report on your screen.
5.To bring more reports into your schedule repeat the steps above. If you want to bring strips into your schedule substitute the word "reports" for "strips" in the directions above.
27) How do you save all the custom colors, reports, strips and settings from a particular schedule?

Your schedule can be turned into a form that you can reuse.

1.Go to File.
2.Click on Create Form.
3.Give it a name and click Save. Any time you want to start a new schedule instead of using the default form you can pick the form you just made.
28) Is there a way I can move elements from one schedule to another?

No, you cannot merge elements of different schedules.

29) I'm having problems designing strips or reports.

Designing is a very powerful feature in Scheduling. While it isn't very difficult there are many things to learn. The Scheduling Tutorial/Manual has an excellent tutorial on all design aspects. It is strongly recommended that you read this tutorial before designing.

30) My calendar is not keeping "days off." In addition, the date is wrong.

Try entering the date numerically (e.g. 5/10/99). The Calendar occasionally has trouble resetting itself. If this still does not correct the date you must reset it manually by stripping all the Days Off out until it is blank.

1.In Movie Magic Scheduling, click on Schedule.
2.Select Calendar.
3.Look at the Global Days Off section of the calendar.
4.Are any of the boxes checked (black)? If so, uncheck them. (click on them so that they turn white)
5.Once you have unchecked the Global Days Off, go through the calendar and uncheck ALL other days off. (A day off is marked with a red X.) Using the arrows at the bottom of the calendar, scroll forwards for at least one year and backwards until you reach 1947, making sure that no days are checked off.
6.Is the entire calendar blank? Then click OK.
7.When it asks if you want to proceed, click OK. After it is finished recalculating, click on Schedule and select Calendar.
8.Now check and make sure that NO days are checked off. Scroll backwards and forwards for at least one year to make sure. If ANY day is checked off (has a red X in it), then repeat the steps as before, unchecking any days that are marked off.
9.If the calendar has NO days checked off, you can now re-enter your schedule, checking any days off that you need. Pay close attention to the Important Note about Global Days Off!
10.When you have reentered your schedule, click OK.

After it recalculates, you should see that your stripboard now shows all work days and days off correctly.
Dates must be re-entered in the calendar every time.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT GLOBAL DAYS OFF: The global days off are an all-or-nothing feature. Meaning that if you are working only one Saturday out of 10, for example, you cannot check off Saturday in the global days off section and then uncheck on the calendar the one day you are working. In that situation you have to manually check off all nine Saturdays that you have off and leave the box unchecked.

31) When I try to paste text into the synopsis field from another program nothing gets pasted in.

The settings are not working correctly.
1.Save your schedule.
2.Close Movie Magic Scheduling.
3.Double Click on your Hard drive.
4.Double Click on your System Folder.
5.Double Click on your Preference Folder.
6.Drag your MMS Settings file to the trash.
7.Open Movie Magic Scheduling.
8.Open your schedule.
9.Go to the synopsis field and put your cursor in the field.
10.Go to the Edit menu and click on Paste.

32) When I view my call sheet, my page count does not come up for each scene. Instead, it gives the full page count number on the first page.

This is a limitation of the call sheet. This will corrected in a future version.

33) When I go to view my location list I only see the location name.

The location category form is not loaded so no other information will print.

1.Go to your Design menu and click Categories.
2.Scroll down your Category List, which is on the left side of the dialog box.
3.Click on Location.
4.Click the Load button.
5.Double click on your Categories folder. If you do not see the Categories folder navigate to your Movie Magic Scheduling folder whereCategories resides.
6.Double click on the file called Location.

34) How do I get my strips to align correctly on the Striperf paper?

Please refer to the Tutorial/Manual for complete instructions on how to align strips.

35) How do I print just the banners and day break strips?

Use Sort and Select.

1.Click on Schedule.
2.Select Sort and Select.
3.In the window, type in Select Strips with "Sheet Number" less than 0.
4.To the right of the window, under Move Strips To, select Highlight Only.
5.Click Sort/Select.
6.Click on File.
7.Click on Print/View.
8.In the middle left of the screen, under Print/View Range, click on Selected.
9.In the middle right of the screen, under Include, make sure the Day Strips and Banners boxes are checked.
10.Click on Print.
NOTE: Many popular Sort and Select statements are shipped with the program and can be accessed by opening Sort and Select, choosing LOAD, opening the "Sort" folder and selecting the Sort and Select statement you want.

36) I have color or gray options set for my strips but they are printing in black and white.

To print colors or grays you must check the Print Strips in Color option in the bottom left corner of the print/view window.

37) How do I get my day break strips to print with black background and white text?

To enable this function do the following:

1.Go to File.
2.Click Print/View.
3.Choose the kind of strips you would like to print.
4.Go to Strip Options.
5.Click the box beside Print Black Day Strips.
This feature is not present in the 3.x version. If you do not have this printing option, please download the latest version of the program.

38) How do I get my comment banners to print out on my shooting schedule?

Printing banners is an option you can choose when you are in the Print/View dialog box.

1.Go to the File menu.
2.Click on Print/View.
3.Make sure Reports is selected under Report Type.
4.Select the Shooting Schedule.
5.Click the Banners box which is located under Include Options.
7.Click OK.
8.You can now enter the location information.