📂 How Do I Import a Budget?

Importing your budget into Roll Credits is quick and easy! Just follow the steps below to get set up and start tracking your production spend. 🎬

1. Go to the Budget Tab

Access your budgets here:
🔗 Roll Credits – Budget Tab

2. Click “Import a Budget”

You’ll find the Import a Budget button at the top right of the page.

3. Select Your Budget Type & File Format

From the dropdown, choose your Budget Type, then upload your file in one of the accepted formats:

Budget Type	Accepted File Formats
BlinkBid	`.xlsx`, `.csv`
Movie Magic	`.xlsx`, `.csv`
Hot Budget	`.xlsb`
Showbiz	`.xlsx`, `.csv`
Saturation	`.json`
Other	`.xlsx`, `.csv`

🛠️ Don’t See Your Budget Format?

No worries! If your format isn't listed, choose “Other” and use our template to align your data.

📥 Download Sample Budget Template (.xlsx)

Once your file is ready, upload it to continue. Roll Credits will match your actuals to this budget so you can monitor your progress and stay on target.

Need assistance? Email us at help@rollcredits.io — we’re happy to help reformat and upload your file for you! 🙌

4. Preview & Confirm Your Budget

After upload, you’ll see a preview screen. Double-check the data and:

✔️ Click Continue (bottom-right corner) if everything looks good.

5. Name & Import

Give your budget a clear, descriptive name.
Then click Import to finalize and save it. ✅

👀 What Happens Next?

Once imported, your budget will appear in the dashboard, where you can:

🔍 Track actuals against your budget
🧾 Review cost code breakdowns
🎯 Stay aligned with your financial targets

🖼️ (Insert screenshot or example visual here)

Let me know if you’d like a companion article for exporting or managing imported budgets!

What types of budgets can I import into RollCredits?

Great news — RollCredits supports a variety of popular budgeting formats! You can easily import the following types of budgets:

✅ Supported Budget Types & File Formats

Blink Bid – .xlsx, .csv
Movie Magic – .json
Hot Budget – .xlsb
Show Biz – .xlsx, .csv
Saturation – .json
Other/Custom Budgets – .xlsx, .csv

💡 Using your own custom budget format?

No problem! If you didn’t use one of the software tools listed above, simply download and fill out our production budget template, then upload it directly in RollCredits.

We’ll automatically match your actuals to the uploaded budget so you can stay on track and monitor your spend in real-time.

How do I edit the budget after uploading it to RollCredits?

Once you've uploaded your budget to RollCredits, editing is super flexible. You can modify existing entries, add new sections or line items, and delete anything you no longer need.

To edit your budget:

Navigate to the Budget tab.
Within the budget table, you can directly edit the following columns:
- Code
- Item Name
- Notes
- Awarded Amount
To add new items:
- Click the “+ Add” button in the top-left corner.
- Select “New Line Item” or “New Section” depending on what you want to add.
To delete a line item or section:
- Hover over the section or item you want to remove.
- Click the three-dot menu on the far right.
- Select “Delete.”

How do I add line items to my budget?

Go to the Budget tab.
Click the “+ Add” button in the top-left corner.
Select “New Line Item.”
In the pop-up window:
- Choose the Section
- Enter the Code, Description, and Total $
- Click “Save”—and you're done!

How do I add new sections to my budget?

Head to the Budget tab.
Click “+ Add” in the top-left corner.
Choose “New Section.”
In the pop-up:
- Select a Parent Section (or leave it blank to create a top-level section)
- Enter the Code and Description
- Click “Save”

How do I edit the visible columns in the budget table?

On the far right of the table, click the “Columns” button.
A pop-up will appear listing all available columns with checkboxes.
Uncheck any column you’d like to hide; checked columns will remain visible.

How do I filter the budget table?

On the far right of the table, click the “Filters” button (just below the Columns button).
In the pop-up, you’ll see all your columns and categories.
Use the search bar at the top to quickly find what you’re looking for.
Expand any section to check or uncheck specific filters—this will instantly update your table view.

How do I add EFC and ETC columns to my budget?

Navigate to the Budget tab.
Click “Phases” in the top-left corner of the table.
From the dropdown, select “Phase Editor.”
Click “Add New Phase” and type EFC under the "Phase" column.
Click “Add New Phase” again and type ETC.
Hit “Save.”
Scroll to the far right of the table—you’ll now see the EFC and ETC columns added.

What does each column mean?

Code
A unique numerical or alphanumerical ID for each budget line (e.g., 1000 = Talent, 2000 = Locations). Helps with organization, tracking, and accounting.
Item
The description of the expense (e.g., Director Fee, Camera Rental, Wardrobe Stylist).
Unpaid
The amount that has been invoiced or promised but hasn't been paid yet. Tracks outstanding liabilities.
Actual
The amount already paid out. Verified, completed transactions.
Open POs
Value of open or pending purchase orders—money that’s committed but not yet spent. Think of it as “reserved funds.”
Remaining
What’s left in the awarded budget for that line.
Formula: Remaining = Awarded – (Actual + Open POs)
Helps you stay ahead of potential overages.
Notes
A flexible field for additional info or comments like “Waiting on invoice” or “Pending union approval.”
Awarded
The approved amount for that item. This is your official budget and can change during production if needed.
Unapproved
Expenses that haven’t been approved yet. These may not be reimbursed until officially cleared by production or finance.

How do I code transactions to the budget?

Make sure your budget is uploaded in the Budget tab.
Navigate to the Transactions tab.
Under the Category column, all your budget codes will auto-populate.
Select the appropriate code — it’ll auto-save and be applied to the matching line item in your budget.

💡 Pro Tip:
You can also code from the Review section:

Click the eye icon on the right side of the transaction.
Scroll to Categories and select the appropriate budget code.

Once coded, the transaction will reflect in your budget totals for real-time tracking.

What can I view on the budget page?

On the Budget page, you’ll see all key financial columns:

Code
Item
Unpaid
Actual
Open POs
Remaining
Notes
Awarded
Unapproved

You’ll also have access to a live dashboard showing:

Total Spend
Paid
Pending
Total Budgeted

This gives you a real-time view of how your budget is performing.

How do I export the budget?

Exporting is simple:

Go to the Budget tab.
In the top-left corner of the budget table, click “Export.”
Your budget will download as a .xlsx Excel file.

Can I view transactions and documentation within the budget page?

Yes — that’s one of the best parts of using RollCredits!

In the Budget tab, click any Section to expand it.
Click a Category to drill down.
You’ll see individual Transactions under each Category.
Click the eye icon next to any transaction to:
- View full details
- Make edits
- See attached documents (e.g., invoices, receipts)