Platform Guide

User Guide

Complete guide to using the QuickSummer Entertainment platform effectively.

Get Started in 5 Minutes

QuickSummer Entertainment is a professional-grade motion picture development platform. It combines financial analysis, AI-powered creative tools, industry matching, and verified pitch submission in one integrated workflow.

1
Register for free — Create an account to unlock saving, PDF export, and a 30-day full Trial. Register here.
2
Open the Calculator — Go to Tools and click "Calculate Your Project." Enter your title, genre, budget, and earnings projections. The model scores your project's commercial viability and artistic merit.
3
Generate a Pitch Deck — Switch to the Deck Creator tab, select your saved calculation, and click Generate. A professional PDF is created from your data.
4
Validate through Greenlight — In the Industry Engine tab, add professional coverage, competition placements, and referrals. Reach a Greenlight score of 80+ to unlock "Present to Industry."
5
Present to Industry — Once Greenlight-validated, submit your project through the platform. It becomes a documented, platform-mediated submission with a legal paper trail.
Recommended workflow: Idea Generator → Calculator → Deck Creator → Industry Engine → E-Pitching. Each tool feeds into the next.

Detailed Guide

1. Motion Picture Liquidation Calculator

The Calculator is the platform's core tool. It models a film's entire financial lifecycle: production costs, financing structure, revenue projections, investor returns, and commercial viability scoring. Based on the QS Motion Picture Liquidation Model © 2003–2026 Jaanus Silla.

1.1 Input Sections

The Calculator form is organised in scrollable sections. Fill in as much as you can — the more data, the more accurate the analysis.

Project Identity

Title, logline, synopsis, genre, release date, language, and distribution strategy. These define how the model classifies your project (commercial vs. festival pathway).

Script & Material Status

Track the development status of your screenplay through seven stages: 3-page synopsis, 30-page treatment, 70-page treatment, rough draft, revised draft, final script, and series bible. Also tracks access to key documents (screenplay, viz/drawing, budget topsheet).

Creative Scores (0–10 each)

Rate your project across: Acting Talent, Story Energy, Story Analysis, Formula, Cost, Audience Rating, Audience Score. These combine into the Creative Quality component of the Success Score. Also rate Creative Aspects: High Concept, Page Turner, Entertainment Power, Story Wholeness, Character Continuity, Visible Trailer Spots.

Team & Talent

Enter writers, directors, cast, and producers with commitment status (Contracted, Soft, Wishlist) and ratings (1–10). The platform computes a Bankability Range — floor, expected, and ceiling presale values based on your talent package.

Team & Key Personnel Assessment

Qualitative fields that are NOT scored numerically but displayed alongside scores: Producer Track Record, Team Cohesion, Key Person Dependency, and free-text Track Record Notes. These provide context that formulas cannot capture.

AI Utilisation

Sliders (0–10) for VFX, Music, Screenplay, Post-Production, Marketing, Dubbing, Previsualization, and Cinematography. Higher AI use improves cost efficiency but reduces the Artistic/Festival Merit score.

AI & Copyright: Heavy AI utilisation in core creative areas creates ownership risk. Ensure human creative direction is documented. See the AI copyright warning in the Calculator for details.
Target Audience Analysis

Define up to 5 demographic segments with age range, attendance frequency, quantity percentage, rating, and score. This feeds into the audience-adjusted GBO calculation.

Comparable Films

Enter up to 7 comparable films with worldwide GBO. The average feeds into the score formula. Use the AI Suggest Comparables button to auto-fill based on your genre and budget. Check "Original work" if no meaningful comparables exist.

Picture Financing ($KK)

The capital stack: Budget, Negative Cost, completion bonds, contingency. Then financing sources in priority order:

  1. Foreign Presales — 12 territories (Japan, UK, Germany, etc.) with confidence tiers and withholding tax treaty calculations
  2. Domestic Presales — Discount, SVOD, Net TV, Premium Cable
  3. Gap Financing — Bank lending against unsold territories
  4. EU Co-Production — Film Fund, Tax Rebate, Equity, Subsidies, Presales, Music/Post deals
  5. Investor Equity — Development and Production investors with return %, recoupment position, and net profit participation
Capital Stack Principle: Deploy soft money first (tax incentives — zero cost), then presales, then gap/debt, with equity as the last and most expensive dollar in. Each financing source has a confidence tier (Confirmed ×1.0, Soft ×0.7, Assumed ×0.3) that affects the bankable total.
Earnings Projections

GBO, PVOD, SVOD/Streaming, TVOD, AVOD, Physical, Foreign, Network TV, Premium Cable, Syndication, plus Ancillary (soundtrack, merchandise, video games, etc.) and Derivative rights (sequels, prequels, TV spin-offs). Use Auto-Project Earnings to fill based on 2025/2026 industry benchmarks.

Marketing

P&A budget, or detailed breakdown: Advertising, Prints Cost, Number of Prints. Plus marketing quality ratings (Reach, Frequency, TV Spot, Trailer, Product Placement, Promotion, Location).

1.2 Output Sections & Visualisations

Data Quality Summary

Bar showing what percentage of your financing is Confirmed vs. Soft vs. Assumed. Scores are more reliable when backed by confirmed data.

Commercial Viability Score (0–100)

Displayed as a range (e.g., 65–75) rather than a single number to avoid false precision. The band widens when more inputs are speculative. Verdict: Likely Strong Prospect (65+), Potential Moderate Prospect (40–64), or Likely Needs Development (<40).

Artistic / Festival Merit Score (0–100)

Separate assessment for festival/art-house pathway. Rewards creative depth, execution ambition, original work, EU co-production coverage. Penalises heavy AI use.

Pathway Recommendation

Classifies your project: Studio/Commercial System, Festival/Subsidised System, Dual Potential, or Needs Development. Non-English films (except dubbed animation) and documentaries are auto-classified to the festival pathway.

Innovation Acknowledgment

If your project is marked as "Original work" or "Unconventional genre hybrid" and scores below 65, a banner explains that the model may undervalue genuinely disruptive ideas.

Beyond the Numbers

Lists what the scores do NOT capture: director vision, cultural timing, team chemistry, legal standing, market conditions.

Market Context & Model Assumptions

Collapsible panel showing the model's calibration year, key assumptions, and a warning that formulas are static while markets are dynamic.

Market Risk Flags

Five external risk factors rated as No Risk / Low / Moderate / High: genre saturation, competing releases, regulatory risk, currency volatility, platform slowdown. Use the AI Research & Analysis button to search the web for current data on each factor.

Input Consistency Checks

Automatic warnings when input combinations are implausible (e.g., all creative scores maxed on a micro budget, GBO far exceeding comparables).

Recoupment Waterfall

Visual breakdown of how revenue flows back to investors, producers, and participants in priority order. Shows distribution fees, P&A deductions, investor returns, and profit participation.

Scenario Analysis

Conservative (−30%), Base, and Optimistic (+30%) revenue projections with producer net and ROI for each scenario.

Break-Even Analysis

Minimum GBO needed for the project to break even.

Financing Stack

Visual stacked bar showing how the negative cost is covered by each financing layer. Colour saturation indicates confidence level.

Risk Concentration Map

Groups all financing by confidence tier (Secured / Probable / Speculative) with a risk bar and detailed breakdown. Requires budget + at least one financing source.

Distribution Deal Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of Studio Wide-Release, Independent Distribution, and Self-Distribution models.

Festival Calendar & Submission Timeline

For festival-route projects: relevant festival deadlines based on genre and language. Includes A-list and major festivals with submission windows.

Market Timing & Release Window

Genre-specific release window recommendations (best and good windows) with strategic notes.

1.3 AI-Powered Features

  • Auto-Project Earnings — Fills earnings projections from 2025/2026 industry benchmarks based on your genre and budget
  • AI Suggest Comparables — Finds 7 real comparable films matching your genre, budget, and audience profile
  • AI Research & Analysis — Searches the live web for current market risk data (uses Google Search grounding)
  • Talent Verification — Verifies talent availability and credits

2. AI Idea Generator

Brainstorm film concepts with AI assistance. Two creative sliders shape the output:

  • Auteur ↔ Formula (1–10) — Personal artistic vision vs. commercial genre-driven approach
  • Classic ↔ Revolutionary (1–10) — Traditional storytelling vs. subversive rule-breaking

Enter a seed concept (theme, premise, or rough idea), optionally check "Better World" for socially conscious ideas, then click Generate AI Ideas. The system produces 5–10 concept cards with loglines, genre classifications, and creative justifications.

Each generated idea has action buttons: create more variations, feed into Calculator, feed into E-Pitching, or save to your projects.

3. E-Pitching

Structured pitch submission with legal documentation. Before submitting, you must accept a Literary Release Agreement confirming you own or control the material.

The pitch form captures: title, logline, genre, budget range, synopsis, target audience, script status, trailer/links, and contact information. You can set visibility (who can view your submission) and specify target recipients.

Best practice: Complete your Calculator analysis and generate a pitch deck before submitting an E-Pitch. The combination of financial analysis + professional deck + formal pitch creates the strongest impression.

4. Deck Creator

Generates professional pitch deck PDFs from your Calculator data. Select a project source (saved calculation or sample), choose Full or Summary style, and click Generate.

The deck includes up to 14 slides: Title, Summary, Why This Movie, Story, Comparables & Audience, Financing, Earnings, The Offer, Team, Contact, Project Assessment (score circles), and Internal Greenlight (if validated).

Title and score slides feature a cinematic film camera filter with grain, vignette, and sprocket details. Data slides remain clean for readability.

  • Free tier: QS watermark on all slides
  • Pro tier: Watermark-free, AI-generated "Why This Movie" narrative

5. Industry Engine & Greenlight

The Industry Engine validates your project through multiple channels and, when sufficient validation is achieved, enables platform-mediated industry submission.

5.1 Internal Greenlight System

The Greenlight score (0–100, displayed as a range) combines five components:

  • Calculator Score (40%) — Your commercial viability score (minimum 70 required to enter)
  • Professional Coverage (25%) — Script coverage from recognised readers (Recommend/Consider/Pass ratings)
  • Warm Referrals (20%) — Industry connections with role and relationship bonuses
  • Project Completeness (10%) — How many key fields are filled
  • Competition Placements (5%) — Festival/competition results (supplementary, not primary)
  • Legal/IP Checklist Bonus (+2 pts max) — Due diligence documentation

Levels: Likely Industry Ready (80+), Likely Development Ready (70–79), In Development (<70).

Ten-item checklist covering what formulas cannot verify:

  1. Chain of title documentation
  2. Copyright registration / IP ownership
  3. Option/purchase agreements for source material
  4. Life rights clearances (biographical projects)
  5. Music rights / licensing agreements
  6. E&O insurance eligibility
  7. Corporate formation documents
  8. Cap table / ownership structure
  9. No pending litigation on project IP
  10. Guild/union compliance (SAG, WGA, DGA)
Chain of Title (Moore): A brilliant film with a flawed chain of title is legally un-distributable. Every contributor must sign work-for-hire agreements. E&O insurance — required by all distributors — cannot be obtained without a clean chain of title.

5.3 Coverage Requests

Professional script coverage is the single most impactful validation signal for your Greenlight score (25% weight). Coverage provides an independent, professional assessment of your screenplay's commercial and creative merit.

Adding Existing Coverage

If you already have coverage from a reader or service, log it directly in the "Professional Coverage & Reader Notes" section:

  • Source — Name of the reader or coverage service (e.g., "The Black List", "Coverfly", "Industry Reader")
  • Rating — Select the result: Recommend, Consider, Pass, or numeric score (8–10, 6–7, 1–5)
  • Upload proof — Attach the coverage PDF to strengthen credibility

Multiple coverage entries accumulate. Each is weighted into the Greenlight score: Recommend = 100 pts, Consider = 60 pts, Pass = 10 pts, numeric 8–10 = 100 pts, 6–7 = 50 pts, 1–5 = 10 pts.

Requesting New Coverage

If you need professional coverage, use the built-in request system:

1
Select Coverage Type: Standard Coverage, Detailed Coverage + Notes (10–15 pages), or Rush Coverage (48h turnaround).
2
Select Script Status: Final Draft, Polish Draft, Revision Draft, or First Draft.
3
Add optional Notes for Reader (up to 500 characters) — highlight specific areas you want assessed: structure, character, dialogue, market positioning.
4
Click Request Coverage. Your request is submitted and queued for assignment to a professional reader.
Best strategy: Aim for 2–3 coverage entries from different sources. A "Recommend" from a recognised reader is the fastest way to push your Greenlight score above 80. Coverage from prestigious services (Nicholl, Black List) carries additional weight in industry perception.

5.4 Warm Introductions

Cold outreach rarely works in the film industry. The Warm Introductions system connects you to industry professionals through documented, platform-mediated introductions rather than unsolicited contact.

Browsing Members Open to Introductions

Platform members who have enabled "Open to Introductions" in their profile are discoverable. Each profile shows:

  • Name, role, company, and years of experience
  • Genres and budget ranges they work with
  • What they're seeking: Financing, Distribution, Co-Production, Talent, Sales Agent, Mentoring, Networking, or Projects to Invest In
  • Membership tier and reputation (karma score)
Sending an Introduction Request
1
Find a relevant professional and click Request Introduction.
2
Write a Context Note (minimum 100 characters) explaining why this connection is valuable — what you're working on, what you're looking for, and why this person is a good fit. Generic messages are less likely to be accepted.
3
Submit. The recipient is notified and has 14 days to accept or decline.

Rate limits by tier: Free = 2/week, Trial = 5/week, Pro = 10/week, Partner = 15/week. You cannot send duplicate requests to the same person while one is pending.

When Your Introduction is Accepted

Once accepted, both parties' contact details are revealed (email, phone, LinkedIn, website). The introduction is documented on the platform, creating a verifiable record of the connection.

Karma System

When an established professional (Pro tier or Greenlight 50+) introduces themselves to a newer member (Free/Trial tier, 0–5 years experience), the platform creates a karma debt: the recipient is encouraged to make 3 warm introductions of their own to pay it forward. This keeps the community network growing.

Contact Network Analyser (Post-Greenlight)

After achieving Greenlight status, an advanced feature unlocks: import your professional network (LinkedIn, Gmail, Outlook, or paste contacts in CSV format) and the platform identifies warm paths — which of your existing contacts can introduce you to the industry entities recommended by the matching engine.

  • Upload CSV/TXT/VCF or paste contacts (up to 5,000)
  • Optionally use AI Enrich to fill missing company/role data
  • Click Analyse Warm Paths to find connections to your target entities
  • Results show: Your Contact → Target Entity, with confidence scoring
Escrow-Based Introduction Payments

For high-value introductions, you can offer payment held in escrow. Specify who you need an introduction to, the amount ($10–$5,000), and context notes. Payment is released only after you confirm the introduction was made satisfactorily.

Warm referrals account for 20% of your Greenlight score. Each referral is weighted by the contact's role (Agent/Manager/Attorney/Executive/Producer = higher bonus) and relationship type (Attached > Endorsed > Interested). Focus on quality over quantity — one attached producer is worth more than five "interested" contacts.

5.5 Industry Matchmaking

The Industry Matching Engine uses AI to analyse your project and recommend specific industry professionals, companies, and organisations that match your project's profile, pathway, and needs.

How It Works
1
Score gate: Your Calculator score must be 70+ to access the matching engine. This ensures only substantive projects enter the matching system.
2
Project analysis: The AI analyses your project data — genre, budget, creative scores, talent attachments, language, earnings projections — and classifies it into a pathway.
3
Pathway classification: Your project is routed to one of three systems:
  • Studio / Commercial System — High formula score (≥7), larger budgets. Matched with studios, completion bond companies, production lending banks, wide-release distributors.
  • Art / Festival / Subsidised System — Auto-triggered for non-English films, documentaries, or projects with strong artistic merit. Matched with film funds, co-production partners, festival strategists, art-house distributors.
  • Hybrid Approach — Projects with both commercial and artistic potential. Matched across both systems.
4
Entity recommendations: The engine returns matched entities across up to 15 categories, each with a fit score, explanation, and actionable details.
Entity Categories

Depending on your pathway, recommendations appear in these categories:

  • Producers & Production Companies — Companies whose slate and speciality match your project
  • Directors & Writers — If your project needs creative attachments
  • Talent Agencies & Casting — Agencies representing actors suited to your genre and budget
  • Financiers & Investors (commercial) / Film Funds (festival) — Investment sources matching your deal type and budget tier
  • International Sales Agents — With market presence (AFM, EFM, Cannes, TIFF), territory coverage, and commission ranges
  • Distributors — With deal info (MG range, terms), acquiring status, and territory coverage
  • Completion Bond Companies & Production Lending Banks (studio route only)
  • Studios & Mini-Majors — For projects with wide-release potential
  • Festival Strategy — Submission deadlines, premiere types, and which festivals best fit your project
  • Co-Production Partners — International partners for treaty co-productions and shared financing
  • Post-Production & VFX — Facilities suited to your project's technical needs
Reading Entity Cards

Each recommended entity shows:

  • Fit Score (50–100%) — colour-coded: 80+% green (strong fit), 60–79% orange (moderate), <60% red (possible but weaker)
  • "Why" statement — 1–2 sentences explaining why this entity matches your project
  • Specialty — What they're known for
  • Recent work — A notable recent project for context
  • Deal-specific details — MG ranges for distributors, commission rates for sales agents, investment ranges for financiers, submission deadlines for festivals
  • Website link for direct research

Click "Explore more" on any category to load 6–10 additional detailed matches via AI.

Overriding the Pathway

If you disagree with the AI's pathway classification, you can manually override it using the three pathway buttons (Studio System / Art & Festival System / Hybrid Approach). The engine re-matches all entities to the new pathway in real time.

Matchmaking + Warm Introductions = the most effective combination. Once the engine identifies target entities, use the Contact Network Analyser to find warm paths through your existing contacts. A warm introduction to a matched distributor is far more effective than a cold submission.

5.6 Present to Industry

Once Greenlight reaches 80+ and your package is complete (Calculator + Deck + E-Pitch), the "Present to Industry" button unlocks. You sign a Submission Release Agreement, and the platform creates a timestamped, legally documented submission.

Your project then appears in the Project Directory for industry professionals to discover. The public profile shows limited information (title, logline, genre, budget tier, Greenlight score, validation credentials) — protecting your IP while signalling credibility. Full materials (synopsis, screenplay, budget) are only shared when you respond to a materials request.

6. My Projects Dashboard

Your personal dashboard showing all saved work across the platform. Statistics panel at top shows counts of calculations, ideas, pitches, prospects, and presented projects.

Filter by type (All, Calculations, Ideas, Pitches, Prospects, Presented). Each project card shows title, Greenlight score badge, genre, budget tier, date, and action buttons: open in Calculator, Brainstorm, Deck Creator, E-Pitching, Industry Engine, Collaborate, Archive, or Delete.

The Talent Interest inbox shows messages from industry professionals interested in your projects.

7. The Compass (Education)

The platform's educational hub covering industry knowledge, risk awareness, and deal structures. Key sections:

  • Industry Model — Bridging art and commerce in film
  • Mission — Seven expandable sections on platform purpose and strategy
  • Understanding & Managing Risk — Comprehensive risk factors and mitigation strategies
  • Limitations of Quantitative Models — McNamara Fallacy, Illusion of Precision, Goodhart's Law, Hindsight Bias, Static vs. Dynamic Markets
  • Industry Deal Structures — Five expandable deep-dives: Net Profits & Hollywood Accounting, Distribution Agreement Traps, The Capital Stack, Chain of Title & Work-for-Hire, The Streaming & AI Revolution
  • How the Industry Works — Visual diagrams of studio systems and pre-sale structures
  • Strategic Framework — Acquire & Develop, Build & Produce, Connect & Distribute

Open the Compass

8. Project Directory

Browse Greenlight-validated projects submitted by other producers. Filter by genre, budget tier, and score. Each card shows the project's Greenlight level, logline, validation credentials (coverage, endorsements, competitions), and a "Request Materials" button to contact the producer.

Requires registration and sign-in. Only projects that have been "Presented to Industry" appear here.

9. Profile & Account

Manage your account across five tabs:

  • My Projects — Dashboard summary
  • Profile — Name, bio, contact details, website/IMDb/LinkedIn links
  • Account Settings — Password changes, membership tier info
  • Industry Profile — Professional details: experience, credits, genres, markets, what you're seeking
  • Discovery Preferences — Toggle to let industry professionals find and contact you

10. Plans & Pricing

TierPriceKey Features
Free$0 foreverBasic Calculator, AI Brainstormer (1/day), Forum, AI News
Trial$0 / 30 daysFull Pro features, unlimited saves, PDF export, E-Pitching
Pro$29/mo or earn freeUnlimited everything, priority review, database, Estonia rebate calc
Partner$0 earned+ Investor matching, co-production intros, direct QS contact

Earn Pro free: Share 15 items as "Open Access" (publicly visible) = permanent Pro access.

Earn Partner free: Refer 3 producers who commit to project development = permanent Partner access.

11. Recommended Workflows

The Standard Path: Idea to Industry

Idea Generator Calculator Deck Creator Industry Engine E-Pitching Present to Industry

For Investors / Industry Professionals

Register Set Industry Profile Browse Directory Request Materials Connect with Producer

For Quick Financial Analysis

Calculator Enter Budget + Earnings Review Score + Waterfall Export PDF

12. Important Caveats & Disclaimers

The Calculator is a Decision-Support Tool

Scores are model-derived estimate ranges, not guarantees of commercial performance. The model cannot capture director vision, cultural timing, team chemistry, legal standing, or market conditions. Always use alongside professional financial, legal, and creative judgment.

Score Ranges, Not Exact Numbers

All scores display as ranges (e.g., 65–75) to avoid the illusion of precision. The band widens when more inputs are speculative. A score of "73–83" means the model estimates viability somewhere in that range given current inputs.

Net Profits Rarely Pay Out

In studio distribution, "net profits" are subject to layered deductions (distribution fees, overhead, interest, P&A) that typically eliminate them entirely. Negotiate for gross participation, MAGR, fixed bonuses, or upfront payment. See Industry Deal Structures in the Compass.

Distribution Agreement Traps

Watch for: cross-collateralisation across territories, "in perpetuity" rights grants, uncapped P&A spending, and missing performance minimums. Always negotiate fixed terms (7–15 years) with rights reversion.

AI Research is a Starting Point

The AI Market Risk Research feature searches the web for current data but should not replace independent verification of critical findings.

Not Investment Advice: This platform and its outputs do not constitute a securities offering, investment advice, or financial recommendation. Independent professional due diligence is required before any investment or business decision.

Need Help?

Contact us for platform support or industry questions.

info@quicksummer.com • +372 5690 8043

QS