Backdrop

Backdrop is a comprehensive financial management solution built specifically for the dynamic needs of the film, television, music, and event production industries. It serves as an all-in-one platform to handle every aspect of production expenses, from initial purchase orders to final accounting reports. By leveraging advanced AI, Backdrop automates tedious manual tasks, provides real-time financial visibility, and ensures productions stay on budget.

The platform's core is its powerful card and expense management system. It allows administrators to instantly issue unlimited virtual and physical p-cards to crew members, with customizable spending limits for granular control. This eliminates the delays associated with traditional banking and empowers the crew to make necessary purchases immediately. All transactions, whether made by card or with cash, are consolidated into a single, easy-to-manage dashboard available on both web and mobile.

How to use Backdrop

Using Backdrop is designed to be intuitive for everyone involved in a production, from crew members to accountants. The process is streamlined for maximum efficiency:

1. Issue Cards: Production administrators instantly create and issue virtual or physical cards for crew members via the Backdrop dashboard. Spending limits and rules can be set per card.
2. Make Purchases: Crew members use their assigned cards for production-related expenses. Virtual cards can be added to digital wallets for immediate use.
3. Capture Receipts: After a purchase, the crew member simply takes a photo of the receipt using the Backdrop mobile app. Backdrop's AI technology automatically scans, parses, and categorizes the expense data, recognizing different languages and currencies.
4. Manage Petty Cash & Invoices: Digital petty cash envelopes can be created and approved on the go. For larger expenses, invoices can be uploaded, routed through custom approval chains, and paid directly via ACH or check without logging into a bank.
5. Track & Approve: Accountants and production executives can track all expenses, purchase orders, and invoices in real-time. They can approve items with a single click from anywhere, at any time.
6. Generate Reports: At the end of a project or reporting period, Backdrop generates custom accounting and tax reports formatted for industry-standard software like Smart Accounting, Extreme Reach, and PSL, reducing report generation time by over 80%.

Core Features of Backdrop

• Instant P-Cards: Issue unlimited virtual and physical cards with set spending limits for your crew.
• AI-Powered Receipt Scanning: Automatically extract data from receipts and invoices in multiple languages and currencies, eliminating manual entry.
• Unified Expense Management: Track card, cash, and invoice expenses all in one centralized platform.
• Digital Petty Cash & POs: Create, approve, and track petty cash envelopes and purchase orders digitally on web or mobile.
• Integrated Bill Pay: Upload invoices, manage custom approval workflows, and pay vendors and crew via ACH or check.
• Vendor Management: Onboard vendors, collect W-9s and 1099s, and manage all vendor information in one place.
• Real-Time Reporting: Monitor spending as it happens and generate custom accounting and tax reports compatible with major production accounting systems.
• Multi-Production Support: Easily manage and switch between multiple corporate and production entities from a single account.

Use Cases for Backdrop

For Production Accountants: Drastically reduce manual data entry, eliminate receipt chasing, and streamline the approval process. Generate accurate, formatted accounting reports in minutes instead of hours. Maintain real-time visibility over the entire production budget.

For Production Executives & Managers: Make informed decisions with up-to-the-minute cash flow data. Ensure the production stays on budget by tracking expenses against planned spending. Approve purchase orders and invoices on the go to prevent delays.

For Crew Members: Get spending power instantly without waiting for traditional cards or cash. Submit expenses in seconds by snapping a photo of a receipt, eliminating the need for tedious expense reports.

Advantages of Backdrop

Backdrop offers significant advantages over traditional methods and fragmented software solutions. It eliminates over 20 hours of manual work per department per week, freeing up valuable time. The real-time visibility into spending prevents budget overruns. By digitizing and accurately capturing all expense data, it simplifies audits and can help accelerate tax refunds. Furthermore, it consolidates multiple financial tools into one easy-to-use, modern platform that works globally with your existing bank and accounting systems.

Pricing and Plans

Backdrop's pricing is tailored to the specific needs and scale of each production or company. To get detailed information on plans and pricing, prospective customers are encouraged to book a demo through the official website. This ensures a customized solution that fits your production's unique financial workflow.