JamesWorks Entertainment today announced First Read Studio, a Mac app that runs a film from first draft to final release. The public beta is open, and arrives on the Mac App Store in October.

Most films juggle a writing app, a budget spreadsheet, a folder of release forms and a group text. First Read Studio puts it all in one project, 129 tools across nine areas, where a fact entered once shows up everywhere:

  • Documentarians write the film before the edit, hear it as a rough cut, then hand their editor a timeline for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Avid. If a subject withdraws consent, their footage stays out of the cut.
  • Producers mark up a script once, and the schedule, budget and call sheets follow. Each crew member’s Production Pass in Apple Wallet updates with every call sheet.
  • Cinematographers place cameras at real dimensions, and the shot list writes itself.
  • Writers check drafts against their story plan, actors and directors rehearse from one locked draft, and creators plan channels like productions.
  • The Room helps anyone prepare, practice and present a pitch.

“Every project I have made has been assembled twice: once in the field and in the edit, and once inside a pile of software that was never built for what I was doing,” said James Kicklighter, founder of JamesWorks Entertainment. “Documentary makers write the film before they cut it. Actors collect multiple drafts. I couldn’t find software for any of that, so we built it.”

Projects live on the Mac and work offline. AI tools are optional, through local Apple Intelligence or the user’s chosen cloud model, and can be disabled. Nothing is sent without approval.

Pricing and availability

For macOS 15 or later, plans are $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year, each with a 14-day free trial, or $295 once for a Lifetime Unlock. Students, teachers and beta testers get 50% off a year. Watch the introduction at youtube.com/watch?v=DhWNzEGa8zE. Assets are in the press kit.

About JamesWorks Entertainment

JamesWorks Entertainment is an award-winning production company founded by filmmaker James Kicklighter, whose documentary The American Question (2024) was the #1 new release on Apple TV. He is repped by UTA.

All trademarks belong to their owners.

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