You can import a Movie Magic Budgeting (.mmbx) file into the Budgeting tab as a new budget. Filmustage reads the categories and accounts from your file, suggests how to map them to your project's breakdown tags, and creates the budget so you can finish it in one more step.
Note: The file must be a Movie Magic Budgeting export (.mmbx), up to 10 MB. Imported budgets are always 3-Level (Category → Account → Position), and you cannot change the structure after import.
Before you begin
Have a Movie Magic Budgeting file (.mmbx) ready on your computer.
Step 1 — Open the Movie Magic import
Go to app.filmustage.com, and then open your project. On the ribbon, go to the Budgeting tab.
Start the import in one of these ways:
In a project with no budget yet, the Set Up Your Budget wizard shows Already have a Movie Magic budget? at the top. Select Import from .mmbx.
If the wizard is closed, select the Import from Movie Magic button on the Budgeting tab.
Step 2 — Choose your file
The Import from Movie Magic dialog opens at Step 1 of 2 · Choose file. Drag your .mmbx file onto the upload area, or click it to browse. Filmustage accepts a single Movie Magic Budgeting export up to 10 MB.
After the file is added, click Next.
Step 3 — Map your tag categories
On Step 2 of 2 · Map tag categories, Filmustage lists your project's tag categories (Cast, Extras, and so on) and suggests a match for each one from your file. Review each row before importing:
A row marked AI was matched automatically to a file category and account. Confirm it or change it.
A row marked Not mapped had no automatic match. It creates a new Filmustage Tags account unless you map it to a real file category and account.
To skip a tag category, clear its checkbox. The row then shows No mapping and stays out of the import.
To change a mapping, pick a File category and a File account from the dropdowns in that row.
Click Import to create the budget. When some rows are mapped, the button reads Import (N mapped).
Note: If you leave every row unmapped, Filmustage still imports the budget and adds a single Filmustage Tags category that holds all your tag types. The AI suggestions are generated automatically and do not use Dude Coins — review them before importing.
Step 4 — Finish creating the budget
The import creates the budget as a draft built from your file. A banner at the top reads You haven't finished your budget creation yet. The draft is a universal skeleton — your project's cast, locations, and other breakdown data are not loaded yet.
Review the draft, then select Finish Create Budget in the banner. The Finish Create Budget dialog opens and explains that Filmustage will load your breakdown data into the mapped accounts and unlock AI Budgeting.
If you do not need a template, leave Save as template cleared and select Finish.
Save the skeleton as a template (optional)
To reuse this structure on future projects, select Save as template before you finish. Filmustage snapshots the universal skeleton — not your project's loaded data — so the template stays reusable across projects.
Enter a Template name. The name is required and must be unique.
Optional. Add a Cover image.
Under What to include in the template, all options are on by default. Toggle off anything you do not want to carry over:
Rates & quantities — rate, currency, units, x4, multiplier, and quantity values.
Fringes — the fringes assigned to positions.
Deductions — the deductions assigned to positions.
Tax credits — qualified-spend sources, rates, and caps.
Charges — completion bond, contingency, and overhead add-ons.
Globals & formulas — formula variables and the cells that use them.
Select Finish to create the budget.
Filmustage loads your project's breakdown data into the mapped accounts, recalculates the budget totals, and unlocks AI Budgeting. A progress banner appears while the totals recalculate.
What to do next
Once your budget is created, you can:
Run AI Budget generation to populate estimates automatically. AI Budgeting becomes available only after you finish creating the budget.
Set up and apply fringes and deductions. See Edit & apply fringes & deductions.
Save your budget as a reusable template. See Manage Budget Templates.
Export to PDF, XLSX, or Movie Magic Budgeting. See Export the budget.