What Is USS?
The Universal Schedule Standard (USS) is an open, license-free file format for moving breakdown and schedule data between production software. It was created by ThinkCrew, the scheduling company founded and run by Michael Williams, one of the original creators of Casper, the Excel call sheet template G-Casper Pro grew out of. A USS file lets a schedule built in one tool be read by another for budgets, call sheets and reports, without each pair of tools needing its own converter.
Why It Matters
Without a shared format, a schedule only moves between two programs if both of them support the same proprietary file. With USS, any tool that reads the format can open a schedule written by any tool that writes it.
How It Works
USS stores schedule and breakdown data as JSON text. A single USS file can contain:
- Complete scene breakdowns with all element categories
- Multiple stripboards (shooting schedules)
- Cast and element assignments per scene
- Production calendars with start dates, holidays, and off days
- Scene metadata including locations, page counts, INT/EXT, Day/Night
- Custom categories and element data
Who Supports USS
ThinkCrew (thinkcrew.com), the cloud scheduling platform, was first to support USS. These companies are listed as collaborators on the standard:
- ThinkCrew: Production scheduling (USS originator)
- Boom Interactive: Production management
- Cinapse: Script breakdown
- Croo: Crew management
- Everyset: Set management
- Filmustage: AI-powered script breakdown
- Scriptation: Script annotation
- Set Hero: Call sheet software
- Shotlister: Shot planning
- Virtual Production Partners: Virtual production
USS and G-Casper Pro
G-Casper Pro imports USS files on the ThinkCrew tab of the Import page (.uss or .json). Scenes, cast, sets, day numbers, page counts, shooting order and banners come across, and Multi-Day Auto Call Sheet Generation builds a call sheet for every shoot day from them. Background extras in the file become role groups on the Background tab.
What About Movie Magic?
G-Casper Pro imports Movie Magic through two standard PDF reports, the Shooting Schedule and the Breakdown Sheet, matched scene by scene. No custom report format or plugin is needed.
The Future of Schedule Data
G-Casper Pro reads USS files and writes them, so a schedule can come in from one tool and go out to another without retyping. See Exporting to USS.