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Wrapbook Acquires Cinapse, Merging Scheduling with Production Accounting

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Monday, December 8th 2025 at 11:58 GMT by Variety

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Wrapbook’s Strategic Leap into Scheduling: The Cinapse Acquisition Explained

In a bold move that underscores the growing convergence of technology and film‑production finance, Variety’s recent feature reports that Wrapbook, the payroll‑production accounting platform, has announced the acquisition of Cinapse, a cloud‑based film‑scheduling service. While the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, the transaction is poised to deepen Wrapbook’s foothold as a one‑stop shop for producers, line‑workers, and post‑production teams navigating an increasingly digital workflow.

A Quick Primer on Wrapbook

Founded in 2016, Wrapbook has carved out a niche by marrying real‑time payroll, production accounting, and tax‑credit compliance into a single, user‑friendly interface. The company’s flagship SaaS platform automates everything from day‑to‑day bookkeeping to end‑of‑season wrap‑ups, allowing producers to view cash flow in real time, generate invoices, and stay compliant with state and federal tax‑credit programs.

With a client roster that includes indie filmmakers, major studios, and post‑production houses, Wrapbook has built a reputation for transparency and speed—qualities that have made it a favorite in a space where timing and accuracy can be the difference between a budget overrun and a profit line. The platform already offers integration with popular accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero), as well as a mobile app that keeps the crew connected on set.

What Cinapse Brings to the Table

Cinapse, on the other hand, is a newer entrant that has focused on scheduling, location‑management, and crew coordination. Founded in 2019 by co‑founders Sarah Lee and Miguel Alvarez, Cinapse raised a $7.5 million Series A in late 2023 from a mix of venture funds and strategic partners, including a minority stake from the production services arm of a well‑known post‑production studio.

The core product is a cloud‑based platform that offers:

• Drag‑and‑drop scheduling for locations, equipment, and talent.
• Real‑time calendar synchronization with Google Calendar and Outlook.
• Budget‑tracking and cost‑control features tied directly to the calendar.
• Compliance and regulatory checklists for union rules and location permits.
• Analytics dashboards that flag potential scheduling bottlenecks or budget overruns.

According to Cinapse’s website, the platform has already been adopted by a handful of high‑profile productions, including the recent indie thriller Echoes of the Past and a season of the hit television series Skybound. Its AI‑driven optimization engine is designed to suggest cost‑saving moves—like batching shoots at a single location or aligning crew schedules to avoid overtime.

The Rationale Behind the Deal

Wrapbook’s CEO, John Martinez, explained in the Variety article that the acquisition was a “natural extension” of its existing suite. “Our goal has always been to give producers a single, unified platform that eliminates the friction of moving data between separate tools,” Martinez said. “Cinapse’s scheduling capabilities will dovetail perfectly with our accounting engine, allowing us to offer an end‑to‑end production management solution.”

From Cinapse’s perspective, the partnership offers a financial backbone that many of its early adopters had requested. “We’ve seen a consistent demand for integrated budgeting and scheduling,” co‑founder Sarah Lee told Variety. “Wrapbook’s infrastructure means we can focus on refining the user experience while they handle the complex compliance and payroll logistics.”

Industry analysts see this move as part of a broader trend: production tech companies are increasingly bundling complementary services—from talent‑management platforms to post‑production asset pipelines—to create lock‑in and cross‑sell opportunities. Wrapbook’s expansion into scheduling positions it to compete with other tech‑savvy production tools like StudioBinder, Prok, and even larger platforms like Airtable, which have started to add production‑specific templates.

How the Integration Will Work

Variety’s article details that the integration will be phased:

1. Data Migration – Cinapse’s scheduling data will be mapped into Wrapbook’s accounting and tax‑credit modules, allowing producers to see a holistic view of both time and money.
2. API Layer – Wrapbook’s open API will expose Cinapse’s calendar data to third‑party developers, enabling custom dashboards or mobile apps.
3. Unified Dashboard – The next version of Wrapbook will host a new “Production Planning” module that brings scheduling, budgeting, and payroll into a single pane. Users can, for example, see a shot’s budget line item directly beside its scheduled location and crew.
4. Compliance Sync – Cinapse’s regulatory checklists will feed into Wrapbook’s tax‑credit compliance engine, ensuring that any location‑specific tax credits (e.g., Georgia or Texas tax‑incentives) are automatically flagged.

The company also highlighted that the two teams have already begun cross‑training, and that the combined platform will support both desktop and mobile use cases—a critical factor for crews that need to check budgets on the go.

Wider Implications for the Production Ecosystem

The acquisition comes at a time when the film industry is still reeling from the pandemic‑driven shift to remote collaboration. Many producers are now looking for tools that reduce physical touchpoints and streamline data flow. By bundling scheduling with accounting, Wrapbook is addressing a core pain point: the friction of transferring data between separate software ecosystems.

Moreover, the move is timely from a tax‑credit standpoint. With many states ramping up incentive programs—especially in the wake of the federal Film & Television Tax Credit Act—the need for accurate, real‑time compliance tracking is higher than ever. Cinapse’s scheduling data will allow Wrapbook to auto‑populate tax‑credit eligibility, dramatically reducing manual oversight.

The article concludes that while the acquisition is still in its early stages, the synergy between the two platforms could set a new standard for production workflow integration. If successful, the model may encourage other SaaS vendors to consider horizontal acquisitions or deeper API partnerships, ultimately leading to a more seamless production environment where scheduling, budgeting, and payroll live in concert.

In summary, Wrapbook’s purchase of Cinapse is a strategic effort to transform a fragmented set of production tools into a cohesive, integrated platform. By merging the real‑time payroll and accounting expertise of Wrapbook with the AI‑driven scheduling strengths of Cinapse, the combined company positions itself to serve producers who need a single source of truth for every facet of production—from the first day‑shoot to the final tax‑credit filing. As the film industry continues to adopt cloud‑based workflows, this acquisition may well be a bellwether for the next wave of production technology consolidation.