Help & FAQ — PONDE

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Getting Started

Welcome to PONDE — the professional network built exclusively for the film industry. Here's how to get up and running in minutes.

Creating Your Account

Download PONDE from the App Store

Tap "Join as a Film Professional"

Enter your email and create a password

Complete your profile — add your role, location, photo and bio

You're in! Start exploring projects and connecting with professionals

Choosing Your Role on PONDE

When you first join PONDE, you'll be asked how you plan to use the platform. Here's what each option means:

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Producer / Director

Choose this if you primarily hire talent and manage productions. You can post projects, list open roles, set budgets and shoot dates, and connect with film professionals looking for work. Your profile will reflect your production focus with role titles like Executive Producer, Line Producer and Associate Producer.

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Film Professional

Choose this if you are a crew member or freelancer looking for work. You can showcase your portfolio, list your services and credits, set your availability and day rate, and apply for open roles on productions. Your profile will reflect your craft with roles like DP, Editor, Sound Designer, Colorist and more.

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Both

Choose this if you both hire and get hired. Many industry veterans wear multiple hats — directing their own projects while also working as a DP or editor on other productions. Selecting Both gives you access to the full range of role titles and features from both categories.

You can update your role and profile details at any time from the Profile tab.

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Your Profile

A complete profile gets you noticed by producers and productions worldwide. Here's what to add:

Profile Photo

A professional headshot works best — first impressions matter.

Your Role

Select from the dropdown — Director, DP, Editor, Sound Designer, and more.

Location

Helps producers find local talent for their productions.

Bio

Tell productions what makes you unique. Keep it concise and impactful.

Day Rate

Let producers know your standard rate upfront — saves time for both sides.

IMDb & Website

Adds credibility — link your reel, portfolio, or IMDb profile.

Availability Status — let the industry know your current status:

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Available

Open for work

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Busy

Currently on a project

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Unavailable

Not taking work right now

Tap your availability badge directly on your profile to change it instantly.

Profile Tabs

Portfolio Tab

Add links from YouTube, Vimeo, Behance, 500px, Instagram, or any web URL.

Services Tab

List your professional services and rates. Tap + Add Service to get started.

Credits Tab

Add film and production credits — title, role, year, type, and festivals or awards.

Projects Tab

View and manage all your posted productions in one place.

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The Feed

The Feed is where active productions post open roles. Browse, save, and apply to projects across every format.

🔥 Spotlight — The card at the top of the Feed highlights the most active production currently seeking crew.

Browsing Projects

Use the filter pills to browse by project type — Feature Film, Documentary, Commercial, and more. Tap Saved to see your bookmarked projects. Tap the ♡ heart icon on any project to save it for later.

Posting a Project

Tap + Post in the top right of the Feed

Fill in your project details — title, type, description, budget, location

Set your shoot start date using the date picker

Select Union / Non-Union / Both

Add the roles you're hiring for — tap to add, tap again to remove

Tap Post Project to publish your listing

Managing Your Projects

Find all your posted projects under Profile → Projects tab. Tap ✏️ Edit to update details or mark roles as filled. The crew filled progress bar updates automatically as you mark roles. Tap 🗑 Delete Project to remove a listing.

Applying for a Role

Find a project on the Feed

Tap View Project

Tap Apply for a Role — a message is automatically sent to the producer

The producer receives a push notification instantly

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Discover

Find film professionals by role, name, or location. Browse directors, DPs, editors, composers and every crew role worldwide.

Use the search bar to search by name, role or location. Filter by role using the category pills.

Each professional's public profile shows:

Portfolio

Their work on Vimeo, YouTube, Behance and more.

Services

What they offer and their rates.

Credits

Their film and production history.

Availability

Whether they're open for work right now.

Day Rate

Their standard rate.

IMDb & Website

Links to their reel and online presence.

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Messages

Direct messaging with built-in real-time translation. Connect with film professionals anywhere in the world, in any language.

Tap Message on any professional's profile or project to start a conversation, or go to the Messages tab to see all your conversations. ✓ means sent · ✓✓ means read.

Built-In Translation — 12 Languages:

🇬🇧 English

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇫🇷 French

🇩🇪 German

🇮🇹 Italian

🇵🇹 Portuguese

🇯🇵 Japanese

🇰🇷 Korean

🇨🇳 Chinese

🇸🇦 Arabic

🇮🇳 Hindi

🇷🇺 Russian

How to use translation:

Open a chat

Tap the 🌍 globe button to toggle auto-translate ON/OFF

Tap the flag button to select your language

Incoming messages are automatically translated to your preferred language

Set a permanent preference in Profile → Edit Profile → Preferred Language

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Resources

Find studios, equipment rentals, post production houses and more near you — mapped and searchable by city.

Filter by category:

Film Studio Equipment Rental Post Production On-Set Effects Props & Set Design Film Commission Services

Searching by City

Type a city name in the search bar (e.g. "New York" or "Atlanta")

Tap a suggestion as it appears — the map and list update instantly

Results show resources within 100 miles of that city

Tap ✕ to clear the search and return to your location

Tap any resource card or map pin to see the full address, website, and directions via Apple Maps.

Suggesting a Resource

Tap the gold + floating button on the Resources screen

Fill in the business name, category, address and website

Tap Submit Suggestion

Our team reviews and adds it to the map — you can submit up to 3 pending suggestions at a time

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Notifications

PONDE sends push notifications for:

New Messages

When someone sends you a message.

Project Applications

When talent applies to your posted project.

Make sure notifications are enabled in your iPhone Settings → PONDE to receive alerts.

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Membership

PONDE currently offers a Free membership with full access to all features.

Coming Soon — Premium tiers with enhanced features are on the way. Stay tuned for updates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — PONDE is completely free to use. Premium features are coming in a future update.

PONDE is built for film industry professionals — directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, VFX artists, production designers, composers, and all crew roles.

Absolutely! PONDE is built for global collaboration. The built-in translation feature supports 12 languages so you can connect with film professionals anywhere in the world.

Open any project from the Feed, tap View Project, then tap Apply for a Role. A message is automatically sent to the producer, who receives an instant push notification.

Go to your project, tap ✏️ Edit, find the role and toggle it from Open to Filled. The progress bar updates automatically.

You can edit and manage your own projects from the Projects tab in your Profile. The save/bookmark feature is designed for discovering and saving other producers' projects.

PONDE uses automatic language detection and translates messages to your preferred language. Set your preferred language in Edit Profile and auto-translation turns on automatically in all chats.

On the Resources screen, tap the gold + button, fill in the details and submit. Our team reviews all suggestions before adding them to the map.

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Contact & Support

Having issues or questions not covered here? Our team is ready to help.

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Get in Touch

Email us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. App Version 1.1.0 · ponde.app

support@ponde.app