Running a film or television production means juggling dozens of moving parts. Among the most critical and often underestimated elements is payroll. A well-structured payroll team ensures your crew is paid accurately, on time, and in compliance with complex union agreements and labor laws. Without a strong payroll foundation, productions risk costly delays, union grievances, and compliance issues that can derail even the best-planned schedule.

In today’s industry, whether you are producing a streaming series, a feature film, or an unscripted project, building the right payroll team is an investment in the stability and credibility of your production. Below, we’ll break down the essentials of assembling a payroll team that can keep your project running smoothly from pre-production through wrap.

Understand the Role of Payroll in Production

Payroll in the entertainment industry is not like payroll in other sectors. It requires specialized knowledge of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), complex wage and hour rules, and benefit contribution structures unique to film and TV. On any given week, payroll teams must handle:

• Union timecards with multiple overtime and penalty calculations
• State and federal tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions
• Fringe benefit contributions to plans such as MPIPHP or IANBF
• Adjustments for allowances, box rentals, and reimbursements
• Strict deadlines to ensure Thursday paydays are met

Because payroll sits at the intersection of finance, labor relations, and compliance, having a skilled team is essential.

Key Roles in a Payroll Team

A strong payroll team should be tailored to the size and complexity of your production, but most projects will rely on these core positions:

Payroll Accountant
The payroll accountant is the anchor of the team. They are responsible for calculating, reviewing, and submitting payroll to the payroll company. Their role requires deep familiarity with union rules and production schedules.

Assistant Payroll Accountant or Payroll Clerk
These support roles handle data entry, start paperwork, and timecard preparation. They are crucial for keeping the payroll accountant from getting bogged down in administrative details, especially on larger shows.

Payroll Company Paymaster/Coordinator
On the payroll company side, the paymaster (sometimes called payroll coordinator) reviews the submitted payroll, prepares edits, and ensures checks and direct deposits are issued correctly. While not on production payroll, they are a vital part of the team’s success.

Labor Relations Consultant (optional but valuable)
For productions facing multiple union contracts, overlapping jurisdictions, or complex compliance issues, a labor consultant can provide strategic oversight to prevent costly mistakes.

Start with Pre-Production Planning

A payroll team needs to be assembled long before the first day of shooting. Pre-production is the time to:

• Assess the scope of your production. Episodic streaming series, for example, often require a larger payroll team than a short-form project.
• Budget for payroll support. Payroll staffing should be built into your line budget from the start, not treated as an afterthought.
• Choose the right payroll company. Whether you work with Cast & Crew, Entertainment Partners, Wrapbook, or GreenSlate, make sure your production accountant and payroll accountant have experience with the system.
• Set workflows early. Determine when timecards are due, how adjustments will be communicated, and how payroll edits will be reviewed to prevent bottlenecks.

The earlier these details are finalized, the fewer problems you will face when production ramps up.

Look for the Right Skills

When hiring payroll staff, experience matters. Look for professionals who can demonstrate:

• Union knowledge. Understanding IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and Teamsters rules is non-negotiable.
• Time management. Payroll runs on strict weekly deadlines. Your team must be able to handle high volume under pressure.
• Attention to detail. Small errors in timecard entry can balloon into thousands of dollars in mistakes or union disputes.
• Communication skills. Payroll interacts with production, crew members, and payroll companies. Clear, professional communication keeps everyone aligned.

While technical skills are essential, soft skills like patience, adaptability, and conflict resolution are equally important in the high-stress environment of a production.

Foster Collaboration Between Production and Payroll Companies

One of the biggest mistakes productions make is treating payroll as production-side versus payroll company. In reality, it is a partnership. A successful payroll cycle requires constant collaboration between the payroll accountant on set and the payroll company’s paymaster.

To strengthen this collaboration:

• Encourage regular check-ins between the payroll accountant and payroll coordinator.
• Make sure the production office provides complete and accurate start paperwork.
• Review payroll edits quickly to avoid delays in approval.
• Establish clear points of contact so questions do not get lost in email chains.

When both sides of the payroll team operate as partners, problems are solved faster and compliance risks are minimized.

Prioritize Training and Compliance

Entertainment payroll is complex, and even seasoned professionals encounter unfamiliar scenarios. Building a strong payroll team means investing in training and compliance education. Consider providing:

• Union-specific training. Courses on the IATSE Basic Agreement, SAG-AFTRA schedules, or DGA provisions help payroll staff stay current.
• Wage and hour compliance updates. State rules change regularly, especially in California and New York.
• Technology training. Payroll systems such as Start+, SmartStart, or Wrapbook often update features that payroll clerks and accountants need to know.

Training not only improves accuracy but also boosts morale by giving payroll professionals confidence in their work.

Anticipate Common Challenges

Even the strongest payroll team will face challenges. By anticipating them, you can reduce their impact:

• Late timecards. Crew members sometimes miss deadlines. Build buffer time into your workflow.
• Complex overtime calculations. Weekly employees on episodic projects often trigger cumulative overtime rules.
• Benefit contribution questions. Expect union representatives or crew members to ask about pension and health contributions.
• Adjustments and corrections. Mistakes happen. Have a process for handling adjustments quickly and documenting them thoroughly.

A well-prepared payroll team sees these issues as part of the job, not roadblocks.

Conclusion

Payroll may not be the most glamorous department on a film or TV production, but it is one of the most important. A strong payroll team ensures compliance, protects your budget, and keeps your crew paid correctly and on time, which is a critical factor in maintaining trust and morale on set.

By assembling the right mix of skilled professionals, planning early in pre-production, fostering collaboration with payroll companies, and investing in ongoing training, you will set your next production up for financial and operational success.



When payroll runs smoothly, everything else has a stronger chance of staying on track. In an industry where time is money, that is the kind of insurance every production needs.