🔐 To Invite Workers, you'll need either Circus Admin, Admin, or Manager access. Departmental Access can also be granted to invite Workers to edit and invite specific departments. Learn more about Managing Permissions. 🖥️ This feature is accessible on all devices.
Overview
There are multiple methods to invite Workers to a production that is required to complete a Start Pack. Use this guide to determine which invite is the right one for each Worker.
Open Invites – The most popular invite method, the Open Invite allows you to share a unique link or QR code so Workers can click on or scan to set all their own deal points. (Don't worry, it can be edited upon review).
For union Workers, deal points such as rate, guarantee and minimum call populate based on the master use agreement signed between the production and union. Non Union Worker can set deal points as per negotiation between themselves and the department head of production manager. This method is primarily used on larger productions to allow hundreds or thousands of Workers to onboard quickly and simultaneously, rather than having to send countless invites out.
Locked Invites – All Deal Points in a Locked Invite are set by the Inviter. When Workers receive an email invite to access their Start Pack, they'll be asked to create a work profile and sign all their agreements, but in this case, all their deal points will be locked.
Semi-Locked Invites – This method is a combination of the Open and Locked Invite. An inviter can lock some of the deal points, and create a unique link to share with any group of Worker with similar deal points like background actors, drivers or production assistants. The link allows groups of Workers to access their Start Pack but unlike Locked Invites or Open Invites, they'll find that only some deal points have been locked, allowing them to set the rest of the deal points themselves.
Note: If you've already created a Circus account because you were invited to a production as an Admin but would like to create a Start Pack for yourself, use the Open Invite Link or send yourself a Locked Invite. Or, if you're looking to invite someone without having to complete a Start Pack, use this guide.
The Invite Panel
To access all Invite Methods either click on the Invite button in the Start Pack Overview page, or click on the Invite Icon in the left menu navigation to open the Invite panel. Click away to close the panel.
Invite Methods
Open Invites
The first invite method you'll see after opening the Invite Panel is Self-Onboarding Link (or Open Invite) with multiple utilizations.
Note: If you do not see this section, it means Open Invites have been deactivated in the production settings. Talk to a Circus Admin and they will be able to activate that for your production.
Click the QR code icon in the top right to download it to your desktop and post on set, in the production office, or on any device to be scanned.
The unique Open Invite link for this production will also appear here – Click the Copy Icon to copy the link to your clipboard. You can then paste it in a text or share with your coordinator to distribute to anyone that needs to onboard.
You can also send someone the link by simply emailing it to them. Click Send Invite via Email, then enter their name, role and email address, and click Send Invite.
To see what a Worker experiences using the Open Invite link, use this guide.
Pro Tip: Give your department heads the Open Invite link to share with newly hired Workers so they can onboard immediately.
Locked Invites
If you're looking to lock all deal points for a Worker and send them an email to onboard and complete their Start Pack, use this guide.
Open the Invite Panel and click on Locked Invite.
You'll be able to then create a New Invite. Start by selecting how the Worker will be paid:
Through Payroll - Worker (employee or loan out) will submit a Timesheet and be processed through Payroll with tax deductions.
Through Accounts Payable - Worker (contractor) will submit an Invoice and be processed through Accounts Payable without tax deductions.
as a Volunteer - will bypass providing any taxpayer or payment details during onboarding and no pay details will be added to the Start Packs besides perhaps an honorarium.
Next you will enter the Legal Name and Email, then select the Worker Type (crew, cast or background), Union and Role of the Worker.
Note that only the unions activated in the production settings will appear in the dropdown, however, Non Union will always be available by default. Once a union is selected, only the roles that the union acknowledges in their master use agreement will appear in the list.
Pro Tip: If the Worker has a unique role not found in the dropdown list, choose the closest role, then enter the specific role in the Special Deal Points section below.
Now enter the rest of the deal points:
Shooting Unit - Indicate if they are working on Main or Second Unit. This will help us default their Timesheets.
Work Region - If the production is a multi-provincial or multi-state shoot, you may see two or more work regions. Select one or more to help us trigger certain agreements the Worker will sign.
Driving a Production Vehicle - If the Worker is in transport, locations, or security, they may be driving a production owned or rented vehicle. In this case, click on the checkbox to make uploading their drivers license mandatory during onboarding.
Estimated Start Date - This date will appear on their contracts and be used to determine how to process their payment.
Guarantee - If you're choosing a union role, this will default to the union standard, however, you can change the guarantee to the available options. If the Worker is non union you may see more options such as Daily, Daily Flat, Weekly, Weekly Flat, or Per Episode for series.
Minimum Call - This is the minimum amount of hours they're entitled to be paid on a daily or weekly basis. For example, if the minimum call is 8 hours and they only work 4, they'll still be paid for 8. The minimum call will default to union standards, however, it can be altered for non union roles.
Rate and Rate of Pay - Usually hourly, this rate is used to determine how to process straight time and overtime payment. It will default to union standards but can be edited to go above-scale if this has been negotiated. Above-scale rates may be flagged for additional approval if it's set in the Chain of Approval, and my be edited later.
Kits & Allowances (optional) - If the Worker has been approved for a kit or allowance, toggle on this section, then choose the Kit or Allowance Type and add additional details such as:
Rate & frequency (ie. $3 per day or $500.00 per week)
Usage - If the rate is applicable As Used, during Prep, during Prep & Shoot, during Shoot, or during the entire length of the production.
Limit - Some productions will pay the rate up to a limit, such as Weekly Max or a Total Max. In some cases, there is no limit. If after choosing a kit or allowance type and the rest auto-fills, these are the defaults set by the production and it is recommended not to change unless you have received approval from the Production Manager.
Cap - The Weekly Max or Total Max amount. For example, some studios will pay a Total Max of $1000.00 for a computer rental so it doesn't go beyond the actual value of the device.
Special Deal Points (optional) - If there is an agreement on additional deal points that you were unable to enter above toggle this section on.
Specific Work - If you see this, the studio has made this field mandatory for non union employees. In one paragraph, enter what their responsibilities will be on the production.
Once finished, click Add to Invite List. You can continue creating invites by repeating the process above, or you can mange the invites on the Invite List.
Click Edit to alter the deal points. Once you make your changes, ensure click Update Worker at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, you can click Cancel Edit to revert it.
Click Send to only send this one invite.
Click Delete if you'd like to permanently delete this invite.
Click Send X Invites if you'd like to bulk send all of the invites at the same time.
Pro Tip: If the Worker's name changes after adding to the invite list, don't worry – the email is connected to their work profile so either this is the legal name that Worker prefers, or if it's actually incorrect, they may make the changes on their own work profile when they onboard.
Semi-Locked Invites
To create a semi-locked invite where only some deal points are locked and you'd like groups of Workers enter the rest themselves, such as their name or role, click Locked Invite from the Invite Panel just like above. Then, enter the deal points that you want locked for the group of Workers.
The other difference is between a Locked and Semi-Locked invite is the delivery method. With Locked Invites, you can send via email but with Semi-Locked, you can click Copy Invite Link at the bottom Action Bar, then share that with any group of people.
Pro Tip: Convert the link to a QR code to post on set, in the office, or on your mobile device so groups of Workers can scan. Use this guide to convert the link.
Troubleshooting
What does it mean when I see a "Role already exists" error?
What does it mean when I see a "Role already exists" error?
This means there's already a Start Pack for this Production under this role and this specific person. Go back to the Overview page and search for their name to find the Start Pack.
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