🔐 To Edit Production Settings, you'll need Circus Admin access. Learn more about Managing Permissions. This feature is only accessible to 🖥️ desktop users.
Overview
Onboarding is a critical component of production, essential not just for workers but also for the efficiency and success of the production itself. It is imperative that deal points are accurately reflected in start packs, all terms are agreed upon for compliance, and every detail and document is meticulously captured. This ensures that the production office can efficiently handle tasks such as creating call sheets, feeding workers on set, processing payroll, and filing for tax credits, among many other responsibilities.
Document Types
Circus has designed the start pack to be fully dynamic and editable, allowing for real-time changes to documents or approvers. There are three types of legal documents that can be added to your start pack:
Custom Contracts: These include agreements such as deal memos or non-disclosure agreements that require signatures from both the worker and at least one production representative.
Acknowledgements: These documents, such as accounting, travel, or harassment policies, are provided with the start pack. They do not require signatures; workers simply acknowledge that they have read them during onboarding.
Conflict of Interest Forms: These questionnaires are used to confirm that there are no conflicts of interest regarding a worker's employment with the company. For example, a production assistant might disclose a conflict if their mother is the director or a studio executive on the production. These forms require signatures from both the worker and at least one production representative, typically a studio executive.
These do require signatures from the worker and at least one from the production representatives, most commonly a studio executive. Please reach out to support to activate this document on your production.
Note: General union, payroll, and residency documents do not need to be added to the start pack through this method. They can be activated in the Union, Payroll & Residency sections within the production settings.
Additionally, Circus automatically generates a Top Sheet for each start pack, which includes all worker details, deal points, and production details. Therefore, there is no need to include deal points on any contract.
To access the production's Start Pack documents, click on the production settings icon in the left navigation from the production dashboard, then click on 'Start Packs'.
Adding Documents
To add a legal document to the Start Pack, click on 'Add Document'. Then either choose 'Start from Scratch' to design a custom contract with signatures, or 'Upload PDF' to upload a document that only requires acknowledgement that is has been read without signatures required. Learn more about document types.
Custom Contracts
After clicking 'Start from Scratch', you'll reach the document editor.
Next, add the Document Name at the top of the document. Then, you can choose to edit your legal document or copy and paste it from a word or google document. To further edit the document, use our tools available at the top of the page:
Bold, Italicize, or Underline - Highlight the text in the body of the agreement and choose to either bold, italicize or underline it using the editing tools above.
Link - Highlight a word or sentence, then click on the link icon to add a link to external document or policies.
Numbered or Bulleted Lists - Place your cursor anywhere on the page, then click on either the Numbered (ie. 1, 2, 3, etc) or Bulleted List Icons ('•') to organize a list.
Undo or Redo - At any time, click the 'Undo' icon to go back to a previous version of the document or the 'Redo' icon to go forward to a version of the document.
Variables - Place your cursor anywhere on the page, then click on the 'Variables' icon to choose the variable you'd like to add to the document. This variable will pre-fill with either worker or production details, for example 'Worker Name' or 'Production Company Name'. The available variables include:
Production Company Name
Content Title
Content Type (ie. Feature, Series, Short)
Worker Name (The worker's full legal name will be displayed)
Lender Name (only use this for documents filtered for Loan-Outs)
Execution Date
Rate of Pay (ie. $500 / Day)
Last Tax Year Province (only for Canadian productions)
Acknowledgements
After clicking 'Upload PDF', you can upload a PDF document that does not require signatures from your workers. Next, add the Document Name at the top of the document.
Reach out to support to activate Conflict of Interest Questionnaires on your production.
Filtering Documents
Filters are used to determine which workers sign specific documents within a start pack and can be added to any document type. For example, you may want workers onboarded as contractors to sign different agreements than employees. Or you may want Directors to sign different agreements than the rest of the crew.
When a locked invite is sent or an open invite is shared with a worker, neither the inviter nor the worker needs to determine who signs what. Each Start Pack and its documents are fully generated and automated based on:
Worker details from their work profile
Deal points from the invite
Production details from the production settings
To add filters, click on any document, and on the left menu of the document editor you will find the following filters:
Worker Types - Whether a document is targeted to Crew, Cast or Background. For example, you may only want background actors to sign release forms.
Payment Methods - Whether a document is targeted to workers being processed through Payroll, Accounts Payable, or as a Volunteer.
Taxpayer Statuses - Whether a document is targeted to the worker's taxpayer status like Individual, Corporation, etc. For example, you may want loan-outs to sign different agreements that those onboarding as individuals.
Guarantees - Whether the document is targeted to workers on an Hourly, Daily, Daily Flat, Weekly, Weekly Flat, Run of Show, or Per Episode guarantee.
Work Weeks - Whether the document is targeted to workers on a Weekly guarantee that is between 3 to 7 days
Union Status - Whether the document is targeted to workers that are union or non-union members.
Region - Whether the document is targeted to workers in specific regions that have been activated in the production settings. For example, if you're shooting in two different regions like New York and Georgia, you may want crew from those regions to sign different agreements based on state law.
Departments - Whether the document is targeted to workers in a particular department. For example, those in accounting may need to sign separate agreement as per studio policy.
Roles - Whether the document is targeted to workers in a specific role. For example, Directors or Story Editors may be required to sign unique agreements not intended for the general crew.
Pro Tip: To select all options within each filter, click on 'Select All' at the bottom of the dropdown.
Editing Documents
To edit a legal document in the Start Pack, click on the edit icon next to the document name. Make your changes using the document editor, then click 'Save' at the top right of your screen.
Please note: Any changes made to documents within the start pack will only be reviewed by Workers who are currently onboarding or have not been invited yet. To have previously onboarded workers sign new contracts, please use our disputing feature.
Duplicating Documents
To duplicate a legal document in the Start Pack, click on the duplicate icon next to the document name.
Deleting Documents
To delete a legal document in the Start Pack, click on the delete icon next to the document name, the click the 'Delete' button in the confirmation modal. Please note that this action is permanent.
Re-Ordering Documents
To change the order of the documents listed in the Start Pack, click on the drag icon and move the document into the desired position.
Third-Party Certificates
Once all documents are counter-signed and the start pack is complete, they are bundled and sealed with a GlobalSign digital signature for integrity. Only then can the original signer access, download, and print the documents from the site.
Retaining Records
The original signer receives an email with a link to access their documents directly on their dashboard for download and printing. Countersigning parties can also access, download, and print the electronic records. All documents are continuously backed up as per our data retention policy.
Audit Logs
All documents will have corresponding audit logs that track every signing event and context, including:
Date
User (Name and Email)
IP Address
Additional Context (Browser, etc.)
User Hash
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