What is Production Support?
“Lights … camera … action!”
A very popular phrase that portrays the film industry as a glamorous and extravagant industry, and while it is indeed a fabulous industry full of all kinds of excitement- big hair and makeup, designer clothes, and fame– there’s so much more that goes on behind the scenes.
Like any business, productions have budgets, payroll, accounting– all that back office stuff that isn’t quite as glamorous as the finished production. But hey, someone has to do it or the show simply won’t go on!
In this blog, we’ll discuss what production support is and why advertisers and producers should care about it. We’ll answer questions like:
What are the different kinds of production support services?
What are the benefits of relying on back-office support?
Should you manage it in-house, or outsource it?
All your questions will be answered so you can walk away confident about how to manage your production support needs for all your future features!
What Is Production Support?
To simply put it, production support services include business affairs, accounting and third-party union signatory for commercial productions.
Here is a complete breakdown of production support services:
Cash Flow Management
Cash flow management consists of tracking money coming in for and being disbursed for production costs. Every disbursement must be properly authorized and accounted for and paid on a timely basis.
Insurance
From general liability insurance, equipment coverage, E&O and worker’s compensation insurance helps protect your company from liability. There are various types of insurance policies that can be customized to your production needs.
Purchasing Cards
Also known as procurement cards, purchasing cards allow your team to make easy and immediate purchases. Purchasing cards is a great way to ensure your team is keeping track of all expenses.
Petty Cash
Petty cash is also referred to as “cash on hand.” Petty cash, in terms of production support services, is the management and organization of all your purchasing receipts to ensure everything is accounted for, even the little things!
Budgeting
Creating a budget for your production is an essential aspect to any successful film to keep track of costs. At CMS, we supply our clients “bidders” to help build a proper budget for your project. You have the ability to budget for any scenario and location.
Line Production
At CMS, we have an extensive network of competent, experienced freelance producers and can find the right person to make your project a reality. We can evaluate your project's particular needs and match it with the right person with the right combination of skills and experience.
Consultative Services
Each production is different and may require unique talent budgeting , specific insurance or cash flow needs. Here at CMS, we can also provide access to an attorney that can be used to assist in the negotiation of contracts and talent agreements.
Union Signatory
Hiring union talent or crew for your upcoming productions involves understanding and navigating contracts and legal documentations. At CMS, our team has the right knowledge and expertise on union contracts, rules and regulations to advise and even save some money when budgeting.
Though it may sound like a lot of paperwork—and it is– ensuring your team handles production support tasks properly and efficiently will maintain a healthy work environment for the whole company from pre-production through post.
In-House vs. Outsourced Production Support Services
There are several factors to consider when determining whether to hire in-house or outsource production support. For example, the size and complexity of your organization and the amount of time dedicated to production work are two very important things to consider. Let’s break it down to help you decide which is best for you:
When to bring production support in-house
For teams who have a large production budget and are consistently producing new content, hiring an in- house staff may be the most effective and affordable option. Because of the time they will need to dedicate to your production support needs, the salary commitments may make most financial sense for your brand. However , there may be headcount limitations, qualification & training issues, software compatibility problems, and large bureaucratic disbursement / purchase order approval bottlenecks that may make providing efficient , nimble production support in- house difficult if not impossible.
When to outsource production support
If your organization has a smaller team with a less consistent production schedule, you should consider outsourcing. If your organization has an inflexible bureaucracy that cannot accommodate the speed of production you should consider outsourcing. Completing production support services independently takes a tremendous amount of time and energy from your team that could be better used on more important tasks.
Relying on production support services will allow your production team to focus on core tasks, lower operational costs, and promote growth.
Conclusion: Hiring Production Support Services For Your Production
Hiring production support services is a reliable solution for your production team as it improves productivity, lowers operational costs and promotes growth within your team as well.
Receiving production support also ensures that all important information and documentation for your production team is handled and organized all in one place.
If you're in need of production support, here at CMS Productions, we have a talented team with years of experience providing all in one production support services. Our production support services include:
Opening vendor accounts and issuance of purchase orders
Invoices and disbursement management in connection with Shoot
Production payroll, including all payroll, worker’s compensation charges, employer payroll taxes and third party processing fees
Crew union signatory services
Banking and insurance services as required
Providing a credit card for the production
Production and general liability insurance management
Petty cash management
Accounting services upon completion of production (and during the production upon reasonable request)
CMS Productions Production Support Services FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions we feel are useful to know to understand our services better:
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Yes! We provide full production support in the US and Canada.
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The time frame for project setup is 24 hours once a job is awarded.
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Yes, we do! You can view our services page for our full list of production support services.