FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS LEADERS AT BRANDS AND AGENCIES
Union compliance handled. Before it becomes your problem.
We provide the operational infrastructure behind commercial production—union compliance, payroll, contracts, vendor management, and production finance—so teams can scale efficiently while reducing risk and overhead.
Global
SAG-AFTRA, IATSE
TRUSTED BY THE WORLD'S LEADING AGENCIES, BRANDS & PRODUCERS
The Challenge
Production studios are producing more. The compliance complexity is growing with it.
Business Affairs leaders at brands and agencies are expected to manage union obligations, talent contracts, and rights work at a scale their teams weren't originally built for. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Union Exposure You Did Not Sign Up For
Becoming a SAG-AFTRA or IATSE signatory creates ongoing legal obligations, deposit requirements, and audit exposure. Most in-house studios are not structured to take that on directly, but the need to hire union talent is not going away.
Compliance Gaps That Surface at the Worst Possible Time
A missed CBA requirement, a misclassified crew member, or a late residual payment does not announce itself during pre-production. It shows up on the Friday before a Monday shoot, or after a campaign has already aired.
Talent and Contract Work Growing Faster Than Your Team
More productions mean more estimates, more script reviews, more contract negotiations, more residual tracking. Hiring for every volume increase is not a sustainable model, and the work still has to get done correctly.
Multi-Market Productions and Unfamiliar Union Rules
New markets bring different union locals, different CBA requirements, and different payroll obligations. Navigating that without established expertise on every project is where errors happen.
The Cost of Margin Leakage Through External Agencies
When production gets routed through an outside company to avoid the compliance burden, your team absorbs the markup and loses the output it was built to own. The fix is not outsourcing the work. It is having the right infrastructure to do it directly.
HOW CMS WORKS
CMS is in the production before shoot day. Not cleaning up after it.
Most compliance problems in commercial production are predictable. A missed CBA classification, a contract that didn’t reflect the final script, a residual obligation nobody tracked after wrap. These don’t surface as problems during pre-production. They surface on the Friday before a Monday shoot, or after a campaign has already aired. CMS gets involved at the front end. We review scripts, flag union obligations, and execute compliant contracts before a single day is booked. So the problem doesn’t happen.
WHAT WE HANDLE
The full scope of union compliance and production business affairs
Built for brands and agencies producing commercial content.
Third-Party Union Signatory
Hire union talent and crew without becoming a signatory. CMS holds SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and Teamsters agreements on your behalf.
Talent Cost Estimates and Script Review
Know your compliance obligations and talent costs before you commit. Scripts reviewed against CBA requirements upfront.
Contract Negotiation and Execution
Talent agreements, rider negotiations, and CBA-compliant contracts handled by people who have done this for 20+ years.
Residual Tracking and Celebrity Payments
Post-wrap obligations tracked and paid on time. Ongoing residual management that doesn't land back on your desk.
PSA Waiver Support
PSA waivers negotiated and managed directly with the union. Faster turnaround and less back and forth for your team.
Production Accounting and Cash Flow
Payroll, vendor payments, and purchasing cards handled at production speed, not corporate approval speed.
UNION SIGNATORY
Access union talent without becoming a signatory yourself.
CMS holds SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and Teamsters agreements as a third-party signatory. Your studio accesses union talent and crew for commercials, promos, and branded content without taking on deposit requirements, audit exposure, or ongoing CBA obligations.
SAG-AFTRA
Commercial, Corporate, Educational and Interactive contracts. Talent hiring for brand productions nationwide, fully CBA-compliant.
IATSE
Signed directly to IATSE agreements for qualified crew on commercials, music videos, and promos.
Teamsters 399 & 817
AICP Teamsters agreements for commercials and music videos. US and Canada covered.
WHY CMS
Union expertise built over 20+ years. Not assembled for the project.
BA leaders don’t need a vendor who will figure it out. They need a partner who has already seen the edge cases, the late-Friday calls, and the post-wrap compliance issues that never make it into the contract template.
Deep CBA Fluency
We know SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and Teamsters agreements at the working level, not just the summary. That means fewer surprises for your team and fewer escalations during production.
Front-End Prevention, Not Back-End Cleanup
Most compliance problems are visible before cameras roll. We flag them during script review and talent contracting so they never become your problem on set or in post.
A Partner, Not a Pass-Through
We do not route your production through a third party and add a layer. We operate as an extension of your team, with direct accountability for the compliance work we take on.
THE PROCESS
From first production brief to final wrap, the compliance work is covered.
CMS takes the operational weight off commercial production—union compliance, payroll, contracts, vendor management, and production finance—so your team can focus on the work, not the back office.
Intake and Production Review
We identify union requirements and flag compliance considerations before pre-production begins. Nothing gets to set without being reviewed first.
Script Review and Talent Contracting
Scripts reviewed, estimates generated, and CBA-compliant contracts executed before cameras roll. Your team commits knowing the obligations.
Production Payments and Cash Flow
Vendor payments, purchasing cards, and petty cash handled at production speed, not corporate approval speed, so the shoot never stalls on funds.
Wrap, Reporting, and Residuals
Your team delivers the work. We close the compliance loop — residuals tracked, union reporting filed, obligations cleared.