Recently, we gathered a panel of industry leaders for Disrupting Legacy Models: The New Era of Entertainment Payroll—a live discussion packed with fresh perspectives, real-world advice, and practical solutions for producers and finance teams looking to simplify payroll and manage costs in today’s fast-changing market.
Whether you joined us in person or are catching up now, here are the key takeaways, standout moments, and actionable tips you can put to work right away—plus a link to watch the full event on YouTube.
Key Takeaways
1. Collaboration Is Still King — And Setup Is the Foundation
As soon as a project is greenlit, GreenSlate clients are paired with a dedicated technical account manager who guides them through setup, forms, union agreements, and training—often in less than a week. This proactive approach ensures no one is left scrambling at the last minute.
Unlike legacy systems that force teams to juggle multiple products and logins, GreenSlate’s platform is built for seamless, all-in-one collaboration. With customizable workflows and department-specific dashboards, everyone gets exactly what they need. The result? Fewer surprises, smoother production, and significant cost savings.
Tip: Don’t wait until prep is underway. Engage your payroll partner early to streamline onboarding, clarify union requirements, and ensure everyone is trained before production starts. As Laura Walton put it, “Try not to procrastinate when it comes to your project set up…you can get everything done within like a week's time so you can hit the ground running as soon as you need to start onboarding your employees.”
“You can have the best tools in the world, but if your team isn’t on the same page, you’re going to run into problems.” — Mike Leiba, Chief Executive Officer, GreenSlate
2. Technology Is Changing the Game
The days of paper stacks, manual entry, and scattered systems are over. GreenSlate’s all-in-one digital platform is the only solution that truly integrates both payroll and accounting under a single login—no toggling between disconnected products, no duplicate data entry, and no confusion.
Our panelists highlighted how this unified approach is a game-changer: onboarding, timecards, approvals, and even complex union calculations are handled digitally, instantly, and from anywhere. When one production had to relocate across states due to a hurricane, GreenSlate updated everything in a day—no shipping boxes, no downtime.
Unlike other systems that claim to be “all-in-one” but still require multiple logins and siloed workflows, GreenSlate is purpose-built for accountants by accountants. One login gives you access to everything: payroll, accounting, cost tracking, and reporting. This isn’t just convenience—it’s a strategic advantage that eliminates errors, accelerates approvals, and gives your team real-time control.
3. Real Talk About Challenges
Every production faces curveballs—union flips, location changes, last-minute cast additions. When you’re a producer, you might handle one or two projects a year, but GreenSlate is processing hundreds of projects every single week. That means we’ve seen just about every ‘edge case’ and unusual scenario out there—and we’re ready to help you solve it in real-time. Whether it’s duplicating forms, updating union status, or onboarding new hires, the tools are there to keep things moving, and the support team is just a call away.
Tip: If your project faces an unexpected change, don’t panic. Use your payroll provider’s digital tools to duplicate forms, update union status, and onboard new hires instantly. And always reach out for help—GreenSlate’s team encourages clients to ask questions and leverage their experience with hundreds of productions per week.
“We have sympathy for every single person—from crew members to producers—who call us late at night trying to get things done. We’re there every step of the way, from prep through post, making sure no one is forgotten. That care is how you get your deposit back.” — Sandra Wetmore, SVP Payroll Operations, GreenSlate
4. Advice for the Next Generation
Breaking into production accounting or payroll can be intimidating, especially when legacy systems keep knowledge locked away. GreenSlate is changing that by making training accessible to everyone. The GreenSlate “sandbox” environment lets users practice with the software before a project starts, and ongoing support ensures no one is left behind. This empowers teams to work independently, reduces mistakes, and helps even first-timers hit the ground running.
Watch the Full Panel Discussion
✅ Want to learn more about how GreenSlate can help you and your production(s)? Get a demo here.
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