One job end to end: casting, call sheets and a signed-off timesheet
2 min 37 sec
All demo videos
From initial casting brief to an approved, signed-off timesheet submitted for payroll
In traditional UK talent and supporting artist agencies, managing a single booking involves juggling multiple disconnected tools: booking databases, scattered email chains, spreadsheets for cast shortlists, manual phone calls to verify availability, PDF call sheets sent as email attachments, and paper chits on set that have to be deciphered and retyped by hand days later.
RosterDeck unifies this entire workflow inside a single real-time platform shared between agency bookers, your artists, and the production team. From the moment a job is created and bound to a rate card, through to cast shortlists, token-based production approvals, live mobile call sheets, on-set check-ins, rate card supplement calculations, and final timesheet submission, every action takes place in one shared workspace without leaving RosterDeck or retyping data into external spreadsheets.
Step-by-step walkthrough: what happens in this demo
Every action in this walkthrough corresponds directly to RosterDeck’s live production features. Click any timestamp to jump to that moment.
Step 10:00
Create the job, work dates and roles
Set up the production, bind it to an official UK union rate card, and define work dates and casting roles.
Start by creating the production in RosterDeck and selecting the rate card for the job: PACT/FAA, PACT/Equity, or BBC/Equity. The chosen rate card serves as the single source of truth that prices basic pay, night shoot rates, continuous working day thresholds, overtime increments, meal penalties, and travel allowances throughout the booking lifecycle. Next, add work dates with contracted daily hours (e.g. 9-hour or 10-hour days) and day types, and configure the casting roles needed on set (such as pilots, onlookers, and background artists).
Key takeaway: Rate card rules are locked from day one, eliminating manual overtime calculations and rate discrepancies later.
Step 20:13
Build the cast list
Filter your roster by role criteria, availability, appearance, and compliance clearance.
Filter the agency roster using precise multi-attribute searches: role match, calendar availability for the specific shoot dates, travel proximity to unit base, playing age, physical measurements, and wardrobe sizes. Open full artist profiles to inspect high-resolution headshots, body measurements, playing age, and verified DBS clearance certificates. Artists manage and update their own profiles and contact information through their personal portal, ensuring agency bookers always work with current data.
Key takeaway: Agency bookers shortlist verified, available talent in seconds without cross-referencing external files.
Step 30:26
Shortlist and cast with the AI assistant
Use plain-English prompts to shortlist compliant talent and fill multiple roles simultaneously.
Ask the built-in AI assistant to find artists matching complex requirements (e.g., shortlisting five talent with valid DBS certificates available on September 1st). The assistant can fill multiple roles in a single command: such as ten onlookers split evenly by gender, plus eleven additional artists across pilots and background scenes. Crucially, RosterDeck uses an approval-first architecture: the assistant never writes directly to your database. Every suggestion is returned as an interactive proposal card showing candidate names and role assignments for the agent to review and approve before anyone is added.
Key takeaway: Complex multi-role casting takes seconds while keeping full human control over every booking.
Step 40:53
Automate cast availability checks
Send one-click availability requests; artist responses and travel choices stream directly into the job.
Dispatch a batch availability check email to the entire shortlist with an instant preview of the outgoing message. Artists receive a direct mobile link that requires no password or app download. On their mobile device, artists confirm availability and select how they will travel to location (public transport, personal car, or production pickup). Every response updates live on the casting deck in real time, completely bypassing the booker’s personal email inbox.
Key takeaway: No inbox clutter, no chasing replies by phone, and travel preferences are logged automatically.
Step 51:05
Request production approval
Package shortlisted talent and send a secure review link to your production contact.
Select the shortlisted artists, name the cast list, specify the shoot dates it covers, and generate a secure review package for the production team (such as the 2nd AD, casting director, or line producer). A dedicated, tokenised link is dispatched to your production contact, providing a structured, professional presentation of proposed talent.
Key takeaway: Replaces confusing multi-tab Excel attachments and scattered email feedback with a single shared link.
Step 61:15
Production reviews and approves cast
Production opens the link in any browser with zero login required to approve or decline artists.
Production contacts open the review link directly in their browser without creating an account or entering passwords. They can filter by role, open detailed artist cards to check photos and measurements, and approve or decline artists individually. The embedded assistant allows production to approve or clear large cast lists in a single instruction. Every decision syncs instantly back to the agency’s live job view.
Key takeaway: Zero friction for production teams on tight deadlines, with real-time status updates back to the agency.
Step 71:31
Send booking confirmations to cast
Generate personalised booking confirmations with full role details, rates, and terms.
Once production approves the cast, bookers trigger personalised booking confirmations to each accepted artist. Every confirmation details the role, shoot dates, agreed day rates based on the job rate card, and production guidelines. Bookers can preview the exact email formatting before dispatch, giving talent clear, formal confirmation of their booking.
Key takeaway: Clear, automated confirmations prevent dropouts and ensure artists understand agreed rates and terms.
Step 81:45
Send the timesheet link to production
Production receives their dedicated digital timesheet URL for on-set management.
Production is sent a secure, persistent link to the job timesheet. This link serves as the production team’s mobile on-set dashboard throughout the shoot: setting call times, signing cast in and out, logging rate card supplements, and submitting the finalised timesheet for payroll.
Key takeaway: A single live link replaces physical clipboards, printed sign-in sheets, and paper chits.
Step 91:50
Production sets call times
Production sets call times individually, in bulk by role, or via assistant; agency is auto-notified.
Production enters call times directly onto the digital timesheet: individually row by row, in bulk for an entire role (e.g., 06:30 for pilots, 07:15 for background), or by asking the assistant. Once every booked artist has an assigned call time, RosterDeck automatically notifies the agency bookers that call times are ready for distribution.
Key takeaway: Eliminates afternoon phone tag between assistant directors and agency booking desks.
Step 102:00
Send call sheets to cast
Call times set by production feed into the call sheets sent to artists.
If production pushes a call time by 30 minutes, the call time drift will be flagged and you will be prompted to re-send the call sheet.
Key takeaway: Call times drifting are flagged for your attention instead of being missed.
Step 112:07
On-set digital sign-in
Sign artists in individually, in bulk by role, or all at once; preview contact and travel details.
On location, production checks artists in with a single tap: individually as they arrive, in bulk by role, or the entire cast at once. Hovering over any artist displays an instant summary card showing their headshot, phone number, and verified travel preference, making crowd coordination fast and organised.
Key takeaway: Replaces sign-in queues and illegible paper sheets with instant, timestamped digital check-ins.
Step 122:17
Add supplements, travel and overtime
Apply rate card supplements and travel allowances with automatic overtime calculations.
Production records shoot-day adjustments like haircut fees, wet downs, costume doubling, body makeup, or travel allowances, either for an individual artist or across a whole role. A live warning banner at the top of the timesheet alerts production if any artist is missing an agreed travel payment. Every supplement and overtime hour is calculated against the PACT/FAA or Equity rate card.
Key takeaway: Every supplement is matched to the rate card set for the job.
Step 132:27
Sign out, total chits and submit for payroll
Wrap the shoot day, inspect itemised chit breakdowns, and submit for agency billing and payroll.
Production wraps the unit and signs out all cast in one instruction. Hovering over any digital chit displays an itemised breakdown of basic hours, overtime, meal penalties, supplements, and statutory holiday pay. Production reviews the totals, signs off, and submits the finalised timesheet back to the agency, ready for client invoicing and artist payroll.
Key takeaway: Mutual sign-off creates an indisputable digital audit trail, accelerating payroll from days to minutes.
Platform rules & operational safeguards
Built specifically around UK film, television, and commercial casting standards.
Rate Card Engine
Rate Cards Built In
Pre-configured PACT/FAA, PACT/Equity, and BBC/Equity rate cards automatically compute basic pay, overtime increments, night shoot premiums, meal penalties, and statutory holiday pay.
Collaboration
Zero-Login Production Access
Production contacts review cast shortlists, assign call times, and manage shoot-day timesheets through secure tokenised web links without creating accounts or passwords.
Cast Communication
Call Sheets
Changes in call times are flagged to bookers so they can resend digital call sheets.
Payroll
Paperless Digital Chits
Timestamped sign-in, wrap times, and rate-card-matched supplements feed through to timesheets and invoicing.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about how this workflow operates in RosterDeck.
No. Production coordinators, casting directors, and assistant directors access cast review lists, call time management, and shoot-day timesheets through secure, token-based web links in any modern browser. No registration, login, or software installation is required.
RosterDeck includes full engine support for PACT/FAA, PACT/Equity, and BBC/Equity agreements. The system handles standard day calls, continuous working days, night shoots, meal penalties, travel allowances, and statutory holiday pay.
Artists receive an email with their personalised digital call sheet. The link displays their individual call time, unit base address with map directions, on-set contact details, and wardrobe notes.
RosterDeck enforces an approval-first safety model. When the AI assistant shortlists talent or assigns roles, it presents an interactive proposal card. No database changes or bookings are committed until an agency booker inspects and explicitly approves the proposal.
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