Film Accounting Glossary
Time card
What is a time card?
Also called timecard, or timesheet.
A time card is the record of hours a crew member worked in a pay period, including start and wrap, meal breaks, and any travel or turnaround, approved by the department head and coded to accounts.
It is the source document for payroll, for fringe contributions, and for the labor lines in the cost report. Late or unapproved time cards are the most common reason a payroll batch misses its run, forcing a fee-bearing off-cycle payroll.
Example
A card shows 6am call, 10:12pm wrap, one 40-minute meal, and a 9-hour turnaround into the next day. That single card generates straight time, two hours of time and a half, golden time, a meal penalty, and a turnaround premium.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Approved by the department head, coded to accounts, and submitted in the weekly payroll batch. Late cards force a fee-bearing off-cycle run.
Common mistake
Submitting cards without department head approval to make the deadline. Unapproved hours become the disputed hours, and the dispute lands after wrap.
Related questions
- What goes on a film timecard?
- Start and wrap times, meal breaks, travel and turnaround, the account coding, and the department head's approval for the pay period.
- What happens if timecards are late?
- Either the crew waits for the next run or the production pays for an off-cycle payroll, which carries a fee and reopens the week's reporting.