Keep up with Circus' latest product news and announcements.
Apr 15, 2025
Introducing Talent Payroll & Agency Workspaces
We know budgets are tighter than ever – that’s why we’re thrilled to announce ACTRA and UBCP payroll processing for as low as 0.6%. Even better, authorized agencies can now manage their rosters, securely link bank accounts for direct deposit payments, and track all talent payments through our new agency dashboards. Best part? It’s completely free. Once set up, talent can link their agency to their profile during onboarding, ensuring all payments go directly to their bank accounts. Join top Canadian agencies already using direct deposit – get set up today!
Affordable ACTRA and UBCP payroll
Pay hundreds (or thousands) of non-union, UBCP, or ACTRA cast and background performers with one click—for as low as 0.6%. Ask us about RABS or other accounting integrations.
New talent agency workspaces
Become an authorized agency and connect your bank account to receive direct deposit payments instantly from payroll runs.
Link an agency
Cast, background, and key creatives can now link a talent agency to their profile—so payments are sent via direct deposit, straight to their bank accounts.
Real time talent payment tracking
Agents can track all talent payments and download receipts from a centralized dashboard—accessible to the entire team.
Join the best of the reps
Top Canadian agencies have already signed up for direct deposit payments. Reach out on live chat support to get started.
Mar 25, 2025
The Worker Enhancements Update
In this month's Circus update, we've made a ton of enhancements for workers, department heads, and accountants. Workers can now log in with Google SSO, upload passports for overseas shoots, and submit weekly or bi-weekly timesheets. Department heads can approve submissions like start packs before they hit production, and headshots are now easy to grab for departments like hair and makeup. Lastly, Accountants can now filter any submission to hone in on that search.
Filter Anything
Accountants can now filter start packs, invoices, and timesheets by specific parameters to refine searches. Easily find unapproved start packs from the Grip and Electric department, invoices over $500, timesheets submitted within a date range, or payroll runs that include a specific worker.
Department Heads in the Chain of Approval
Now, you can add department heads to the approval chain, enabling them to approve their colleagues’ start packs, daily reports, timesheets, or invoices before they reach the production office.
All Submissions, All in One Place
Accountants can now effortlessly review all worker submissions—Start Packs, Daily Reports, Timesheets, Invoices, and Vouchers—in one convenient location.
Signing in with Google SSO
Workers can register or log into their Circus account via Google SSO, simplifying access to profiles, start packs, timesheets, and invoices. MFA is required for added security.
Collect Passports
Planning an overseas shoot? Now, when a team member is invited, you can require a valid passport to be uploaded during onboarding, streamlining travel coordination and making the process even smoother.
Bi-Weekly Timesheet Support
Productions can now select whether workers submit Timesheets on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, offering more flexibility in tracking and managing work hours.
Download Headshots
Headshots uploaded to worker profiles can now be easily downloaded by departments like hair and makeup for looks or the production office for security badges.
Oct 18, 2024
Submit Timesheets and Invoices on Someone's Behalf
At Circus, we designed our platform to scale with the fast-paced demands of production. With hundreds of busy workers, it can be challenging to track Timesheet and Invoice submissions and ensure they’re submitted in time to process payroll. To simplify this, production offices can now designate workers from each department to submit on behalf of their colleagues, eliminating the need for individual submissions. Learn how it works here for Invoices: https://support.circushr.com/en/articles/9265492-submitting-invoices And here for Timesheets: https://support.circushr.com/en/articles/6910250-submitting-timesheets#h_2ee183bf13 But that’s not all! Check out more of our recent improvements and fixes below.
Oct 1, 2024
Circus Payroll and Accounting has arrived!
We're Introducing a groundbreaking way to process payroll and track costs with ease, all under a single platform. Whether it’s off-cycle or regular pay runs, you can now effortlessly and instantly review detailed worker earnings, tax calculations, union fringes, and more—all in one place. With just a click, payments are processed and deposited directly into your team’s bank accounts. Circus also takes care of remittances, paystubs, and year-end tax documents, streamlining every step of the process. Even better, every cost within Circus is seamlessly integrated into our new cost reporting tool, updating Ledgers, Journals, and Trial Balances in real time—no imports or exports required. This is payroll and accounting, reimagined.
Payroll
Regular or Off-Cycle Payroll runs now can be created and new newly approved Timesheets will automatically be added. Accountants, PMs, Line Producers and Producers can review gross wages, taxes, and remittances by the entire run, or by individual worker. And best yet, Payroll can be processed with a click of a button.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is now available for all workers, offering a secure way to receive payments directly to their bank accounts. Workers can easily connect or update their account details with just one setup, allowing them to rollover the same details from job to job. Importantly, they can choose whether payments are directed to their personal or business accounts to align with the production’s tax credit requirements.
Chart of Accounts & Group Codes
Circus offers robust management tools for both account and group codes, simplifying financial oversight for productions. With account codes, users can upload a chart of accounts from Movie Magic Budgeting, enabling seamless expense tracking and reporting across any costs directly or indirectly linked to Circus. These tools ensure precise cost management, with consistent codes locked in once uploaded, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in production accounting.
Discover more about this account codes and group codes.
Cost Reporting
Circus' new Cost Reporting tool brings financial clarity and control to production teams. With seamless tracking of actual costs, budgets, and projected expense (EFC & ETC) columns, it highlights variances automatically, helping teams stay on budget. Users can easily grant others in the production office live access or export reports in CSV and PDF formats, enhancing collaboration and decision-making. This feature ensures you’re always ahead of your financial game, making production management more transparent and efficient. Explore more details here.
Other Reports
Journals, Ledgers, and Trial Balance reports in Accounting are now easily accessible for direct viewing and download. Any transactions completed within the Circus platform are automatically recorded and reflected in all reports. Additionally, you can manually create or import entries for transactions that take place outside the Circus platform. Discover more details here.
Add or Import Entries
Accountants can create individual entries or upload multiple entries using a CSV template. The process ensures that costs incurred outside of Circus are accurately tracked and posted to the ledger. Learn more about this here.
Like what you see?
Get in touch for a demo to chat about your next production.
Jul 2, 2024
Production Dashboards have a new look
Production Dashboards are like a Circus (or basecamps if you're not in Vancouver) – it needs to be incredibly easy to find your way around the production trucks, tents and the sets so you can do your job easily and more efficiently. Offline it may be as simple as turning a light on. Online it needs to be incredibly easy to submit a Start Pack, Timesheet, Invoice and more so we can process the payment for your hard work. So what did we change? All the production details have now moved from the right side of the screen to above the production title for immediate and easy access. The production company details are now directly under the title so finding the contact info is much easier. In addition, anything you have the ability to submit is front and centre on the dashboard so after you've onboarded it's super clear what you can do next. For accountants, producers, PMs and more, you can now find the access panel directly on the dashboard to grant access to anyone else in the production office.
Jun 3, 2024
Organize everything under the new Workspaces
Workspaces enable key people like Studio Executives, Heads of Production, Executive Producers, Producers to manage multiple productions under a single entity and control who can access all associated productions. A Workspace icon can be uploaded and settings such as the name, taxpayer country, and registration number can also be included for payroll purposes.
Workspaces enable key people like Studio Executives, Heads of Production, Executive Producers, Producers to manage multiple productions under a single entity and control who can access all associated productions. A Workspace icon can be uploaded and settings such as the name, taxpayer country, and registration number can also be included for payroll purposes.