In the latest episode of Master Your Craft, Jesse Perez talks with Cast & Crew’s Product Director Nate Gibson about the rapid evolution of production, and why smarter workflows are the only way to keep up.
Commercial shoots now face tighter budgets, shorter timelines, and rising expectations. “You have the crew trying to work harder in shorter amounts of time,” Gibson says. “The production teams trying to wrap up jobs quicker and then move on to the next project quicker because timelines are shorter and budgets are tighter.” These realities demand new systems that help teams move fast while protecting their work and meeting union and state requirements.
What’s needed? Tools that are easy to use, built for mobile, and tailored to the job. Tools like the ones Gibson has helped to build, such as Cast & Crew’s digital Onboarding and Timekeeping solution. “The main goal was ease of use for crew members,” Gibson explains. “You want it to be as simple as possible for them, so they don't have to spend time thinking about it.” That same simplicity benefits production teams too, speeding up payroll, onboarding, and compliance review.
Gibson stresses the importance of building with a real understanding of on-set needs. “We weren't an outside tech company looking in, trying to create solutions for an industry we didn't understand. We were in it.” That insider perspective helped inform features like default day settings, real-time crew tracking, and single-signature start packets, making the whole process faster and easier for everyone involved.
Ease of use, strong security, and human support are all part of the equation. “You always want somebody who's been in this space for a long time, lots of experience, double checking everything,” Gibson says. “And being able to pick up the phone, call a real person… makes a world of difference.”
Watch the full episode above or listen on your favorite podcast platform to hear how producers can streamline operations without sacrificing control. Or learn more about our digital Onboarding and Timekeeping solution for commercial production here.
