CrewStart™, part of Sargent-Disc’s Digital Production Office®, is designed to help your team automate the processing of contracts, start forms, daily rate vouchers and timesheets.
In the latest release, our patented approval and signature process has become even faster.
Over 250 people (industry experts, newcomers, students, educators and skills bodies) came together at The Savoy Hotel on Tuesday 24th January for the first Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB) Talent Showcase. As a member of the PGGB Board, Sargent-Disc Director, Lara Sargent, attended the evening with Director Laurence Sargent to watch the presentation of the inaugural Earl of Wessex Award.
The award was presented in person by His Royal Highness Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex and the PGGB’s Royal Patron to 6ft From the Spotlight. The award recognised the Film and TV industry charity’s work to shed light on and improve mental health and wellbeing in the UK production workplace.
The Earl of Wessex Award was launched last year to identify those who have created “a successful way of inspiring local talent or skills, widening access or being more inclusive” within the UK film and TV industry. The other finalists for the 2023 award were Fully Focused, MAMA Youth and Resource Productions.
The event, hosted by presenter Ayo Akinwolere, commenced with a panel discussion involving the PGGB Careers Pathways Panel – Production Finance Manager Chika Ansiobi; Production Manager and PGGB Spotlight on New Talent Award winner Fay Mohamed; Head of Film Barking & Dagenham Lisa Dee; Producer and Co-Founder of HaZ Film Paula Crickard; Executive Producer Roopesh Parekh and Alliots LLP Media Accountant Samuel Ampah.
The panellists shared insights into their own beginnings and the challenges they have faced throughout their careers to date. Advice echoed across the panel was the importance of self-belief, perseverance and to speak to everyone you can as all it takes is one person to make a difference.
The evening ended with a drinks reception, allowing attendees the opportunity to network with fellow members of the industry.
Photo Credits: Ben Meadows for the Production Guild of Great Britain
Sargent-Disc co-director Lara Sargent explains why supporting female accounting talent in the film and TV industry is a post-Covid priority.
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Members of the Sargent-Disc and Cast & Crew teams were delighted to be in Belfast last week to meet the members of the Production Guild of Great Britain’s (PGGB) Northern Ireland (NI) committee, Northern Ireland Screen and others working in the vibrant NI production industry.
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We are delighted to announce that Sargent-Disc, a Cast & Crew company, is now a Corporate Member of WFTV (Women in Film and TV), the UK’s leading membership organisation for women working in media.
Sargent-Disc has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with WFTV, having sponsored a number of its special events, including most notably the annual WFTV Brunch held at Festival de Cannes. We have also supported the annual WFTV Awards which celebrate the achievements of women within the screen industries and delivered a series of production finance workshops to share our specialist expertise with WFTV’s members.
As a Corporate Member, Sargent-Disc’s female team will now be able to attend WFTV receptions at annual events such as the Sheffield DocFest, the BFI London Film Festival, the hugely popular WFTV Summer and Christmas Parties along with regular member networking events. They will also have access to industry seminars, panel discussions, workshops and can apply for special programmes including the WFTV Mentoring Scheme – designed for women wanting to take a significant next step in their careers.
Lara Sargent, Co-Head International at Cast & Crew and Sargent-Disc Director says: “At Sargent-Disc we appreciate and have long supported the work that WFTV does to encourage and empower women in the film and TV industry. We strongly value the many skilled women of Sargent-Disc‘s workforce, who make up 64% of our team. Becoming a WFTV Corporate Member allows us to offer a fantastic benefit to our female team members whilst also providing ongoing support for WFTV’s work.”
Katie Bailiff, CEO at Women in Film and Television says: “Women in Film and Television are delighted to welcome Sargent-Disc as corporate members of the organisation. We have been actively broadening our reach to include more women working in the industry’s business and finance sectors so are looking forward to engaging with their team at our future events, on our mentoring schemes and through our bursaries.“
“I’m passionate about women striving to succeed and having confidence to move into senior roles. I love what WFTV stands for because in order for anyone to be successful in life, supporting one another is key! I Iook forward to using this membership to build new relationships with other members, and of course to represent the women of Sargent-Disc.”
Kirstie White, Operations Manager
“Having grown up in a [Sikh] culture where women have not always been on the same level as men, I believe everything is achievable with the right motivation and support. My mother was the one who taught me that, no matter my culture, race or religion, I was to follow my inner self, to be the best I could be and to make the most of life. This membership will give me the opportunity to access support, open my mind-set further, learn more about the industry and be part of an organisation that I know will make a difference in my working life and the future of my daughter.” Pav Sohal, Supervisory Payroll Administrator
“A key aspect of the membership that appeals to me is the mentorship opportunities. To build a long and successful career, I personally believe it is important to have mentors and stakeholders both internally and externally. I have been fortunate enough to have a number of strong female mentors in the past and I feel this has been instrumental to both my career development and confidence.” Alicia Lane, Customer Success Manager
“I see this as an opportunity to raise the visibility of women working in areas that are not always celebrated, such as payroll, accounting, post-production and HR. In many ways we are a hidden workforce. WFTV provides opportunities to learn and develop new skills, establish mentorship relationships, and to grow towards goals that meaningfully will contribute to the business.” Jolanta Pawlowska, Senior Payroll Technician
Find out more about WFTV and the work they do here.
It was with great pleasure that Sargent-Disc, a Cast & Crew company sponsored The Production Guild of Great Britain’s Summer Drinks on Thursday 8th September at The Bloomsbury Hotel. The evening brought together around 300 attendees, including many of our clients in the field of finance and accounting.
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It was our absolute pleasure for Sargent-Disc (a Cast & Crew company) to be Headline Sponsor of the 2022 Edinburgh TV Awards, which took place on Thursday 25 August at a glittering ceremony hosted by writer and comedian Sophie Ducker.
A total of 20 awards were presented on the night including the prestigious Channel of the Year title, which went to Channel 4 whose Director of Content Ian Katz was on hand to receive the Award from Jury president Sue Vertue. Other winners in the most sought-after categories included Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s company Merman (Motherland, This Way Up) which was named Production Company of the Year, whilst Firecrest Films (Michael Palin’s Travel of a Lifetime, Life: Behind Bars) received the Small Indie of the Year Award.
Sargent-Disc’s Sarah McKenzie, Business Development had the honour of presenting the Best Drama award to the team behind hit drama The Responder starring Michael Freeman, made by Dancing Ledge Productions for BBC One. Best International drama went to Pachinko, representing the first win at the awards for Apple TV+. Netflix’s Sex Education took home the Best Comedy Series award whilst the TV Moment of the Year Award went to See Saw Films / Netflix’s Heartstopper for Charlie and Nick’s First Kiss.
We were particularly delighted to celebrate the first ever recipient of Edinburgh’s new Climate Impact Award. The prize went to Channel 4 documentary Joe Lycett Vs the Oil Giant, by Rumpus Media, and it was a fantastic moment to see this important new category introduced at the first Edinburgh TV Awards following the critical signing of the Climate Content Pledge at Cop26 last year.
The awards topped off an exceptionally well-attended Festival, where the return to an in-person, live event for the first time since 2019 was resoundingly welcomed by industry. The atmosphere buzzed throughout three days of packed-out events.
Ahead of the festival, Sargent-Disc Director Laurence Sargent reflected in this Broadcast article on Edinburgh’s significance in the UK TV industry calendar, celebrating its reputation for “providing a platform for challenging issues to be explored and important conversations to be had.”
This year was no exception, with broadcaster Emily Maitlis’ McTaggart Memorial Lecture, ‘Boiling Frog: Why We Have to Stop Normalising the Absurd’, provoking powerful discussion around news and impartiality. In it, Maitlis warned against the rise of populism and highlighted the role that reporters and broadcasters should play “to hold power to account without fear or favour.”
Elsewhere, Rose Ayling-Ellis’ powerful Alternative MacTaggart Lecture saw the deaf actress, BSL campaigner and Strictly Come Dancing winner urge the TV world to “be braver and have the courage to make changes”, such as bringing deaf consultants in to work with writing teams. Stressing the important difference between representation and access, she urged the industry to think about both in her impactful speech, which provided valuable insight into the stark realities of life as a Deaf person working in television.
For more information about the 2022 Edinburgh TV Awards sponsored by Sargent Disc (a Cast & Crew Company), click here.
Best Comedy Series – Sex Education, Eleven Film for Netflix
Best Documentary – The Return: Life After ISIS, Alba Sotorra Productions and MetFilm for Sky Documentaries
Best Drama – The Responder, Dancing Ledge Productions for BBC1
Best Entertainment Series – The Lateish Show With Mo Gilligan, Expectation and MoMo G for Channel 4
Best International Drama – Pachinko, Media Res / Blue Marble Pictures in association with Apple for Apple TV+
Best On Demand Service – BBC iPlayer
Best Popular Factual Series – Uprising, Rogan Productions, Lammas Park and Turbine Studios for BBC1
Best TV Actor – Comedy – Daisy Haggard in Back To Life
Best TV Actor – Drama – Jodie Comer in Help
Best TV Presenter – AJ Odudu & Mo Gilligan for The Big Breakfast
Breakthrough Talent – Actor – Danielle Macdonald
Breakthrough Talent – Presenter – Munya Chawawa
Channel of the Year – Channel 4
Climate Impact Award – Joe Lycett Vs the Oil Giant, Rumpus Media for Channel 4
Production Company of the Year – Merman Television
Small Indie of the Year – Firecrest Films
Global Success Award – ITV Studios
Variety Outstanding Achievement Award – Diane Morgan
TV Moment of the Year – Heartstopper: Charlie and Nick’s First Kiss, See Saw Films for Netflix
Ones to Watch / Random Acts Live Pitch – Alex Rodrigues, Thanks Boss.
Cast & Crew is very proud to be the headline sponsor of the prestigious Edinburgh TV Festival Awards 2022 – returning in person after two years.
“These awards showcase outstanding talent, creativity and the breadth of programming from broadcasters, streamers and production companies alike. We are delighted to support this celebration of their fantastic work,” – Dr Laurence Sargent, Co-Head of International, Cast & Crew
The sixteen 2022 Awards category nominations showcase an extraordinarily diverse slate of productions including Squid Game, Top Boy, Succession, the Mare of Easttown, Gogglebox, Uprising, Horrible Histories’ Precious Planet and Motherland. Their success is in no small part due to the performances of actors and presenters such as Letitia Wright, Stephen Graham, Rose Mataf, and Professor Benhamin Zephaniah to name just a few.
Sue Vertue, CEO, Hartswood Films (Sherlock) – this year’s jury President says, “I know how hard it has been to film during these last few Covid years, but even with that, our amazing TV industry has gone full throttle delivering some of the most creative, thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining shows I have seen in a long time.”
Taking place on Thursday 25th August, the Awards will be hosted by stand-up comedian and award winning writer, Sophie Ducker.
Established in 1976, the Edinburgh International TV Festival is famous for its relevant, provocative and entertaining programme which attracts 2000 industry professionals from across the globe. The 2022 festival will run from Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 August, and will include keynotes, debates and masterclass events alongside a wide range of networking opportunities.
We are delighted to announce that Sargent-Disc (a Cast & Crew Company) is the official sponsor of The Production Guild of Great Britain’s newly established Northern Ireland Committee.
The new committee is one of six in the Nations and Regions being formed by PGGB, the leading UK membership body for production professionals, in response to the continuing boom in UK film and High-end TV production.
Lara Sargent, Co-Head of International, Cast & Crew and Director, Sargent-Disc says: “The work of the PGGB Northern Ireland Committee is going to be key to ensuring a joined up approach to high quality production across the UK, and crucially between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Sargent-Disc is honoured to support the Committee, as well as production on the island of Ireland and across the UK.”
The PGGB Northern Ireland Committee is chaired by Belfast-based freelance producer Amanda Black, who is currently producing Mammoth Screen’s upcoming second series of BBC One World War II drama World on Fire. Vice Chairs are: Paula Crickard, Head of Post-Production at Nu Boyana Studios and a producer whose feature film credits include Everton, Howards Way (2019) and BIFA-nominated Winter (2015); and emerging Production Accountant Michael Kilpatrick whose credits include Game of Thrones and upcoming Florian Zeller feature The Son starring Hugh Jackman and Anthony Hopkins.
Committee members are: Production Manager Darren Chesney (The School for Good and Evil, The Northman); Production Accountant Richard Henry (Rush, Cats); Location Manager Naomi Liston (The Northman, Game of Thrones); Louise Morrison, a Production Accountant working in production development and Training Consultant currently delivering ScreenSkills’ UK Assistant Production Accountant Apprenticeship; and Production Manager Stacey Quigley (Invasion, Dungeons & Dragons).
Lyndsay Duthie, PGGB CEO, says: “We’re delighted to continue PGGB’s roll out into the Nations and Regions with the launch of our new Northern Ireland Committee, and we extend our thanks to our official sponsor Sargent-Disc (a Cast & Crew company). By creating a network of professionals based across the country, we’re enabling better dialogue about how to target industry support that suits differing needs on the ground. With recent hits including The Northman, Belfast, Derry Girls and Game of Thrones, and upcoming releases like Dungeons & Dragons to look forward to, Northern Ireland is generating some of the most exciting screen content in the country. I’m pleased that this new Committee will help PGGB better represent the interests of its production professionals.”
Producer Amanda Black says: “I’m delighted to be chairing the Production Guild’s new Northern Ireland Committee. At a time when our industry in Northern Ireland is stronger than ever, it’s important that those working behind the camera are well represented by national organisations that represent the UK industry as a whole. The launch of this committee is another strong step in that direction. I look forward to working with my colleagues and putting Northern Ireland further on the map as a place of excellence for filming.”
PGGB’s Northern Ireland Committee is the second PGGB National and Regional Committee to be established. It follows the PGGB Bristol and South West England Committee which launched in September. Locations have been chosen in line with the British Film Commission’s Stage Space Support Development hub centers. Four further Committees are set to launch in Scotland, Wales, the North West of England and Yorkshire in the coming months.
Each committee will meet a minimum of four times per year and deliver a variety of activities within their area including forums, masterclasses and networking events. PGGB’s Chair and CEO will meet with the six National and Regional Committee Chairs annually as a steering group.
For more information about the PGGB’s Northern Ireland Committee sponsored by Sargent-Disc (a Cast & Crew company), click here.
After two years of COVID disruption, it was a welcome return to normality at this years’ 75th Festival De Cannes (17-28 May). Sargent-Disc and parent company Cast & Crew were delighted to have a strong combined representation at the festival, and to produce and sponsor a number of industry events that brought international delegates together.
Attending from the UK were Laurence and Lara Sargent, Co-Heads International at Cast & Crew and Sargent-Disc Directors, were accompanied by Sargent-Disc executives Sarah McKenzie (Business Development) and Emma Hicks (Marketing Manager); from Cast & Crew in the US were Andrew Jablonski (Vice President – East Coast and International Sales), David Benavente (VP Head of Independent Sales and Services), Diedre Owen (Incentive Financing Vice President, Production).
Sargent-Disc and Cast & Crew’s Cannes Festival Lounge at the Grand Hotel on Boulevard de la Croisette, welcomed the steady flow of festival delegates dropping in for meetings, refreshments – and access to those all-important device charging points!
On the Festival’s opening weekend, Cast & Crew with Sargent-Disc co-hosted the seventh International Producers Reception. Taking place at the Members Club, Long Beach on Saturday 21 May, the return of this event after a two-year hiatus gave producers and financiers from across the globe the valuable opportunity to gather in person, strengthening existing relationships and building new connections. We extend our thanks the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), The Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB), Screen Producers Ireland, the British Film Commission and New Zealand Film Commission, for their support for the event.
Sargent-Disc was also delighted to sponsor the 2022 Screen International Cannes UK Reception on 23 May alongside headline sponsor British Film Commission. Welcoming guests to the always popular event, which this year took place on the beach at Le Gray d’Albion, were Matt Muller (Editor, Screen International), Laurence Sargent (Co-Head International Cast & Crew and Director Sargent-Disc) and Adrian Wootton OBE (CEO, British Film Commission & Film London). View photos from the Reception here.
Away from the buzz of parties and receptions, it was a strong year for UK film at Cannes, with five UK features and seven shorts in selection, and the coveted Palme d’Or going to Ruben Östlund for black comedy satire Triangle of Sadness, a Swedish/UK/German/French co-production starring Woody Harrelson, produced by the UK’s Mike Goodridge.
“It was wonderful to be able to meet colleagues face to face again at the world’s biggest film festival, leaving behind the virtual settings of video calls that have dominated throughout the pandemic,” says Laurence Sargent, Sargent-Disc Director and Co-Head International at Cast & Crew. “The production industry has stayed strong throughout the challenges of COVID-19 but the return of Cannes is a real reminder of how worthwhile it is to be able to reconnect again in person.”
“We were particularly proud to see two films supported by Sargent-Disc going on to shine at Cannes. Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells’ debut Aftersun, which we provided Payroll, CrewStart, PSL+ and Digital Purchase Order services to, received the French Touch Prize of the Jury in Critics’ Week, and Alex Garland’s latest feature Men starring Jessie Buckley, which we provided Digital Purchase Order support to, had its World Premiere in Directors Fortnight. Congratulations to everyone involved in those films!”
For more information about Sargent-Disc’s Digital Production Office suite of applications, click here.
