FILM CREW TIMESHEET & INVOICE GENERATOR
The Calm Office Timesheet & Invoice Generator is a specialised Google Sheets system designed specifically for freelance crew working in the South African film and commercial production industry under Commercial Producers Association (CPA) guidelines.
Rather than manually calculating overtime, technical days, deal rates and invoice totals after every production, this system automates the process, allowing you to accurately record your workdays and generate professional invoices in just a few clicks.
Built around real production workflows, this template reflects the way South African freelance crew actually work on set. Whether you're working a one-day commercial or a multi-week production, the system helps reduce repetitive admin, minimise manual calculation errors and save valuable time between jobs.
The workflow is simple:
Project Setup → Daily Timesheet Entries → Automatic Calculations → Professional Invoice Generation
Simply enter your production details, day rates, call and wrap times, and select the appropriate production day type. The template automatically performs the calculations and prepares a professional invoice ready to submit to production.
WHAT THIS SYSTEM HELPS YOU DO
• Record production jobs, clients and project details
• Track call times, wrap times and daily working hours
• Log Shoot Days, Prep Days, Technical Recces, Gear Checks, Pre-Lights, Pre-Rig / De-Rig Days, Travel Days, Weather Days, Wrap Days and Off Days
• Automatically calculate overtime based on your selected deal type
• Calculate technical day pro-rata rates for Technical Recces, Gear Checks, Pre-Lights and Pre-Rig / De-Rig Days
• Support No Deal Productions, 12-Hour Deals and Custom Deal billing structures
• Generate professional invoices directly from completed timesheets
• Keep an organised record of completed freelance jobs
• Reduce manual calculations and invoicing errors
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
• Project Setup Sheet
• Production Timesheet
• Daily Work Log
• Automatic Overtime Calculations
• Technical Day Pro-Rata Calculations
• Support for NO DEAL, 12-HOUR DEAL and CUSTOM DEAL workflows
• Automatic Invoice Generator
• Professional Invoice Template
• Protected formulas to reduce accidental edits
• Clean, production-focused design
• Walkthrough Video explaining how the system works
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This system is designed for South African freelance crew working on commercial, television and film productions under CPA guidelines, including:
• Camera Department
• Lighting Department
• Grip Department
• Sound Department
• Art Department
• Hair & Makeup Department
• Costume Department
• Production Department
• Any freelance crew member responsible for submitting invoices to production companies.
It is particularly useful for freelancers who regularly work across multiple productions and want a faster, more reliable way to complete timesheets and generate invoices.
HOW THIS FITS INTO YOUR WORKFLOW
The Timesheet to Invoice Generator is designed to become part of your production admin workflow.
After each working day, simply record your call time, wrap time and production day type. The template automatically performs the necessary calculations, allowing you to generate a professional invoice at the end of the project without manually calculating overtime or recreating your timesheet.
Everything is kept together in one organised system, making it easy to keep accurate records of your freelance work.
TEMPLATE COMPATIBILITY
This template is designed specifically for use in Google Sheets.
The formulas, automation and protected structure used throughout the template are not compatible with Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers and will not function as intended if converted.
Google Sheets is free to use with a Google account and can be accessed from any modern web browser.
DEVICE COMPATIBILITY
This system is best suited to users with access to a laptop or desktop computer.
While Google Sheets can be viewed and edited using the Google Sheets mobile app, some features are limited on mobile devices. In particular, Google Sheets on mobile does not support exporting the generated invoice as a PDF, which forms an important part of this workflow.
For the best experience, including creating and downloading professional PDF invoices, a desktop or laptop computer is recommended.
DISCLAIMER
This product is an independently developed organisational and invoicing tool created to support freelance crew working within the South African film and commercial production industry.
It has been designed around common industry workflows and references CPA guidelines where applicable to assist with production calculations.
This product is not affiliated with, endorsed by, approved by, or produced in partnership with the CPA or any other industry organisation.
Users remain responsible for ensuring that rates, deal terms, overtime calculations and invoices comply with the requirements of each individual production, contract and production company.
IMPORTANT NOTE
This template is intended as an organisational and invoicing tool only.
It does not provide legal, accounting, employment or tax advice. Users remain responsible for reviewing and verifying all information, calculations and invoices before submission.
ACCESS
This is a digital product delivered as a PDF document.
You'll receive:
• The Calm Office Timesheet & Invoice Generator (Google Sheets Template)
• Professional Invoice Generator
• Walkthrough Video Link
You will need a free Google Account to use this product.
After purchase, you will receive an email containing a PDF document with clickable links to make your own copy of the template and access the walkthrough video.
