Blog

California Loan-Out Company Rules Have Changed: What Productions Must Do Now

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:19:29 GMT

If you work in entertainment production in California, chances are you're familiar with loan-out companies. A loan-out company is a corporation (or LLC taxed as a corporation) that a performer, writer, director, or other crew member sets up to "loan out" their personal services to a production company. Rather than being hired directly as an individual, the worker's entity contracts with the production, and the production pays the entity. Loan-out structures have been standard practice in the entertainment industry for decades.

‘East Coast’ Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans Rate Increase 2026

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Each year, the Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans (MPIPHP) Executive Board reviews the hourly rate that employers pay for the “East Coast” health and pension coverage. This rate is essential for ensuring the continued stability and quality of benefits for thousands of motion picture professionals who work on productions based outside of the traditional Hollywood hub.

Changes for 2026 took effect March 22, 2026. Here’s what you need to know about the “East Coast” MPIPHP rate increase for 2026, including who it impacts and how the new rates affect projects and pay.

Key Information:

➡️ New rate: $21.047/hour
➡️ Previous rate: $19.311/hour
➡️ Effective date: March 22, 2026
➡️ Increase: $1.736/hour (8.99%)

SXSW 2026 Full Lineup: Must-See Films, TV Shows, and Winners

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:45:00 GMT

South by Southwest (SXSW) is one of the world’s most influential gatherings for music, film, television, tech, and culture, bringing thousands of creators and fans to Austin, Texas.

GreenSlate was proud to have 12 client projects premiere on the powerful stages at SXSW in 2026. Check out the full lineup below, with a green heart 💚 noting our must-see client projects.

Film Program

➡️ Headliner

➡️ Narrative Feature Competition

➡️ Documentary Feature Competition

➡️ Narrative Spotlight

➡️ Documentary Spotlight

➡️ Midnighter

➡️ Festival Favorite

➡️ Visions

➡️ Global

➡️ 24 Beats Per Second

TV Program

➡️ TV Premiere

➡️ TV Spotlight

➡️ Independent TV Pilot Competition

Illinois Film Tax Credits: What SB 1911 Means for Film & TV Production

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:45:00 GMT

The landscape has shifted for film and TV production in the Prairie State. Senate Bill 1911 is now law, bringing significant updates to Illinois's Film Production Services Tax Credit Act, and making the state one of the most competitive locations for production in the country.

NEW Daily Times: The Production Time Fix for Everyone on Set

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:03:10 GMT

There’s a particular kind of chaos that happens on every production, usually sometime between wrap and midnight. It’s when the daily time sheets are due, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling—ADs texting crew members for their hours, accountants chasing down PDFs via email, and production coordinators trying to piece together who worked what and when. It’s messy. It’s time-consuming. And until recently, it was just how things worked.

Ratified IATSE Local 161 Changes And Effective Dates

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The IATSE Local 161 Theatrical and TV Series Production Agreement and Supplemental Digital Production Agreement were ratified effective March 9, 2025.

To help you understand current rates, compliance requirements, and how these changes affect your productions, we've highlighted the updates and their effective dates below.

2026–2028 IATSE Theatrical Low Budget Agreement: Rates, Tiers & Key Changes

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:20:37 GMT

Effective as of January 1, 2026 and continuing through December 31, 2028, a new IATSE Theatrical Low Budget Agreement is now in effect. Below are detailed changes, including new benefit structures and wage increase details through 2028.

2026 PGA Awards: Full List of Winners

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:30:00 GMT

On January 9, 2026, the Producers Guild of America unveiled the full list of nominees for the 2026 Producers Guild Awards, including nominations for GreenSlate client projects ‘Marty Supreme,’ ‘Severance,’ and ‘Mr. Scorsese.’ GreenSlate was proud to partner with the cast and crew of these innovative projects to help bring these stories to life. On February 28, 2026, the 2026 PGA Awards winners were unveiled with 'One Battle After Another' taking home the top prize.

A huge shoutout to Producers Guild of America CEO Susan Sprung and her incredible team for everything they do to champion the producing community. GreenSlate is proud to support the PGA and its members, providing innovative production payroll and finance tools to help them succeed.

The full list of nominees and winners for the 37th Annual PGA Awards are below, with GreenSlate client projects represented by a green heart. 💚

Ratified IATSE 764 and IATSE 798 Changes and Effective Dates

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The 2025 IATSE 764 and IATSE 798 Feature and Television Agreements and Supplemental Digital Agreements were ratified effective March 2, 2025.

To help you understand retroactive payments, current rates, and how these changes affect your productions, we've outlined the changes and their effective dates below.

Seamless Canadian Production Payroll Starts Here: Circus + GreenSlate

william.hays@gslate.com (GreenSlate) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

You know the drill on a Canadian show.