--- title: "Managing a SAG Ultra-Low Budget Production in Wrapbook" slug: "manage-a-sag-ultra-low-budget-production-in-wrapbook" tags: ["FCL", "SAG FCL"] updated: 2026-04-09T18:53:06Z published: 2026-04-09T18:53:06Z canonical: "help.wrapbook.com/manage-a-sag-ultra-low-budget-production-in-wrapbook" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.wrapbook.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Managing a SAG Ultra-Low Budget Production in Wrapbook ## Overview The **SAG-AFTRA** **Ultra-Low Budget Agreement (UPA)** is designed for U.S.-based, non-episodic productions with total budgets under $300,000. It allows you to hire union performers at reduced minimums, while still following union rules for pay, benefits, and reporting. Wrapbook supports SAG-UPA productions end-to-end: from setting up your project, onboarding performers, and running compliant payroll, to generating the reports you’ll need at wrap. This guide covers: - Preparing your SAG signatory paperwork - Setting up your project in Wrapbook - Onboarding cast and crew - Running SAG-compliant payroll - Pulling final reports for submission to SAG --- ## Step 1: Confirm SAG signatory status Before you can pay performers through Wrapbook, you’ll need to be signed onto the UPA with SAG-AFTRA. **What SAG requires:** - Completed signatory application (submitted 4–6 weeks before shooting) - Production documents: script, Day-Out-of-Days, line-item budget, and pre-production cast list - Signed UPA contract and supporting agreements Once SAG approves your application, they’ll issue a *Production ID* and assign you a *Business Representative*. --- ## Step 2: Reach out to Wrapbook Customer Success to set up your company and project in Wrapbook **Company setup** To set up your production company in Wrapbook, [fill out and submit this contact form](https://www.wrapbook.com/contact). From there, the Wrapbook team will reach out to help get your company set up. **Project setup** Before setting up your SAG Ultra Low Budget project in Wrapbook, be sure you have the following information: - SAG-issued *Production ID* - Assigned *Business Representative* - EIN - Business address - Details for the bank account that your company will be using to [fund payroll](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/payroll-funding-methods) --- ## Step 3: Attend an online onboarding session Shortly after your company is created in Wrapbook, you’ll receive information about how to attend an online onboarding session. - This information is typically sent to you via the email - Attending onboarding is required before your company can run payroll - If you don’t receive information about how to attend an onboarding session, please [contact the Wrapbook Support Team](/v1/docs/how-to-get-help-using-wrapbook) --- ## Step 4: Create up your SAG-UPA project After your company has been set up In Wrapbook, you’ll need to create a *project* for your SAG Ultra Low Budget production. We recommend that you review our help article on [SAG-AFTRA requirements](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/onboarding-sag-aftra-requirements) before creating your first project. To ensure Wrapbook applies UPA pay scales, fringes, and reporting rules appropriately, use the following steps when creating a project for your SAG Ultra Low Budget production: 1. In the left-side navigation, select **All projects** 2. On the *All projects* dashboard, click the **+ Create project** button 3. Enter the [Project details](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/1-project-details) 4. Enter the [Workers’ compensation](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/2-workers-compensation) information 5. Enter the project [Payroll](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/payroll-setup) information 6. For the [Unions, guilds, & health plans](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/3-unions-guilds-health-plans) step: - Under *Is PHBP involved with this project?* click to choose **No** - Under *Are unions or guilds involved with this project?* click to **choose Yes** - Under *Which unions & guilds are involved?* click to select **SAG-AFTRA** 7. In the *SAG-AFTRA* module: - Click the dropdown menu under *Agreement type* and select **SAG-AFTRA Ultra Low Budget** - Enter the *Production title* - Select the *Signatory* - Enter the *Production ID* - Enter your *Business representative* - Enter a *Payroll email* - Configure the [*Paid sick leave policy*](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/unions-guilds-health-plans-1#paid-sick-leave) - Click the **Save & continue** button 8. Continue with the remaining project setup steps: - [Default settings](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/5-default-settings) - [Accounting tools](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/7-accounting-tools-setup) - [Complete project setup](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/8-complete-project-setup) Once project setup is completed, you’ll be able to access and manage your SAG Ultra Low Budget project in Wrapbook. --- ## Step 5: Use the project dashboard to manage your production From [*All projects*](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/all-projects-dashboard), you can click on the project name to go to its [project dashboard](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/project-dashboards). On the project dashboard you can see an overview of production tasks that you can manage through Wrapbook including: - [Onboarding](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/how-to-invite-workers-to-a-project) & [verification](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/forms-i-9) - [Timecards](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/about-timecards) - [Run payroll](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/payroll-1) If accounting features like [Cost tracking](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/about-cost-tracking) or the [Production Accounting Suite (PAS)](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/about-production-accounting) are enabled for your company’s Wrapbook account, you’ll see additional overviews on the project dashboard for budget tracking and payables. --- ## Step 6: Upload required files to the project’s Documents Wrapbook will collect SAG-required data and deliver worker check copies to SAG. - Production administrators are still responsible for collecting and tracking signed [Exhibit Gs](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/onboarding-sag-aftra-requirements), which can be uploaded to the project’s [Documents](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/about-documents-admin) --- ## Step 7: Run payroll under SAG-UPA rules When you [run payroll](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/run-payroll), Wrapbook automatically: - Applies the UPA day minimum (20% of SAG Basic Agreement minimum) - Calculates overtime, premiums, and penalties per SAG rules - Tracks and remits [Pension & Health](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/onboarding-sag-aftra-requirements#pension-health-ph-percentage) contributions based on your SAG setup - Produces compliant [pay stubs for workers](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/how-to-see-your-paystubs-and-payment-details) Payroll is typically processed within 1–2 business days once funded. --- ## Step 8: Pull reports for SAG With Wrapbook, you can regularly pull production reports at the [company](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/company-reports), [project](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/project-reports), and [payroll](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/payroll-reports) levels to get data in real time as needed. When managing a SAG Ultra Low Budget production, SAG will ask for final deliverables at wrap including: - [Signed startwork forms](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/download-completed-project-startwork) - [Exhibit G daily time reports](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/about-documents-admin) - Final cast list - please send your request for a final cast list to unionops@wrapbook.com - [Cost reports](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/cost-reports-pas) - available to companies using Wrapbook’s [Production Accounting Suite (PAS)](https://help.wrapbook.com/docs/about-production-accounting) --- ## Wrapbook is here to help! If you need help setting up or managing your SAG Ultra Low Budget Production in Wrapbook, you can: ### Ask Scout, Wrapbook’s AI-powered chat assistant Available 24/7 directly within your Wrapbook account,Scout can assist with common questions about timecards, payments, project setup, and navigating Wrapbook's features. When you need additional support or have complex inquiries, Scout makes it easy to escalate to our human support team for personalized assistance. Think of Scout as your first stop for fast, accurate help that keeps you moving forward with your production needs. ### Send us a support request Live support is available between 8AM – 7PM Pacific Time, Monday – Friday. - Email us at [support@wrapbook.com](mailto:support@wrapbook.com) - Call us via our toll-free phone number 1-833-977-2665 --- ## SAG Ultra-Low Budget FAQ To help you manage your SAG Ultra-Low Budget production in Wrapbook, we’ve put together a list of frequently-asked questions. Click the arrow next to any of the questions below to see the answer. #### Who sends the copies of worker checks to SAG? Wrapbook sends the copies of worker checks directly to SAG, using the SAG payroll email provided during project setup. #### What’s the budget cap for the UPA? $300,000 total, including deferred compensation #### How are performers paid? By day rate: - 20% of the SAG Basic Agreement minimum - Overtime (OT) and premiums apply per standard SAG rules #### Do non-union performers get SAG benefits? You’ll need to ask your SAG business rep if the non-union talent on the project should be treated as SAG for P&H purposes. #### Does Wrapbook send reports directly to SAG? Wrapbook generates and stores compliant reports. You’re responsible for: - Submitting deliverables to SAG - Coordinating with your *Business Representative* Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists; the union which has jurisdiction over all performers. A television season is made up of a number of episodes. This can be 22 episodes for a network TV show, or 8 to 10 episodes for a streaming service. Costs specific to the filming of each episode are isolated and tracked against that episode budget, which is a budget created to reflect the requirements of the script for that specific episode. Generally refers to the end of a day's shooting or the period required for the completion of work by the shooting crew after principal photography. The performers appearing in a production. On budget and breakdown forms, cast refers only to speaking parts and not background actors. The people who perform all the technical and production jobs behind the camera. The planning stage of a project before production begins. Employer Identification Number: Federal tax identifier used to identify a business On-camera and off-camera performers, including animals.