Who should have access to your production documents? A guide to team roles and permissions
Pina Vetter
on
Pro Tips
Running a production means working with a lot of different people. Crew members, freelancers, producers, accountants, legal advisers. Everyone has a role, and not everyone needs access to everything. Getting this right from the start saves you a lot of headaches later.
Access should follow responsibility
The most common mistake teams make is giving everyone the same level of access by default. It feels easier in the moment, but it creates problems. Someone accidentally edits a document they should not have touched. A freelancer can see contracts that have nothing to do with their project. A new team member changes something account-wide without realising the impact.
The principle is simple: access should follow responsibility.
Start with projects, not people
Before thinking about individual roles, think about how your work is structured. Most productions are built around projects: a shoot, a series, a campaign. Not everyone needs to see everything across all of them.
Organise your documents by project and set access at that level first. Some projects can be open to the whole team. Others, for example a project containing sensitive talent agreements or budget documents, might be better kept private or shared only with the people directly involved. Once your project structure is in place, individual roles become much easier to assign.
The roles that matter most
Within a project, different people need different levels of access:
Viewers need to see documents but not edit them. A legal adviser reviewing a contract or a producer keeping an eye on progress does not need the ability to make changes.
Contract handlers are actively drafting, issuing, and managing documents. Most crew members and coordinators fall here. They need to create and send agreements and download signed copies, but do not need broader account access.
Template owners are responsible for the standard documents your production relies on. Keeping this limited to a small group means your agreements stay accurate and consistent.
Project managers create and structure the projects themselves. Usually a small group, producers or production managers, not the whole team.
Account administrators manage the overall setup: who is on the team, what access they have, how everything is configured. This should be reserved for a small number of trusted people.
Why this matters beyond organisation
Keeping access tight also supports your GDPR obligations. When personal data flows through your contracts and consent forms, limiting who can access and export that data is part of responsible data management. A well-structured team setup means clearer accountability and a cleaner audit trail if you ever need to demonstrate compliance.
Start simple, adjust as you go
Start with a conservative setup and adjust as your production grows. It is much easier to grant more access later than to unpick a setup where everyone has access to everything. The goal is not to restrict your team, it is to make sure the right people can work efficiently and sensitive documents stay protected.
Connie is built around exactly this principle. Every team member gets access to the projects and features relevant to their role, nothing more, nothing less. Find out more about Connie or book a demo.
Related articles
Previous post:
