Before we dive into what this free app does and doesn't do, the most important thing you'll need to do if you want to use it is to first send a finished sample to your payroll department or producer to make sure they will accept it. If so, huzzah.
Timecard Buddy, from New Endian, is exactly what you think it might be: a device-friendly form-filling app that can replace traditional paper time cards. Available for both iOS (9.0 or higher) and Android devices, the app includes a number of time cards from common payroll companies paired with entry fields.
Like most apps, Timecard Buddy is in active development and currently supports time cards from Entertainment Partners, Pixpay, Cast & Crew, EASE, CAPS and BTL.
After launch, you can add a payroll template by clicking the plus sign in the interface to fill out the information. Each screen has the same items you'd find on the paper versions, including a comments section and signature field to sign with your finger. Once filled, it will export to PDF for emailing or it can be added to iBooks.
When we used the app, we found it to be simple and straightforward, though filling out the first time card is a little tedious when compared to its paper form—but hey, let's save some trees. Also, by selecting its autofill feature, the app will store data for future use. While we haven't tried the feature, there are also grouping capabilities. This can come in handy when you're in charge of time cards for the entire camera department, for example. After creating time cards with the same production name and week ending, each person will be added to a group. Any time adjustments will affect the entire group but you can also override them individually.
Timecard Buddy can display times after midnight simply by entering an hour greater than 24 (e.g. 27 for 3 AM) and has a slew of advanced features like hints for calculating total hours and meal penalties, and extra fields for per diem, mileage, lodging, box rental and car allowance. While the app does not have a backup feature yet, time cards can also be easily deleted or copied to generate a new week very quickly. The free version does carry ads at the button and prior to sending off, but they can be removed for few bucks ($1.99 currently).
iOS or Android versions are available now.
Features:
- iOS (v9.0 or higher) or Android devices
- Autofill features
- Group mode
- Daily Time calculator
- Hints
- Payroll options
