Acquisition News Release
News Release
CAST & CREW ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES ACQUIRES CAPS PAYROLL
Combination Creates Market Leader with Complementary Services, Diversified Client Base
and Strong Commitment to Digital Solutions
BURBANK, CA – June 16, 2016 – Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, the premier provider of
technology-enabled payroll and production management services to the entertainment industry,
today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CAPS Payroll, a leading payroll
provider spanning multiple important entertainment end markets including commercial
production, venues, music tours, live events, unscripted television and independent film.
Silver Lake, the global technology investing leader and controlling shareholder of Cast & Crew, is
committing substantial additional equity to fund the acquisition and support Cast & Crew’s
continued growth. Since Silver Lake’s acquisition of Cast & Crew in mid-2015, the company has
accelerated investments to extend its technology leadership and strategically align the company
for the digital future of the industry. Examples of recent investments include the release of new
and advanced digital workflow solutions, the acquisition of screenwriting software leader Final
Draft, Inc. and now the addition of CAPS, itself a technology pioneer in the entertainment
subsectors it serves.
Providing clients with a robust portfolio of technology-enabled services, Cast & Crew is a trusted
partner to major and independent film and television studios. Its capabilities include
entertainment payroll and residuals processing; products such as its industry-leading PSL
production accounting software; workers’ compensation programs; and financial services,
including production incentive consulting and administration. Cast & Crew is celebrating its 40th
anniversary this year and has built a preeminent market position through decades of unwavering
focus on client service.
CAPS, a portfolio company of Uni-World Capital, also has a rich 25-year history and provides endto-end production payroll and accounting solutions for clients of all sizes. The company brings
particular expertise in commercial production, venues, music tours, live events, unscripted
television and independent film, and is known for its technology innovation and strong
commitment to customer service. CAPS’ headquarters are in Culver City, California, and the
company has a strong employee base across multiple locations in the U.S. and India.
“Cast & Crew and CAPS are an ideal fit, with complementary client bases, compatible technology
portfolios and consistent corporate cultures,” said Eric Belcher, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Cast & Crew. “This combination will offer clients the industry’s best suite of technologyenabled solutions and expand support, training and career opportunities for employees of both
companies.”
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News Release
Doug Sylvester, Chief Executive Officer of CAPS, noted that Cast & Crew and CAPS management
are aligned with respect to the combined company strategy. “We are delighted to join an
organization with exceptional relationships and expertise in the entertainment industry, a deep
commitment to customer service and a clear vision of where the market is going,” he said. “Cast &
Crew has a wonderful reputation with clients and employees alike, and we look forward to
becoming part of the team.”
“Silver Lake’s mission is to invest behind the growth of technology leaders like Cast & Crew,”
added Joe Osnoss, Managing Director at Silver Lake. “We are enthusiastic about the compelling
combination with CAPS, and our follow-on equity investment underscores our confidence in
what this platform can offer to the dynamic media and entertainment marketplace.”
Chris Fuller, Managing Partner of Uni-World Capital, noted: “We partnered with CAPS co-founder
Eric Capogrosso in May 2011 to accelerate the growth of CAPS and enhance its strategic position
through investments in technology and people to help take the business to the next level. Those
efforts were quite successful, and I am pleased to see CAPS now joining the Cast & Crew family,
where CAPS will be optimally positioned to continue to thrive.”
Cast & Crew was advised by the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
CAPS was represented by Houlihan Lokey and Kaye Scholer LLP.
About Cast & Crew
Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, LLC (www.castandcrew.com) is the premier provider of
technology-enabled payroll and production-management services to the entertainment industry.
Cast & Crew’s services include payroll processing, residuals processing, workers’ compensation
services, labor relations, production incentives and production tax credit financing. Cast & Crew’s
PSL production accounting software is the industry-leading accounting application serving the
needs of the film, television and digital media industries. The company was founded in 1976, and
its corporate headquarters are in Burbank, California.
About CAPS Payroll
CAPS (www.capspayroll.com) is a technology-driven payroll services company serving film and TV
studios, commercial production companies, as well as venues, music tours and live events. CAPS
offers cloud-based, end-to-end production payroll and accounting solutions that simplify payroll
processing for clients of all sizes. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in
Culver City, California.
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BURBANK
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NEW ORLEANS
NEW YORK
WILMINGTON
News Release
About Silver Lake
Silver Lake is the global leader in technology investing, with over $24 billion in combined assets
under management and committed capital. The firm’s portfolio of investments collectively
generates more than $100 billion of revenue annually and employs more than 210,000 people
globally. Silver Lake has a team of approximately 100 investment and value creation professionals
located in New York, Menlo Park, San Mateo, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The firm’s current
portfolio includes leading technology and technology-enabled businesses such as Alibaba Group,
Ancestry, Avaya, Broadcom Limited, Cast & Crew, Ctrip, Dell, Global Blue, GoDaddy, Intelsat,
Motorola Solutions, Quorum Business Solutions, Red Ventures, Sabre, Smart Modular, Solar Winds,
Vantage Data Centers and WME|IMG. For more information about Silver Lake and its entire
portfolio, please visit www.silverlake.com.
About Uni-World Capital, L.P.
Uni-World Capital, L.P. is a private equity firm focused on making leveraged buyout and growth
equity investments in lower-middle market companies. The firm seeks to partner with
management teams where it can leverage the Uni-World team's collective business experience,
corporate relationships and strategic and financial expertise in order to help enhance a
company's strategic positioning and drive profitable growth. More information can be found at
www.uniworldcapital.com.
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Media Contacts
Michael Geczi
Cast & Crew
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Office:--Megan Heffner
Cast & Crew
Marketing Coordinator
Office:--
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ALBUQUERQUE
AT L A N TA
B ATO N R O U G E
BURBANK
TORONTO
DETROIT
VANCOU V ER
NEW ORLEANS
NEW YORK
WILMINGTON