E-signature records and document security

Every e-signature on FirstSlate, whether it's a client accepting a proposal, a crew member signing a subcontractor agreement, or a deal memo confirming a shoot rate, produces a permanent, tamper-evident record. This article covers what that record contains and where to find it.

What gets recorded when someone signs

When a client or crew member signs, FirstSlate captures:

• Their typed name (a typed name is a legally binding electronic signature) or a drawn signature, if they chose to draw one
• The email address the document was signed through
• Their IP address and browser (user agent) at the moment of signing
• The exact date and time, down to the minute
• A signing timeline: when the document was sent, first viewed, when consent was given, and when it was signed (and countersigned, if applicable)

FirstSlate also computes a SHA-256 fingerprint, a unique hash, of the exact terms the signer agreed to: the contract text, line items, pricing, and every other term on the document at the moment of signature. If so much as a character of the signed terms changed afterward, the fingerprint would no longer match, which is what makes the record tamper-evident.

Why signed documents freeze

Once a proposal, crew agreement, or deal memo is signed, its terms lock. You can't edit the price, scope, or contract text on a signed document, because that would invalidate what was actually agreed to. If you need to change terms after a client has signed a proposal, use a change order instead. It creates a new, separately signed record rather than altering history.

The executed PDF and certificate

Every signed proposal or crew agreement has an executed PDF you can download. It includes:

• The full proposal or agreement as signed
• An Electronic Signature Record: signer name, signature, date and time, and IP address
• A Certificate of Completion: the document fingerprint, a signer record table, and the full signing timeline

For a proposal, once your client countersigns and you also sign as the producer, a fully executed version becomes available with both signatures.

Where to download signed copies

For a proposal, open it from Dashboard → Proposals. Once it's been signed, you'll see Download signed PDF, and Download fully executed PDF once you've countersigned it.

For a crew agreement, open the crew member's profile from Dashboard → Crew and look under Documents for Signed agreement (PDF).

For a deal memo, open the project and find the Deal memos list on the Call Sheet stage. Every signed memo shows a PDF button next to its Signed badge.

Data safety basics

Client and crew documents are reachable only through the private link FirstSlate generates for that specific document, they aren't discoverable or indexed. FirstSlate also takes automatic, encrypted backups of its database every day, stored separately from the primary system, in addition to the database's own built-in backups.

Common questions

Is a typed-name signature actually legally binding?

Yes. Under the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), a typed name adopted as a signature carries the same legal weight as a handwritten one, and the certificate states this explicitly.

Can I edit a document after it's been signed?

No, signed terms are frozen. For proposals, use a change order to formally revise terms after acceptance with its own signature trail.

What if a client says they never signed something?

The Certificate of Completion is built for exactly this: it has the signer's IP address, browser, exact timestamp, and the content fingerprint of what was actually agreed to, all captured at the moment of signature.

Do I need to keep my own copy of signed documents?

FirstSlate keeps the record indefinitely and you can always redownload the executed PDF, but many producers also keep their own copy for their records, since the certificate explicitly recommends retaining it.