The Spark Behind HR OnSet Solutions

Hello and Welcome!

My journey began on the corporate side of the entertainment industry, where I spent years growing my HR expertise across studios, networks, and streaming platforms. I’ve contributed to some of the industry’s most well-known organizations, including The William Morris Agency, Orion Pictures, MGM, Paramount Global (Viacom, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon, LOGO, BET, CMT, VH1, Comedy Central).

Much of my early HRBP work included handling internal complaints and leading workplace investigations. But occasionally, and long before the #MeToo movement, I’d be called into a production when something had gone wrong. I’d parachute in, address the issue, and then disappear back into the corporate fold.

Then came #MeToo and the broader cultural reckoning that followed. Those calls became more frequent, more urgent, and more complex. I found myself regularly stepping into high-stress, high-stakes situations on set, offering crisis support, interventions, mediation and damage control. And over and over again, one thought kept surfacing: “This could have been prevented.”

That realization planted the seed for what would eventually become - HR OnSet Solutions.

After years of working across both corporate entertainment and production settings, a few truths became impossible to ignore: the disconnects were real, the stakes were high, and the need for a new kind of approach to HR was clear. It all came down to three critical insights and gaps that eventually inspired the creation of HR OnSet Solutions:

Epiphany #1: Production Is Not Corporate

The production environment is vastly different from the corporate world. In traditional business settings, people step into leadership gradually. There’s training, mentorship, clear expectations and a support system to guide the way. It’s a path that’s built over time.

In the creative world, however, individuals are often thrust into leadership roles overnight. One day you’re pitching a script; the next, you’re essentially a mini-CEO, running a production (or production company) under immense pressure—with tight deadlines, high stakes, and complex team dynamics. All without a leadership playbook or support system in sight. There’s often a complaint hotline, but rarely anyone offering proactive, day-to-day support for cast and crew.

And when things go sideways, the consequences are real. It’s not just reputational damage, blown budgets or canceled deals; it’s the livelihoods of entire crews and their families on the line.

Epiphany #2: Accessibility. Neutrality. Structure. They Matter.

In large corporations: HR Business Partners play a critical role in aligning people strategies with business goals. But because their focus is often on leadership, there’s typically a gap in real-time, day-to-day support for employees. When asked to support productions, they rarely have the bandwidth, and production HR requires a different focus and skillset altogether. A complaint hotline may exist, but proactive, accessible HR often doesn’t.

In small to mid-sized companies: HR usually reports directly to leadership and juggles everything from compliance and culture to payroll, benefits, and event planning. Even with the best intentions, this structure can unintentionally create a perception that HR serves leadership more than the people. These teams are often also tapped to support productions—adding more to already full plates.

Epiphany #3: Child Stars and their Parents Need a Different Experience

After years of reading the same headlines you have, about child stars growing up and sharing their often-troubling experiences in the industry and hearing firsthand from crew members about the challenges of working with stage parents (and vice versa), I began digging deeper. I explored where these issues originated, how they escalated, and how they were (or weren’t) resolved. I spoke with set teachers, parents, union reps, showrunners, production executives, and department heads, and a clear pattern emerged: there was a severe lack of role clarity (starting with parents & guardians), and a widespread absence of consistent, neutral and objective HR support. And yes, there’s typically access to a complaint hotline, but rarely anyone to offer proactive, day-to-day support for cast, parents and crew.

Identifying those gaps was the turning point. They became the driving force behind the creation of HR OnSet Solutions

Today, we focus on three core areas, each led by an HR partner who ‘walks the halls’, listens actively, builds trust, coaches in real time, and helps identify and resolve issues before they escalate. Think of it as a leadership coach, communication guide, and conflict mediator rolled into one. Whether on-set or in the office, full-time, part-time, or a blend of both, we meet you where you are:

For Productions: Real-time HR support that meets the pace, complexity, and intensity of production life.

For Businesses: We offer fractional HR support that complements your HR Business Partner efforts.

For Productions with Minor Cast - A specialized program designed to elevate the on-set experience for young performers and their guardians. Developed and piloted with care, this initiative was born from a deep commitment to changing the narrative around child actors in the industry. The program ensures kids, and their families feel seen, supported, and safe! And it’s already delivered outstanding results across multiple kid-focused productions.

Neutral and accessible HR isn’t a “nice to have”, it’s essential. And it’s simply good business.

Because when people have real-time access to HR support, we do more than respond to issues, we have the opportunity to prevent them. By building everyday leadership and communication skills, we clarify roles, set expectations, and foster accountability. This proactive approach helps reduce preventable problems like lawsuits, grievances, production delays, reputational harm, and brand damage. Issues that ultimately affect the bottom line.

Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to continuing the conversation.

Warmly,

– Vicky Rocco, Founder & Principal, HR OnSet Solutions, Inc.

THE COST OF PREVENTION IS FAR LESS THAN THE PRICE OF REPAIR.