Talent You have to become a SAG signatory even if only one of your actors is a SAG member. Remember that SAG has to clear the picture in order for SAG talent to render services, and it will not do that until the production company is a SAG signatory and has met all of SAG’s…
Director’s Agreement Your relationship with the director can be a blessing or a walk through a mine field. Do your homework and only consider directors known for completing their pictures on time and on budget. And, since you literally hand over the creative aspect of your picture to the director, choose one whose vision of…
Above-the-Line Agreements The producer, director, screenwriter, and talent are part of the Above-The-Line personnel. Their Work-For-Hire Agreements are complex because their responsibilities and salaries are greater than the crews. Below are most important deal terms included in each of the Above-The-Line’s Work-For-Hire Agreements. Producer You can refer to the above section on Production Agreements if…
Everyone who renders a creative service on your picture may have a claim to the picture’s copyright, since copyright vests the moment the creation is fixed in a tangible medium. You avoid copyright vesting by making each person execute a Work-For-Hire Agreement prior to the commencement of services. All of the employment agreements related to…
You can hire a writer on a work-for-hire basis, to write a screenplay based on your idea, other material assigned by you, or to write the screenplay the writer pitched to you. “Work-for-hire” means that you are paying the writer and, as a consequence thereof, own the screenplay and its copyright outright. You must enter…