Essential film and tv contracts you need to know about if you want to make - and finance! - a film.

I was recently invited to give a talk at Oxford Shorts (read more about the festival here), aimed at providing practical insights for producers and filmmakers looking to navigate the legal and financial aspects of their projects. During this presentation, I talked about several key aspects to consider as you, the producer or filmmaker, move from development through to screening. 

What are the most important contracts that you’ll need to enter into for your film or tv project? How can you ensure that you have the rights and IP you need? And finally, how can you secure financing for your projects and what aspects should you consider when approaching investors?  If you want to watch the talk, you can do so on the festival's facebook page.

From Concept to Completion: Chain of Title

I first talked through the journey that most film and tv projects take – from idea to screen. As soon as you move on from idea and start developing your project, you need to look into establishing a robust "chain of title", consisting of a series of contracts that establish the legal rights to use intellectual property and underlying story rights. One of the most common contracts that I see at that stage are option agreements, and you can read more about them in some of my blog posts here. Another contract that producers frequently need are scriptwriter agreements and you can read more about them here. 

Pre-production and Production: Contracting Cast and Crew

During the pre-production phase it’s crucial to get all your contracts ready and signed – from actors, DOP, crew members to your director and anyone else who works in front of or behind the camera. The most efficient way to sign up most of your cast and crew is to get a so-called ‘production pack’, which would contain templates you should be able to use for everyone except some of the main cast, whose agents might require more comprehensive contracts. In an ideal world, you shouldn’t need your lawyer during the production phase, as you’ll have dealt with everything during pre-production. 

Show Me the Money: Dealing with Investors and Financiers

The presentation also explored some of the complexities of financing a film or tv project. I talked through the various types of film and tv finance available and when to expect that each type of funder, financier or investor would start to provide you with the money that you would need during pre-production and beyond. Having worked for financiers and investors in the past I also offered some tips for approaching different types of funders and discussed the specific documents typically required to secure that funding. 

Next steps

If you would like to learn more about the essential contracts you need to avoid the typical pitfalls on a production and about the types of finance that might be available, please feel free to contact me here.