Over the last several posts (check them out in The Hollywood Lawyer blog!) we have discussed and highlighted parts of your Feature Actor’s Agreement (FAA) that help you understand the basics of your negotiations and deal. This week, in the final post in this series, we will review what we have covered and conclude our series with a few perks that could flow from your deal. Let’s begin…
Point to Remember
- Your FAA is a contract and a legal document. It may be difficult to change the terms once you have signed it.
- Your FAA may contain a condition precedent. This is something that one or both parties must do before the contract actually takes effect.
- The Actor’s Quote is a starting point for your negotiations—that is, if you have earned fees before as an actor, these should be taken into account during negotiations.
- Your contract should clearly outline the service that you are being asked to perform, including if the work involves dangerous, hazardous or wet work or nudity.
- Your contract should also discuss the employment period—that is the length of your work week, the length of your days, the length of the contract period in general.
- Remember, it is reasonable to be flexible during your negotiations—if you a budding actor and you have the opportunity to work with a famous co-star or director take this into account during the process.
- Credit for your work is another area of negotiation—for example, placement of your name in the main titles or end titles, whether you have a separate card and the position or order that your name will appear are all important considerations.
And finally…
Perks of Your Deal
The perks of your FAA are its fringe benefits, but they should be agreed upon along with the actual deal. Perks can include: free travel (SAG requires that its actors only travel first class on flights), first class hotel accommodations, a personal assistant, premiere/film festival tickets, even the right to keep wardrobe. While this is just a few of the possible perks, there is no bright line rule to define what a perk is—like your FAA, a perk will vary according to you, your needs and your wants.
Remember, as you move forward, that even though a FAA will share common parts, every contract is different: it reflects your role, your compensation, your credit, your employment period and your flexibility. Your FAA reflects your agreement with your producer. The information in this series of blogs is intended as a beginning to begin your negotiations (rather than an ending) so make the best of it, do your own research and hire the Hollywood Lawyer!
Happy deal making!
Source: Hollywood Dealmaking: Negotiating Talent Agreements for Film, TV, and New Media by Dina Appleton, Esq. and Daniel Yankelevits, Esq., Copyright 2010.
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