Legal Considerations for Trailer

Engaging Actors:

When creating a film you must make sure that every person involved in acting in your film, signs a contributors release form. This basically gives you the right to use the acting of these people in your film and related marketing. If someone is shown only in a crowd of people or in the background, they do not need to sign a contributors form.


Term of Engagement:

With the terms of the actors and actresses, producers should be entitles to the exclusive services of an actor for a set amount of days/weeks in order to get all the filming done and complete to a standard they want. In addition, the agreement should set out if the actor will be required for rehearsals and wardrobe fittings. With this the producer can sometimes require actors for retakes, post-synchronisation and other post-production services.

Expenses:

The expenses will be the costs in which the producer will be paying for i.e. transport and accommodation.

Credit:

This should state the position of the actor's credit ( start, middle or end) and whether it will appear on a single card in the on-screen credits. It should also state as to whether the actor will be credited on any advertising material.

Health:

Actors will need to give assurance tot he producer that they are not suffering from any injuries, illness and the like which would prevent them from rendering their services and are often expected to engage in hazardous activities during shooting.

Engaging Child Actors:

If you choose to feature a child under the age of 16, you need to make sure they have a license from their local authority. This license will include medical certificate and detailed information on their availability to film. It is the producer of the film who will need to apply for the license from the child's birth certificate and a school letter authorising absence. The license grant must be kept on site at all times.

Location Agreements:

You should find a location manger to help find suitable locations which you are allowed to film on. Even if they;re untrained, it is a good idea to find someone who is willing to take on the responsibility of finding the locations and making sure you can use them. This involves looking around your local area, finding a location that suits your needs and then finding out who owns it and whether they'll let you use it. You should always try to have a location agreement in place before you shoot on anyone's land. Location agreements should allow you to not only film the place but also grant you the right to rehearse and take stills for publicity. Im your film, you may want to call the location a different name, and your agreement should give you the right to do so.

My Trailer:

When I create my trailer I will need to make sure I follow all the requirements in order for my trailer to be done legally. As I do not have any children in my trailer, it makes it easier for me as I will not need to get a concert form or request time from the children's school to take out to film. I will need to make sure that anything I film and produce is within the age range I have chosen to market my trailer at which is a 15. Including anything which is not aloud in 15 films will be against the law. When choosing my locations, I will need to make sure that if any of the places I choose are owned privately by individuals, make sure i ask permission to film and get their consent. With this I can start to film correctly and will have completed all the correct procedures needed to make my trailer.