Explore the main tasks, what you need to be able to do and everything you need to understand to achieve them effectively.
Dealing with contracts as a freelancer
- Locate, interpret and understand relevant details specifying your work in a standard contract
- Ensure that the details of the contract match agreements, and keep a secure print copy of the final signed contract
- Spell out expectations on a production or project, including hours worked, any entitlements for holiday, time in lieu, pensions and sick pay
- Ensure your contract contains details regarding payment terms and timing with the obligations of all parties clearly communicated
- How to maintain contacts and negotiate with potential clients
- How to negotiate and agree legal contracts that clearly include expected income, time available and agreed outcomes
- How to estimate realistic rates for your fees and, if appropriate, resources such as accommodation and expenses
- When and how to agree staged payments
- What fair working conditions are and ensure you negotiate these when agreeing to work for a client
- When you need to obtain public liability insurance and how to do so
- Relevant sources of advice that are available on employment, insurance, tax regulations and other small business legislation
Dealing with contracts and permissions when researching, storing, and sharing work
- Check that the information or content you wish to use is available and that you are legally allowed to use it
- Ensure you record all sources of information or content including release forms and store this with the results of your research
- Store and share records of work and information in line with production or organisational requirements and data protection legislation/GDPR
- Follow production or organisational procedures and data protection requirements to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information
- The different types of release forms and rights clearances such as location, material release (archive), contributor release forms, NDAs, music, presenter agreements and cast/extras
- The implications and effects of rights and permissions on your work, including planning contingencies in case these are not available
- Production or organisational procedures and timelines for data handling and deletion of data/records/information
Advanced: consider contracts and permissions when developing budgets
- Ensure permission costs for third party copyright content have been clearly included in the budget
- Keep a secure record of all contract and permission agreements and ensure that all parties confirm their acceptance of the agreement
- What constitutes self-employment or employment for crew and the impact on the budget in compliance with HMRC guidelines
- What procedures are for recording agreed budgets
- Who has the right to access budgetary information and who needs to be involved in agreeing initial and revised budgets
Advanced: use contracts when securing external suppliers or freelancers
- Agree with suppliers or freelancers what will be delivered by them and on what terms
- Formalise your expectations using contracts or agreements, with break clauses if appropriate
- Confirm with suppliers or freelancers how you will check that their performance meets the requirements set out in contracts
- Agree any alterations with suppliers and inform them of the implications
- Make sure that your supplier or freelancer decisions can be justified and follow production or organisational procedures
- How typical contracts are structured, and how payments will be made
- What production or organisational protocols and procedures are when sourcing external suppliers or freelancers
- Acceptable processes for agreeing changes and how to define them
- Where to get further legal advice on contracts within your production team or organisation
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