Lock in the legal terms behind your production work

Creative projects often run into trouble when the commercial deal sounds clear in conversation but the legal detail is left unstated. Common pressure points include who owns raw footage and final assets, whether the client gets an assignment or a licence, how many revision rounds are included, who signs off on milestones, and what happens if the schedule slips. A written production services agreement helps capture those points in one place so the working arrangement is not left to assumptions once filming, editing, or delivery is underway.

These agreements commonly cover the production scope, deliverables, timeline, fees, payment triggers, approval process, change requests, ownership of materials, usage rights, credits, confidentiality, liability, and termination. Depending on the project, the document may also deal with third-party material, talent permissions, music or stock content, location issues, and who is responsible for obtaining specific consents. The exact drafting depends on whether you are the producer, agency, client, or a service provider engaged for a defined part of the production.

The legal wording usually turns on the project structure and who is contributing what. We look at the type of production, whether content is commissioned or speculative, who will own the finished work, what approvals are needed, how revisions are handled, and whether there are external contributors such as crew, talent, editors, or licensors. If there is already a draft from a client or agency, we can review it and point out clauses that may create issues around broad usage rights, unclear acceptance criteria, or payment linked to vague milestones.

Templates can be useful for very simple jobs, but production work often involves moving parts that generic wording does not handle well. A standard form may not properly separate ownership from licence rights, explain whether raw files are included, or deal with approvals, re-edits, kill fees, or third-party content restrictions. Those details matter because they affect both payment and future use of the material. A tailored draft or review is usually more useful where the project has multiple deliverables, valuable IP, or several stakeholders with different expectations.

Timing depends on the complexity of the production and whether we are preparing a fresh agreement or reviewing one already in circulation. A short-form agreement for a straightforward engagement is usually quicker than a document involving layered usage rights, multiple approval stages, or several parties. Once we have the project details or the existing draft, we can give you a clearer idea of turnaround. After delivery, if the other side proposes substantial changes or the project scope shifts, further work can be scoped separately if needed.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Production Services Agreement service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.