So, You Wanna Be a Producer?! Section 2.4 (Page 1 of 2)

“So, you wanna’ be a Producer?!” Section 2.4 (Page 1 of 2)

EQUITY - STANDARD AGREEMENTS

5.1 Introduction

Equity represents performers and stage managers (including opera andballet), directors, set designers, costume designers, lighting designers,choreographers and fight directors. SOLT and the TMA each negotiateseparate collective standard agreements with Equity for each of the above(but curiously enough, not for sound designers). These include theminimum terms and conditions for mployment and the minimum payscales applicable.

5.2 SOLT/EquityAgreements

Copies of all the Agreements are available from the SOLT office, and needto be studied carefully before contracting anyone. The single mostimportant Agreement is the performers and stage managementAgreement. Particular attention should be paid to working hours, whichvary before, during and after the production week, and are different to theTMA/Equity Agreement working hours. Also look carefully at thecancellation of production and the minimum length of employment clauses,plus the holiday payment clauses. Minimum stage management staffingand understudy provisions also need careful consideration. (Whencompleting the standard SOLT/Equity form of contract, particular care mustbe given to the notice clauses and options therein, and also the wording ofany special individual artist and stage management get out notice clauses.)Beware of Christmas week and bank holidays - they are expensive, evenbearing in mind the cut off. Also do not forget that, if the production startsin a subsidised theatre and if the producer has an option or otheragreement to move the production to the West End, then (for up to 3weeks) the artists' rehearsal fees have to be 'topped up' by the differencebetween the rehearsal salary actually paid by the subsidised theatre andthe salary that would be due under the West End Agreement.

Directors, designers and other Equity members of the creative team as in5.1 above, have standard forms of contract that must be used. Particularattention should be paid to who owns the copyright and what rights theproducer acquires (or doesn’t) for further exploitation of the work. SeeSection 1.4 Creative Team Contracts.

5.3 TMA/EquityAgreements

Copies of all the Agreements are available from the TMA offices, and needto be studied carefully before contracting anyone. Because of the differentneeds of the TMA membership there are two different agreements forperformers and stage managers. Commercial producers will principally usethe TMA/Equity Commercial Theatre Agreement (often referred to as the“touring” contract). A knowledge of the TMA/Equity Subsidised RepertoryAgreement may be useful for producers starting their productions atsubsidised producing theatres.

The TMA/Equity Commercial Theatre Agreement varies in many respectsfor both performers and stage managers from the SOLT/Equity Agreement.It is therefore important to read it carefully - especially the working hoursand holiday pay clauses. The many levels for stage management andunderstudies need careful consideration, as does the difference between“subsistence” and “touring allowance”. There is no minimum length ofemployment, but the notice clause needs careful reading.

5.4 Queries onStandardContracts

In the case of any questions on contracts members are stronglyadvised to call the SOLT/TMA Industrial Officer and not Equity, whoseinterpretation of some clauses may be different from the Managers’.

5.5 Pre West EndTours

Pre West End tours can be contracted for up to 8 weeks onSOLT/Equity contracts. However, before issuing this contract,producers should take care to check that they will be able to fulfil theminimum length of employment under this contract, which requires 8weeks employment for productions that do not come into the West Endand 6 weeks for productions that do open in the West End. Theminimum employment terms include rehearsals. In the event that aproduction starts with a subsidised producing company, the minimumlength of employment can be critical and producers may be bestadvised, particularly if the West End theatre has not been contracted,to use the TMA/Equity Commercial Theatre Agreement and take anoption on the Artists’ services for the West End.