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Production Company Agreement

For clients and independent production companies working together to produce a film, series, or commercial.

Want to hire one individual to oversee the project instead? See the Producer Agreement.

Drafted by a Harvard Law entertainment attorney.

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Feature	Custom Contract	Editable Template
Best for	Most users	Editing everything yourself
How it works	Answer guided questions	Fill highlighted fields yourself
Word and PDF	Yes	Yes
E-signature	Yes	No
Time required	About 2 to 5 minutes	Depends on your edits
Price	$50	$50

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Is this the right contract for your project?

This contract is built for hiring a production company to develop, produce, or deliver a media project. It fits work that needs a set budget, payment milestones, a production schedule, defined deliverables, clear approvals, and clear ownership of the finished project.

Good fit for

Studios or producers hiring a production company
Brands or agencies commissioning video or media work
Clients who need defined deliverables and deadlines
Projects with a set budget and payment milestones
Anyone who needs clear ownership of the finished work

You may also need

Producer Agreement - when hiring an individual producer for the project
Director Agreement - when hiring a director for the production
Distribution Agreement - when releasing the finished project
Investor Agreement - when raising money from investors
Non-Disclosure Agreement - before sharing private project details

What's Inside This Contract

Production services

Sets the scope of work the company will deliver.

Budget and compensation

Covers the budget, payment milestones, and how overages are handled.

Ownership and intellectual property

States who owns the finished project and the underlying rights.

Representations and warranties

Confirms each side has the right to enter the deal and meet its promises.

Insurance and completion

Sets the insurance carried and any completion assurance for the work.

Term and termination

Covers how long the deal lasts and how it can end.

Disputes and general provisions

Covers standard terms such as notices, how disputes are handled, and signatures.

Not sure what a section means? Every contract you create includes a built-in "Explain Sections" view with a plain-English note for each part of the document.

Before you start

It helps to have these details on hand before you create your contract:

The company name and the project
The scope of production services
The budget and payment milestones
The production schedule
The deliverables and their formats
Who controls approvals
Who owns the finished project
How budget overages are handled
Insurance requirements

Points Worth Negotiating

Who owns the final project
Who controls approvals
What deliverables are required
Who is responsible for budget overages
When payments are due
What happens if production is delayed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a production company agreement?

It hires a production company to develop, produce, or deliver a media project. It sets the budget, schedule, deliverables, and ownership.

Who owns the finished project?

Ownership is negotiated. Most deals give ownership to the client or studio funding the work, and the agreement states this clearly.

What deliverables should be listed?

List the specific items the company must hand over, such as final cuts, master files, footage, and supporting materials, with formats and deadlines.

Who is responsible for production overages?

Overages are costs above the agreed budget. The agreement says who approves and pays for them, which prevents a common source of disputes.

Is this different from a producer agreement?

Yes. A production company agreement hires a company to deliver a full production. A producer agreement hires an individual producer for their services.

Should I choose the custom contract or the editable template?

Choose the custom contract to answer a few questions and have it filled in for you. Choose the editable template if you prefer a blank version with labeled fields to complete yourself.

What are common warning signs in a production company agreement?

These are common issues to watch for in any production company agreement:

No clear deliverable list
Unclear ownership language
No approval timeline
Missing insurance requirements
No overage process
Vague production schedule

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