This Work-for-Hire Agreement is a professional, attorney-drafted contract that ensures you — not the contractor, not a freelancer, not a loan-out company — own 100% of the work created for your project.
Built for independent filmmakers, production companies, and creators, this agreement clearly defines:
- The contractor’s role and scope of services
- Deliverables and deadlines
- Payment structure and expense responsibility
- Confidentiality and professional obligations
- Ownership of all work product
Most importantly, it locks in your rights using both:
- Statutory work-made-for-hire language and
- A full backup assignment of rights
This dual structure is what distributors, platforms, and insurers expect during chain-of-title review — and what most online templates fail to include.
Why This Agreement Matters
Under U.S. copyright law, the person who creates the work owns it by default — even if you paid for it.
The only exceptions are when:
- The creator is a true employee acting within their job duties, or
- There is a properly drafted written agreement that meets statutory requirements.
Because many creative roles (editors, composers, designers, animators) do not clearly qualify under the statute, relying on a simple “I paid them” assumption is risky.
This agreement closes that gap — using the same ownership structure relied on by studios, distributors, and E&O insurers.
Important Classification Note
⚠️ This Work-for-Hire Agreement is designed for freelance creatives and independent contractors, including loan-out companies, typically working off-set or in post-production.
It is not intended for on-set production crew.
In many states — especially California — roles like camera operators, sound mixers, gaffers, grips, and PAs are legally required to be treated as employees.
For on-set crew, use Thoolie’s Indie Standard Crew Agreement, which is built for proper classification and clean chain of title.
FAQ
A Work-for-Hire Agreement is a contract that gives full ownership of creative work to the person or company paying for it. In filmmaking, it protects producers by ensuring they legally own what freelancers or collaborators create — whether that’s music, editing, artwork, or footage.
Anyone who contributes creative work to your project — including editors, composers, designers, animators, illustrators, voiceover artists, and even writers. If they’re not your employee, and you want to own what they create, they should sign this.
Yes. Even if you’re not paying someone, you still need legal permission to own and use what they created. Ownership doesn’t automatically transfer just because someone “helped out.”
Not exactly. While both may cover scope of work, timeline, and compensation, this agreement includes critical ownership clauses — tailored specifically for the creative and legal needs of film production. Generic freelancer templates often leave those out.
Absolutely. This agreement is designed to cover any creative contribution, including original music, poster art, logos, title sequences, animations, and more.
You may not actually own what was created — which can block you from distributing your film, releasing it on platforms like Tubi or Amazon, or securing insurance. If you ever want to sell or license your work, this is a must-have.
Need a Clean, Festival-Ready Contract?
This fully editable, lawyer-drafted Work-for-Hire Agreement is available as a one-time purchase — no subscription required.
