These documents will usually consist of all agreements, licenses, waivers or other documents that indicate ownership in a motion picture project from its inception, and can ultimately include many of the following:
- Copyright Registration Certificate or filing receipt.
- Assignment agreement of the motion picture and/or the screenplay and concept adaptation.
- Agreement or letter with copyright owner for right to represent and sell.
- Agreement with distributor.
- Agreement with sales agent.
- Option/purchase agreement for the screenplay.
- If it’s not an original screenplay, the acquisition agreement for the underlying literary material on which the screenplay is based.
- Life Story Rights agreement.
- Talent and crew agreements: writer, director, producer, executive producer, actor (which may include principal, day player, weekly player, minor, and stunt performer agreements and nudity riders), casting director, key crew or department head (i.e. costume designer, director of photography, production designer, and film editor), cinematographer, art director, unit production manager, post supervisor agreements, and crew deal memos (i.e. associate producer, unit publicist, still photographer, production auditor, construction coordinator and head of transportation).
- Location Agreements and releases.
- Clearance Agreements (artwork release, logos, costumes, product release, film clip license, still photo release, sound, and other intellectual property that is included in the visual or audio portions of the completed film).
- Product placement agreements.
- Music supervisor, music licenses (master use and synchronization), music composer, lyricist and conductor.
- Assignment of mortgage and copyright.
- Quitclaim.
- Any special photographic, audio and technical processes to be used.
- Any deferments and contingent percentage participations granted or assigned to any third party.
- Financing agreements, including equity investor and bank loan agreements.
- Post-production facilities, including the laboratory and location for production company’s final mix.
- Settlement agreements, releases and waivers obtained from any third parties with respect to the Screenplay.