Deal Memos & Paperwork
A handshake and a "sounds great" is how indie hires go wrong. The deal memo is the simple, one-page document that turns a verbal agreement into a clear, shared record — protecting the hire, the money, and the working relationship.
Welcome to Module 3 — turning your hires into a working crew. It starts with paperwork, and the key document is the deal memo: a short, plain agreement that captures the terms of a crew hire in writing. It's not scary legalese — often just a page — but it does something vital: it makes sure you and the department head have the exact same understanding of the deal. Skip it and you get the classic indie disaster of two people who "agreed" to different things. A film crew deal memo is cheap insurance for every hire.
Why put every hire in writing
- Everyone agrees on the terms. Rate, dates, role, credit — written down so there's no "I thought you said…" later.
- It prevents disputes. The overwhelming majority of crew conflicts are misunderstandings a deal memo would have prevented.
- It protects both sides. The head knows what they'll be paid and when; you know what you're getting and what it costs.
- It signals professionalism. A clear deal memo tells a good head this is a real, organized production worth their time.
- It's your record. For budgeting, payroll, and if anything's ever questioned, you have the agreement on file.
What a deal memo includes
The production company and the crew member, named.
Their position (e.g. Director of Photography) and the film.
Prep, shoot, and wrap dates — the days they're engaged.
Day/weekly rate, overtime, and when they get paid.
Any gear rental, listed separately from the labor rate.
How they'll be credited — genuinely matters to crew.
Anything else agreed, plus both parties signing and dating.
Notice how this mirrors the deal you negotiated last chapter — the memo is just that deal, written down. The two easiest things to leave vague and later regret are payment timing ("net 30? on wrap? weekly?") and the kit fee (a separate line from the rate). Nail those explicitly and you prevent the most common crew-payment friction.
Keep it simple and human
A deal memo doesn't need to be intimidating. On an indie it can be a clean one-page email or template that a head can read in two minutes and reply "agreed." Over-lawyering a small crew hire can feel cold and off-putting; the goal is clear, not heavy. Use a good template (get a solid one, and have a lawyer bless your standard version), fill in the specifics per hire, and keep the tone straightforward. Clarity delivered warmly is professionalism; a wall of legalese for a two-day gig is just friction.
The other hiring paperwork
- Crew agreements / contracts. A fuller contract for key or long engagements, where a one-page memo isn't enough.
- Onboarding & payroll forms. Tax and payment info so people actually get paid correctly and on time.
- Ownership / IP. Confirm the production owns the work product (footage, designs) — important for distribution later.
- Insurance & safety acknowledgements where relevant to the role.
- A signed copy on file for everyone. Keep the paperwork organized — you'll want it for budgeting, payroll, and peace of mind.
The hire that converted me to deal memos: I "agreed" a flat rate with a gaffer over coffee — great vibes, no paper. Come payday, he expected a kit fee for his lighting package on top; I thought the flat rate included it. We were both certain, both honest, and both remembered the conversation differently. It got awkward, it strained a good relationship, and it cost me more than I'd planned. A five-line deal memo — rate, kit fee listed separately, payment on wrap — would have made it a non-event. Now every crew member, even a one-day PA, gets a simple written memo before they work. It's not bureaucracy; it's the thing that lets everyone relax and just make the film, because nobody's guessing about the deal.
Your heads are hired and papered. Now the leverage pays off: each of them builds the team beneath them, so you don't have to hire the whole crew yourself. Next: letting heads build their teams.
Find, post for, and organize crew in one place. Search department heads by role and reel, track candidates and references, and manage your hiring pipeline from first contact to signed deal memo.