IMAGO updates model contract for cinematographers

Several years ago, IMAGO published a model contract for cinematographers with comments and a checklist or guidelines for working conditions.

IMAGO’s proposal admitted expressly that it was not a standard contract, which could function in all countries, but IMAGO understood the former document as a “check-list” for member associations and an attempt to professionalise on an international standard the relationship of cinematographers with the producer and financiers. IMAGO still insists, the discussion of “what is fair to include in a cinematographer’s contract” should be a public discussion and not limited to the bargaining between cinematographer and producer. Nevertheless, IMAGO has started a new initiative.

This new initiative is different, IMAGO has received input about the first work: please no standard contract form, but very useful and simple guidelines. Those guidelines are not only for the use for cinematographers and producers, but also for creators in the audio-visual sector and of course for the European commissioners, financiers, and media lawyers, and so on.

IMAGO is convinced that all should work together and cooperate to make cinematographic works available to the public for the long term, in the interest of all the parties, including, of course consumers and the film heritage and to make all creators involved in cinematography production to earn a decent living from their revenues, payment/remuneration of the utilisation of their creativity and even financial investments.

The purpose of this guide is to provide authors of cinematography with standard recommendations. Authors of cinematography have a privileged condition regarding his or her contribution to the film, without disregarding the very important creation of directors, screenwriters, composers and so on.

You can download the contract here.