Aaron Marcus explains model release forms and why you should negotiate usage rights before signing. Broad language can let companies use your image on billboards or online without extra payment. Always initial specific limitations and demand higher fees for high-exposure formats.
Here's another acting and modeling quick tip with me, Aaron Marcus. Look, this happens to people who are just getting started in the industry. I've seen it happen to— Here's another acting and modeling quick tip with me, Aaron Marcus. Look, I've seen this happen to people who are just getting started in the industry. I've seen it happen to people who are actually pretty experienced. When you are on a set, it's not uncommon for people to just kind of follow the lead and do what other people are doing. And let me just warn you, when you are doing a commercial modeling job and you are asked to sign a model release form, watch out. You could lose thousands and thousands of dollars if you don't know how to deal with model release forms properly. A model release form, if you don't know, it's a legal document asking you to sign a release form giving people permission to use your image in the ad. So you Absolutely need to sign it. As a matter of fact, you can see a model release form on my book— in my book on page 74, How to Become a Successful Actor and Model, because I talk about it in more depth in the book. But it's a legal document. You do have to sign it. However, you have to watch out for some of the other language that's in there. And you're going to find either these exact words or very similar words that say they can use it for any purpose or through any media whatsoever. They can't. Either you or your agent negotiated a fee based on its usage. If it's being used in a newspaper, magazine, brochure, then typically you're going to get either an hourly fee or a day rate or a half-day rate. If it's in a high-exposure format— that could be billboards, posters, sides of buses, on the internet— you should get a bonus on top of whatever you're getting paid because you could potentially lose work being in a high-exposure format. Now, you want to be in a high-exposure format. I'm not trying to talk you out of that. Those are great. But if you are up on a billboard for a local bank. No other bank is going to hire you because you are so closely seen with a competitor. You can also get overexposed in a market. There could be an ad for a local restaurant, but somebody might say— the photographer or art or creative director from the ad agency might say, hey, you know what? You're perfect for this, but I've seen you all over the place for that bank ad, and you might not get it. So you should be compensated with an additional fee. So when you see those words in the model release form that says they can use it for any purpose through any media, scratch those words out. Write in there very specifically how you were told the ad is going to run. That's one of the number of questions you need to, to ask and find out about prior to going to the set. And then write it in there, initial it, then you sign it. And that way, if the company decides they want to use it in a high-exposure format, now they have to renegotiate If for any reason the photographer gives you a hard time, blame it on your agent. Just ask them to call your agent. Let them deal with it. But anyhow, I was on a set recently and everybody was signing it as is. I might have been the only person who made the change. Actually, there was somebody sitting next to me, another talented actor, and he was, you know, just kind of following what I was doing, which was a good move, and I was explaining to him what I was doing. So anyhow, that's the way you want to deal with model release forms, and that's That's how you can save yourself thousands and thousands of dollars so the company doesn't decide to use it in a high exposure format without reimbursing you and paying you accordingly. If you're watching this on YouTube, please give it a thumbs up. If you're watching this on Facebook, like it, and feel free to share this with all of your friends throughout your social media platforms. If you have any suggestions on how to deal with contracts, please let us know here. You know, it's always great to share with other people. I'm Aaron Marcus, and I can't wait to talk with you again soon. See ya.
