Crew Deal Memo Template

A complete crew deal memo with rate, hours, kit fees, overtime, expenses, and conduct provisions. Adaptable to union or non-union, day-player or weekly-hire.

Format: Word (.docx)
Pages: Multi-page
Best for: Day-players, weekly hires, contractors
License: Free for commercial use

Why this template

Get the deal in writing — before the first day.

A handshake gets you to camera test. A deal memo gets you through wrap. Day rates, hours, kit fees, overtime, and expenses are the questions every department head will ask, and the conversation goes faster when the answers are already on the page.

This memo covers commercial, episodic, and feature-scale crews. Edit the highlighted fields to match the show's rates, the position, and the dates, and the memo is ready to sign.

What it looks like

A memo your department head signs without scrolling.

Hand-laid type and clear section breaks so the document reads as a serious contract — not a Word default.

Single document
Every clause in one file — no separate riders, no chasing initials across attachments.
Ready to sign on day one
Edit the highlighted variable fields, print, and the memo signs at camera test.
Union or non-union
Same structure handles a daily-rate PA, a weekly hire, or a department head.
Yellow-highlighted fields
Variable cells are pre-flagged so the editor knows exactly what to swap in.

What's inside

Twenty-three sections covering pay, conduct, and IP.

Every provision a working line producer expects — split across three buckets so the document signs in order.

Pay & schedule

General information
Project, position, start and end dates.
Compensation
Day rate, weekly rate, kit fee, and overtime structure.
Services & availability
Role definition, exclusivity, and committed hours.
Travel & expenses
Mileage, per diem, and expense reimbursement terms.
Lodging & food
Housing and meal provisions for out-of-town shoots.
Equipment & rentals
Crew-owned gear rates and rental terms.
Hiatus & termination
Break pay, end-of-engagement, and termination conditions.

Conduct & IP

Health & safety
Workplace safety expectations and incident reporting.
Drugs & alcohol
Standard on-set conduct policy.
Guests & photos
Set access, photography, and social-media restrictions.
Return of property
Recovery of production-issued gear, drives, and credentials.
Screen credit
On-screen acknowledgment terms.
Publicity & likeness
Use of crew name, likeness, and voice in marketing.
Confidentiality & rights
Standard NDA-style protections covering scripts and pre-release materials.
Ownership of work
Work-for-hire IP assignment to the production company.
Conflict of interest
Disclosure of competing engagements during the production.
Damages & remedies
Consequences and remedies for material breach.
Legal & administrative
Governing law, jurisdiction, and signature blocks.

01
Customizable
Variable fields highlighted in yellow. Edit rates, hours, and clauses to match union, non-union, or local agreements.
02
Professional
The exact provisions a working line producer or department head wants in writing — without the studio-legal bloat.
03
Beautiful
Hand-laid type and clear section headings so the memo signs cleanly on the first read.
04
Free
Download, edit, sign. No paywall, no watermark.

Building a recurring crew?

Keep deal memos and contact info together for every hire.

SetHero's contact management keeps your crew list, signed memos, and call-sheet history in one place — so you never have to reconstruct who did what for which show.

See contact management

Pair it with

All templates⁠