Watch for Legal Issues
If you don't read the contracts that you sign, that's basically like giving a stranger on the street the keys to your car and saying, "Please hold onto these because I don't feel like carrying them around today."
Don't do it!
Read or at least skim through every contract you sign if you don't have an agent. Remember: unless you have actually looked over a fully a legitimate contract before, you won't know what you are signing into or what is being left out.
Fortunately, as the person being asked to sign the agreement, you always have the upper hand. This means that unless it's in the contract, you are not obligated. For instance: if you signed a contract saying the film company has the rights to use your appearance in the film, then you can sue them as soon as they use your face in a trailer for the film, because the film is separate from the trailer. The contract doesn't specifically have to say that they cannot use your image in the trailer. You can sue over things the contract says cannot be done AND things the contract leaves out. The film company and people that made the contract can only sue you over things that were specified IN the contract.
Don't do it!
Read or at least skim through every contract you sign if you don't have an agent. Remember: unless you have actually looked over a fully a legitimate contract before, you won't know what you are signing into or what is being left out.
Fortunately, as the person being asked to sign the agreement, you always have the upper hand. This means that unless it's in the contract, you are not obligated. For instance: if you signed a contract saying the film company has the rights to use your appearance in the film, then you can sue them as soon as they use your face in a trailer for the film, because the film is separate from the trailer. The contract doesn't specifically have to say that they cannot use your image in the trailer. You can sue over things the contract says cannot be done AND things the contract leaves out. The film company and people that made the contract can only sue you over things that were specified IN the contract.
