Formal Guidelines for TIP

  1. Qualifying Productions and Procedures
  2. Ineligible Productions
  3. Rates
  4. Working Conditions
  5. Additional Budgetary Obligations
  6. Revenue Participation and Distribution
  7. Casting
  8. Rehearsals
  9. Other Issues

(1)

Qualifying Productions and Procedures:
(1.1) Application deadline: At least one month prior to start date, contact the ACTRA Toronto office. Apply on line and send in the appropriate documents as listed on the Document Check List. The TIP Coordinator will review your application package and shortly thereafter schedule an approval meeting to review your project. The producer and the director must attend the meeting. The writer may also be invited to attend.
(1.2) Pre-approval required: Casting and principal photography may not begin until TIP approval is granted. Face-to-Face Online will be made available to Producers for casting purposes upon approval.
(1.3) Type of projects: Films of any length, genre or format qualify for TIP, subject to exclusions listed as ineligible productions below. All projects must shoot within ACTRA Toronto’s jurisdiction. Producers, directors, writers, performers and key crew must all be Canadian or landed immigrant, and resident in Canada.
(1.4) Cast: The project must cast all its performers entirely from the ACTRA membership.
(1.5) CFTPA membership: Producers must be members of the CFTPA prior to their application for the TIP Program is filed with ACTRA. Please be advised that the CFTPA will not approve projects by companies who are not members in good standing of the Association.
(1.6) Mentor program: The producer will select a Mentor prior to their application being filed. Such mentor will be approved by ACTRA and CFTPA.
(1.7) Screenings: Producers of feature films must commit to having at least 2 theatrical screenings prior to any television or other media exposure. Short films require at least one public or festival screening. All Distribution and Broadcast agreements must allow for an initial theatrical window.
(1.8) Canadian Content: The project must be eligible as a 10 out of 10 Canadian content project under the CAVCO rules and thereby also be eligible for federal tax credits. Short and Experimental films are excluded from having to apply to CAVCO, but must otherwise qualify under CAVCO. As per CAVCO any Canadian feature film Distribution Agreement must include an obligation to exhibit the production in Canada within two years of completion.
(1.9) IPA applies: Upon becoming a signatory, all terms of the IPA apply except as amended by these TIP guidelines, and as agreed by ACTRA and the CFTPA with regard to this application.
(1.10) Canadian ownership: The Feature Film property must be owned and produced through a company incorporated in Canada under the laws of Canada or of a Canadian province or territory. All projects must adhere to standard legal, business, and accounting procedures. All feature films must have a final audit performed. Experimental and short Films need only submit a final cost report.
(1.11) Security agreement: A standard executed Security Agreement as per Appendix 7 a and b of the IPA is required.
(1.12) Arrangements to collect residuals: Since every project is unique we suggest that you review the ACTRA Performers' Rights Society's procedures sheet and contact them should you require information on the specifics of your distribution arrangements.
(1.13) Insurance: Your project must be budgeted to secure liability and accident insurance covering cast and crew for the shoot and show proof of coverage prior to shooting.

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(2)

Ineligible Productions
  ACTRA and the CFTPA reserve the right to decline or to revoke approval for any projects for any reason. Examples of projects that will not be approved, or that will have their approval revoked, include but are not limited to the following:
(2.1) Excluded projects: All Industrials, Corporate Videos, documentaries, dubbing, animation, pilots, TV Series, Television Movies of the Week, Commercials and Music Videos are not eligible.
(2.2) Minors: Projects that depend on the extensive involvement of minors will be carefully examined for viability and will be excluded unless the resources and planning for the proper care and treatment of the young performers can be demonstrated.
(2.3) Revised scope: TIP projects which in the course of production or completion increase the scope of their budget or alter the nature of their production (e.g. TV movie) must disclose such changes to ACTRA Toronto. The TIP status of such a production may be amended or withdrawn at the discretion of ACTRA Toronto or the CFTPA.
(2.4) Unfair advantage; misrepresentation: A production which is found to be taking unfair advantage of TIP rates through misrepresentation or falsification of budget will become immediately subject to the rates and conditions of the IPA.
(2.5) Other exclusions: The Producer(s) and its principals and their related companies cannot apply to TIP if they are (A) currently in default with ACTRA, or (B) have been declared an Unfair Engager, or (C) have been previously found to be undermining TIP, or (D) are not members in good standing of the CFTPA.

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(3)

Rates:

 

Class I Production: Total budget of $125,000 to $275,000

Principal $210.00
Actor $140.00
Background $ 80.00

Class II Production: Total budget of less than $125,000

Principal $110.00
Actor $ 80.00
Background $ 64.00

 

ADR rate:ADR is to be paid at 50% of the contracted daily rate with a maximum 4 hours of work time. The (contracted) daily fee applies after four hours.

Productions exceeding $275,000 are encouraged to apply to produce under the IPA or the CIPIP Agreement, contained within the IA.

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(4)

Working conditions:
  Performer Working Conditions are as per the IPA with the following exceptions:
(4.1) Workday:The workday for Performers shall be eight (8) consecutive hours, exclusive of time for meal breaks. Meal breaks as per the IPA.
(4.2) Overtime: If the Performer is requested or required to work beyond eight (8) consecutive hours, Producer shall pay the Performer for each 1/4 hour increments, an amount equal to time and one-half of the Performer’s payment for the day at the pro-rata hourly rate.
(4.3) Turnaround: No work shall be permitted in excess of twelve (12) hours, exclusive of time for meal break, within any 24-hour period.
(4.4) Meals: All Performers will be provided the same meals as the crew.

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(5)

Additional Budgetary Obligations:
(5.1) Benefits: Benefits and fringes of 12.5% should be allocated in the budget for all gross amounts paid to performers. The percentage includes 12% for Insurance and Retirement and 0.5 % for the ACTRA Performers' Right Society.
(5.2)

Fees: Administration fees payable to both ACTRA and the CFTPA are as follows:

Class I Productions under 30 minutes - $350
Class I Productions over 30 minutes - $500

Class II Productions under 30 minutes - $250
Class II Productions over 30 minutes - $350
(5.3)

Security for Payments Due During Production: No later than five (5) business days before any work is scheduled to begin for the Performers, a payroll security deposit is required. The deposit will be held in trust.

For projects whose shooting schedule is longer than two weeks and ALL feature films, a two-week payroll security deposit is required.

ACTRA Toronto will release 50% of the deposit for the last two weeks payroll. The remaining 50% will be released upon proof of payment of last payroll and receipt of all paperwork.

Shooting schedules less than two weeks require no less than 50% of the budgeted payroll and will be refunded provided ALL paperwork is completed OR projects, with permission from ACTRA, may arrange to prepay performers for scheduled days and post a security deposit in the accumulated sum of projected overtime fees, administration fees,

Performers Rights fees and any other applicable fees as determined by the Steward. When permitted by ACTRA, the Producer will be able to provide other forms of security for payments due during production.
(5.4) Budget report: Within four (4) weeks of completion of principal photography, the Producer shall submit to ACTRA a detailed report of actual expenditures and other relevant materials ACTRA may require showing actual cost of the production to date. In the event the actual production costs exceed the limits stated for the categories above, the Producer shall pay the Performers or to ACTRA for the benefit of the Performers, any additional sums necessary to bring the compensation of the Performers into the defined class of production. TOP

(6)

Revenue Participation and Distribution
(6.1) A basic use fee is included in the base fees: The basic fees outlined in part (3) above paid to performers during production include payment for a "Declared Use of the Production" of Theatrical worldwide for one (1) year from the first theatrical use.
(6.2) Residuals: All other media use (world theatrical, pay TV, basic cable, free TV and ancillary revenue) are accounted for by payment of a use fee of 3.6% of Distributors Gross Revenue (DGR). DGR is defined in Article B509 of the IPA. For further clarity: The Distributors Gross Revenue (DGR) of 3.6% will be payable on all gross revenues derived from Theatrical distribution after the expiry of the Declared one year period of Theatrical Use. Any Use of the product other than the Declared Theatrical Use will require payment of 3.6% of Distributors Gross Revenue.
(6.3) Where paid: The use fee is paid directly to the ACTRA Performers' Rights Society who administers the collection and disbursement of all DGR payable in accordance with the unit calculations defined in the IPA. Please refer to the ACTRA Performers' Rights Society's procedure sheet (or Article B509 of the IPA) for the full definition of Distributors' Gross Revenue.
(6.4) Internet use and royalties payments are subject to negotiation as per the IPA.

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(7)

Casting

(7.1) Membership: Non-ACTRA members are not permitted to work as actors on TIP projects.
(7.2) Script: Lead and support roles require performers to have access to a full script before signing.
(7.3) Stunts: A qualified ACTRA Stunt Coordinator is required for all scenes that include stunts.
(7.4) Copy of product: Principal Performers and Actors shall be provided with an electronic copy of their performance (or the film in its entirety) on disk or videocassette within 60 days of the production of the final master transfer of the completed film. A clause guaranteeing this must appear in all Performers’ Contracts.

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(8)

Rehearsals
(8.1) Time donated: Performers may donate 1 free 8-hour day of rehearsal to the production.
(8.2)

Additional time: Performers may participate in two (2) additional rehearsal days at half the contracted Daily Rate, to a maximum of four hours.

The preliminary/proposed rehearsal schedule must be clearly delineated to the performer on the casting notice, along with TIP status and the Daily Rate. Additional Rehearsal days are to be paid at the contracted daily rate Rehearsal days are limited to 8 hours.

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(9)

Other issues
(9.1) Verification: ACTRA Toronto reserves the right to contact all other industry partners and/or grant organizations to corroborate details of the production package.
(9.2) The IPA: Copies of the IPA are available from ACTRA Toronto. The Producer is expected to review this agreement and have a thorough understanding of its terms and conditions.
(9.3) Credit: All TIP projects must have a tail credit showing the ACTRA TIP Toronto and CFTPA logos and stating "Made with the Generous Support of ACTRA Toronto and the CFTPA”. Logos will be provided by ACTRA Toronto and the CFTPA in electronic format.
(9.4) Spirit of this program: ACTRA Toronto recognizes that TIP is vulnerable to abuse by producers who chose to manipulate budgets and other financial documents. Continued success depends on all participants complying with the guidelines of TIP, and its spirit: generosity creating opportunity.
(9.5)
Changes to these guidelines: These guidelines may be changed at any time.

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