Resources

Codes of Practice / Guidelines

This section contains key guidelines and information for all people working in the New Zealand screen production industry, both domestic and international.  These are recommended standards based on industry best practice.  If you have any concerns regarding the implementation of these guidelines on your production please contact us, or the appropriate Guild or industry organisation.

ENGAGEMENT OF CAST
Spada/Equity Individual Performance Agreement (the "Agreement")

The Agreement has been amended (Clause 4.1.13 and Clause 12) to reflect the SIWA mandatory terms relating to bullying, discrimination, and harassment processes. The SIWA is effective as of 30 December 2022. More information on the SIWA can be found here.


USE OF THE AGREEMENT
- The Agreement is for use on New Zealand-based and funded feature films and television drama productions. 
- The Agreement is NOT for use on short films. 

The Agreement comprises Key terms and the Standard Terms and Conditions READ ONLY version HERE, and the Back End agreement: READ ONLY version HERE.

Issuing the Agreement / Licence Agreement
Before the Agreement can be issued PLEASE FILL OUT THE Spada-Licence-Agreement and return it to the Spada Office (email: sandy@spada.co.nz). A fee, based on the total production budget, will be applied to cover administration costs (note: the fee is waived for Spada members or first-time producers with production budgets under $250,000). The fees are as follows:

(a)   Up to NZD1million: $500
(b)   Between NZD1m-NZD3million: $1,000
(c)   NZD3million and above: $1,500
       (*+ GST) 

ENGAGEMENT OF CREW
2023 BLUE BOOK

Produced by SIGANZ in association with Spada and the NZAPG, the Blue Book provides a reference document of best-practice processes for the engagement of freelance crew members in the New Zealand screen production industry.  The Blue Book represents industry guidelines.  Its provisions outline legal responsibilities and suggested best practices.  Production companies and crew members are free to negotiate different arrangements, within the law, if some provisions do not meet the needs of either party.  Nevertheless, the Blue Book outlines many generally accepted ways of working in a manner that is intended to provide useful, mature information in a context that explains why various processes are needed.

** Digital copies of the 2023 Blue Book are available free via SIGANZ website. You will be required to enter your name and email address before being redirected to a page where you can download a PDF of the Blue Book 2023.

SCREENSAFE: HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES
Including Child Safety Guidelines and Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy & Documentation
ScreenSafe was established in July 2015 to support and promote Health and Safety in the New Zealand Screen Sector. Its initial focus was to update the existing Code of Practice to create a set of NZ Screen Sector Health & Safety Guidelines and to interpret the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 which came into effect from 4th April 2016.  An initiative of The Screen Industry Guild, ScreenSafe is an industry-wide collaborative effort with backing from the NZFC, NZ On Air, and Spada (who is also part of ScreenSafe's Working Group) along with other guilds, industry bodies, and regional film offices.

HEALTH AND SAFETY
Got five minutes? Take ScreenSafe's Health & Safety TEST

Health & Safety Guidelines HERE

Practical and helpful templates to support best practices on your set, including health and safety inductions, safety requirements for a call sheet, and incident register. What you need to know at a glance

CHILD SAFETY
Developed by ScreenSafe in consultation with Spada, these guidelines set minimum recommended standards for the screen sector to create and maintain child-safe environments, free from abuse, exploitation, and hazards. These guidelines are for all people who conduct work in the screen sector in a paid or unpaid capacity.

Child Safety Guidelines HERE

SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION POLICY AND DOCUMENTATION
Sexual harassment is any unwelcome or offensive sexual behaviour that is repeated or is serious enough to have a harmful effect, or which contains an implied or overt promise of preferential treatment or an implied or overt threat of detrimental treatment. Sexual harassment can happen between people of any gender, ethnicity, and age.

Click HERE for the Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy as well as how to receive disclosures and sexual harassment reporting. 

CODE OF PRACTICE FILMING ON PUBLIC CONSERVATION LANDS 2005

This code was developed by Film New Zealand and the Department of Conservation for the benefit of the screen production sector. It is designed to alleviate concerns about shooting on DOC land and spell out a code of good practice after extensive consultation to ensure that the exemplary record established to date by the New Zealand screen production industry was not damaged. 

 CODE OF PRACTICE FOR ANIMAL WELFARE

This voluntary Code of Practice sets out recommended standards based on industry best practice that aims to ensure the welfare of animals used in screen productions. All people working in the screen production industry, who from time to time may come into contact with animals should be familiar with this Code.


Spada Update on Bryson Decision
Spada, with the assistance of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, has prepared a document on the Bryson Supreme Court decision, summarizing what the Supreme Court did and did not say, followed by a list of relevant tests that can be applied to determine the status of workers as employees or contractors.