NDAs – not just for high tech jobs anymore
Posted by Office-Bob on 14 Mar 2018 at 04:43 pm | Tagged as: General Craziness, FX
On your first day of work on a film or TV production you’re presented with what’s known as a “Start Pack,†which contains all of the paperwork you need to complete to be hired on to the production. Most of it is stuff that anyone who’s worked anywhere will recognize – things like tax deduction claims, personal information, and such – and there will also be things like the official policy on harassment (they’re against it), workplace safety (they’re for it) and proof of residency for tax credit purposes (they want it).
One thing that has become part of the experience (or should I say “ordeal,” considering the amount of paperwork the typical start pack contains) in recent years is a non-disclosure agreement.
I’m used to seeing and filling out NDAs from my years working in software development, and their purpose here is no different; you’re expected to not publicly discuss or take/display pictures of anything you hear or see while working on the production, although those restrictions are usually relaxed once the show has aired or the movie has been released. They’re not kidding around, either – I worked on a show (no, I’m not gonna name it) where tales were told of one semi-regular background actor who was fired because he posted some set pictures onto his Facebook page, and the general consensus was that he’s probably going to have trouble getting work in the future because he violated his NDA.
That’s not to say that pictures don’t get taken – after all, it’s human nature to want to document things that you had a hand in creating – but those who do so are usually pretty discreet in how and when they take pictures, and they keep them to themselves or else only share them with a very close, trusted circle of friends.
As for me, I will happily discuss something I’ve worked on once it’s escaped into the wild but until then, the most you’ll get out of me is admission that I worked on PROJECT NAME and, maybe, a comment to the effect that I think people will like it when it comes out…if you want the REALLY juicy stories, you’ll need to buy me a drink or three after it’s gone public.
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LOL NDAs were the bane of my existence for around 20 years (and still in effect). I worked for the US Army and as a civilian contractor, in the “intelligence†field for a bit. Ours were very long and VERY detailed about what they required of you and what they would do to you should you fail to abide by them. Hell, there are some even many years later that I cannot even tell you the project name. I am required to either use my SSO’s generic blurb or get my resume “cleared†before I can even send it out. You have seen the public spectacles that Chelsea Manning and Snowden both created when they violated theirs. What I do find very interesting is how far they have reached out into “ordinary everyday†type jobs. Are they as detailed and as “harsh†as ones you have had exp with working as an FSO?
Found your blog from a link in your bio on Twitter. Mainly wanted to do two things. Thank you for your fairly detailed explanation about classified document handling/storage and assorted associated details. The second is purely curiosity on my part. How can someone break into the pyrotechnics world? I have quite a bit of experience with “explosives (thank you Uncle Sam) but think doing pyro would be a good avenue to get “my boom†fix and also some temp work. Any suggestions? Thanks again
Chris
US Army (Ret)
Chris - Film NDAs aren’t usually as harsh as others; they mainly state that you can’t post images to social media or make public things such as casting news, behind the scenes drama, and such.
For the pyro stuff I’ll assume that you still reside in the US so what I’d suggest is that you contact the Pyrotechnics Guild International at pgi.org and ask them what resources are available in your state or nearby areas - there may be a hobbyist club you can join which will give you a way to get into the field, and from there you can decide if you want to train to become a licensed pyrotechnician (requirements can vary from state to state, unlike in Canada where we have a federal licensing system so that once you’ve got your certification, you can use it anywhere in Canada. If you’re living in Canada, Google “Explosives Regulatory Division” and search for the Fireworks Certification Program).
One warning - if you’re looking to get into pyro for the money…don’t. Do it for the thrill and the love of it because you’re not gonna get rich doing it.
Good luck!