Business
10 November 2022
Link copied to clipboardToday, Netflix announced it has extended its partnership with Norsk Skuespillerforbund (Norwegian Actors’ Equity Association) to also include films. This agreement is equivalent to the film agreements with Norsk Filmforbund and Swedish Fackförbundet Scen & Film (The Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film), announced earlier this year. The new framework for films allows for performers and creative workers of Norsk Filmforbund, Norsk Skuespillerforbund and Fackförbundet to get additional remuneration when a Netflix film is successful. “We are proud to continue this unique and innovative partnership with key union partners in Scandinavia. We are the only streaming service to have secured a framework agreement that also rewards success for Norwegian film productions - a result of a strong relationship with both Norsk Skuespillerforbund and Norsk Filmforbund. In addition to the guaranteed rights fee - these agreements ensure that all qualifying cast and crew are ultimately remunerated as part of a success metric from the very first completer and that all talent receive the fair pay they are entitled to. We are genuinely pleased how the culmination of efforts between unions and Netflix come to life”, says Rachel C. Schumacher, Senior Counsel, International Labour Relations, Netflix. “It is a key priority for us that creative workers receive fair remuneration for their rights and we’re happy to be one of the first unions to make this kind of agreement, regulating Netflix productions. Our trusted partnership with Netflix makes it possible, and both the existing agreement regarding drama series and this new film agreement are important to the Norwegian creative industry”, says Knut Alfsen, Chairman, Norsk Skuespillerforbund. “We are happy that Norsk Skuespillerforbund has made a similar agreement to ours with Netflix, and included films. The agreement ensures financial stability for Norwegian TV and film workers now that more productions are being streamed. The parties have also agreed to initiate negotiations for documentaries and reality productions. We look forward to continuing the collaboration with Netflix", says Union leader Elisabeth O. Sjaastad, Norsk Filmforbund. The film framework is based on similar principles to the one for series but there are different budget thresholds and payouts with varying levels of completers compared to the series agreement. Netflix reports completers on qualifying productions annually in accordance with the agreement. About The Collective Frame Agreements The collective frame agreements between Netflix and Norsk Filmforbund and Norsk Skuespillerforbund for original films and series commissioned in Norway provide initial remuneration as well as staggered success-based additional remuneration, for series [calculated] for each individual season and on individual films.
When a certain threshold of viewers globally has completed a film or a series, an amount specified in the frame agreement is paid. There is no limit to the number of times the threshold can be reached, and each qualifies for an additional success-based payment. Each frame agreement further ensures that a pro-rata payment is provided even when the number of completers does not reach this threshold. Thus, ensuring ongoing additional remuneration.
About Norsk Skuespillerforbund Norsk Skuespillerforbund (Norwegian Actors' Equity Association) is an association of Norwegian actors. Its main purpose is to improve actors' working conditions and to protect the artistic, judicial, and financial interests of actors in Norway. The association was established in 1898 and currently organizes over 1600 actors.
About Norsk Filmforbund The Norwegian Film Makers' Association is a trade union and collective rights management organisation representing more than 1,400 film and TV workers. They work to strengthen members’ pay and working conditions, secure fair authors' rights remuneration, and to retain the competence and continuity in the Norwegian film and TV industry.