Model Releases

Build and manage model releases

Create model release documents for collaborations and productions, choose the business model that fits your project, assign parties and financial terms, add jurisdiction-specific clauses, and prepare the release for review.

Where to start

Start a release from either location where project compliance is managed:

• Open a collaboration and switch to its Compliance tab.
• Open a production and go to its compliance page.

Select the Model Release Builder card to begin. You can also open My model releases directly to review releases where you are involved or where you are the author.

My model releases

The My model releases page lists releases where you are a party or the author. Use Filter by status to narrow the list to a specific release stage, or select All statuses to view every release.

Each release includes the following information:

• Release: The first eight characters of the release ID.
• Context: The related collaboration or production.
• My role: Your role in the release, such as Owner, Participant, Performer, Licensor, Licensee, or Crew.
• Model: The selected business model.
• Parties: The number of parties associated with the release.
• Status: The current release status and, when applicable, a test badge.
• Updated: The date of the latest update.
• Open: Opens the release or release set in the builder.

If you have not created or joined a release, the page displays:

No release yet. Start one from a collaboration's Compliance tab or from a production.

Creating a new release

The new-release wizard guides you through the business model, parties, jurisdictions, and clauses before opening the editing canvas. The project panel beside the wizard provides the project facts used while building the release.

The project panel shows:

• Title, sourced from the proposal
• Filming location, sourced from the proposal
• Shoot date, sourced from the schedule
• Boundaries, sourced from the checklist

When project information is unavailable, the panel uses values such as Untitled, Not set, Not scheduled, and No checklist yet. If the project has a shoot date, the wizard also displays a reminder that all parties must sign before the shoot.

Editing a release

The editing canvas organizes the release into a clause library, assembled document, and clause inspector. Changes are saved automatically while you work.

Clause library

Use the Clause library to find and add clauses. Search by clause name or key with Search clauses, then filter by category:

• All
• Protection
• Distribution
• Money
• Governance

Each clause shows its key, edit policy, title, and any jurisdiction requirement such as Required by [code] pack. Select Add to include a clause, or drag it into the document. Clauses already included in the document show Added.

Document

The document area contains three groups:

• Core · always included: Required core clauses, including parties, consent, age, boundaries, removal, and signature terms. Core clauses are locked.
• Business model module: Clauses specific to the selected business model.
• Optional Clauses: Additional clauses that you choose to include.

The document shows how many core clauses are included and locked. You can select clauses, show or hide core clauses, move editable clauses up or down, drag clauses to reorder them, and remove non-core clauses. Drop new clauses into the area labeled Drop a clause here.

Clause badges identify whether a clause is Locked, Editable, a Rider, Modified from standard, or a Custom rider with its current character count.

Clause inspector

Select a clause to open its details in the Clause inspector. The inspector shows:

• Clause key and edit policy
• Clause title
• What this means, with a plain-language summary
• Variable fields that you can complete
• The source of editable values, such as source: pack default, source: author, or source: schedule
• Optional custom text editing

If you change editable clause text, select Restore the standard text to return to the standard version. Custom riders are limited to 2,000 characters and display a counter such as 0 / 2,000 characters.

Save, preview, and submit

The canvas displays the current save state:

• Saving…
• Unsaved changes
• Saved

Use Preview as signer locale to view the document as a signer in a selected locale, such as Preview as · EN or Preview as · FR. Select Preview to enter preview mode, then select Back to editing to return to the canvas.

When the release has no blocking issues, select Mark Ready for Review. The displayed status changes to In review. If blocking issues remain, the action is disabled and shows the number of issues, such as 1 Blocking Issue or 3 Blocking Issues.

Release statuses

The release status tells you where the document is in its workflow.

Selecting Mark Ready for Review moves the displayed status from Draft to In review. The product does not use a separate Ready for review status.

Validation and coverage checks

The builder checks the release as you assemble it. Blocking issues prevent you from marking the release ready for review. Examples include a missing core clause, incompatible clauses, a required jurisdiction clause that is missing, incomplete variable fields, ownership shares that do not total 100 percent, or a custom rider longer than 2,000 characters.

When an issue has a direct fix, the builder can show an action such as Add [clause key]. If a clause cannot be added because no text version is available, the builder displays This clause has no text available yet.

The checks area can also show non-blocking guidance:

• Warnings: For example, one clause normally goes with another, or an exclusivity period exceeds a specified number of days.
• Suggestions: For example, Consider adding [clause].
• No issues found: Displays when there are no errors, warnings, or suggestions.

Coverage Check

Coverage Check identifies topics that the document does not cover. It is labeled Facts, not a score.

Possible missing items include:

• No exit or buyout terms
• No payment deadline
• No reversion if unpaid
• No takedown on expiry
• No dispute resolution clause
• No watermark or fingerprint registration
• No AI or digital-replica protection

Select an action such as Add BM-RS-04 when you want to address a missing item. If nothing is missing, the panel displays Nothing missing from this list.

Test releases

The preview displays the watermark TEST — NOT BINDING when at least one included clause is based on a version that counsel has not approved. The canvas also shows:

TEST RELEASE — contains clauses not yet approved by counsel. Not legally binding.

The watermark indicates the state of the included clause versions. A release does not receive the watermark merely because its status is Draft.

Where to go next

Use these related pages to continue managing project compliance and rights.