Legal clearance for faces and identifiable persons on screen — required for actors, extras, anyone whose image is usable. No release: lawsuit guaranteed.
Anyone filming a person on camera—whether a lead actor or an extra in the background—needs written permission to use that image. This is not optional but a legal necessity stemming from the right to one's own image. Without a release, you cannot exploit the film, release it in cinemas, or stream it. The person affected can sue you, have the film blocked, and demand damages. This is not a theoretical horror story—it happens regularly.
In practice, this means every actor signs an image rights agreement before the first clap. In it, they waive their right to object to the use of their image in the finished film and in all associated exploitation formats—cinema, TV, streaming, festival submissions, trailers, press photos. The contract duration is limited (usually 5–10 years for TV rights, unlimited for feature films) or can be indefinite. The contract also stipulates whether their name will be credited and how their image is protected—for example, whether image manipulation or contextual distortion is prohibited.
For extras, the handling is more pragmatic: crowd extras sign collective releases at the start of filming or give verbal consent with witnesses. But here too: no signature = risk. Many productions film in public spaces (street scenes, train stations)—different rules apply there. People whose faces are not identifiable or who function only as a statistical mass often do not need individual releases. However, as soon as a person is recognizable, bears a name, or has a speaking role, the image rights obligation applies.
With archival material, historical footage, or documentaries, it gets tricky. Here you need either the original permission or subsequent releases from those involved—or you work with legal exceptions (public interest, artistic freedom, the deceased). Legal departments review these on a case-by-case basis.
The fees for image rights are often small in the budget but underestimated. A lead actor negotiates this as part of their fee. For extras, it's usually settled with a flat rate. The administrative effort—collecting contracts, notarizing signatures, maintaining archives—falls to the production managers.