Welcome to ACTRA Toronto’s National Commercial Agreement (NCA) page. The following should provide an easy to follow guide and a basic understanding of the NCA when producing commercials in Toronto using performers. We encourage you to call and/or email us with any questions. We are pleased to assist prior to production when your agency is in the creative/planning stage with respect to the application of the NCA to your project. As well, we are available to assist with the calculation of talent costs for both session and use.
Downloadable forms provided via this site are in static or fillable pdf format and require Adobe Reader. Contact us if you require an alternate format. PDFs are marked with an icon.
Accessing the Agreements: Becoming a Signatory
STEP
Just a little bit of paperwork
To work with ACTRA Toronto performers you need to be a signatory engager to an ACTRA Toronto Agreement. Here is the form you’ll need:
Preference of Engagement
Under the terms of the NCA, preference of engagement is given to members of ACTRA (including full, apprentice, and ACTRA Additional Background Performer members)
If after auditions the Engager establishes that a Performer of the type required is not available within the ACTRA membership, upon provision by the Engager to ACTRA of details of all Performers auditioned or considered, ACTRA shall issue a work permit for the engagement of a Canadian non-member in a commercial.
Please be sure to refer to the terms of Section 7 regarding permitting non-resident performers.
Intent to Produce
Intent to Produce
Prior to Production, the Engager is responsible for submitting a completed Intent to Produce (App. C below) to their nearest ACTRA office.
Contract & Payments
Contract
Performers should be provided with their contract prior to the commencement of their work session. Contracts must be completed in full. Check that production info, dates, and work hours are accurate.
At the end of the work session, Performers should sign and take a photo of their completed contract upon completion of their session and email the photo to nca@actratoronto.com.
Payments
Under the NCA, Performers are compensated for their work on set (the “making of” the production) through session payments and again for their exposure to the viewers when the ad is broadcast or distributed (the “use” of the production) through residual payments.