Real productions don't charge you to work.

• • A fee for a course, a crew list, a background check or an "audition"
  • "Buy your kit from us before you start"
  • No company name or address. WhatsApp or Telegram only.
  • Pay far above the going rate for an entry-level job
• • Bank log-ins, card numbers or passport scans before any written offer
  • "Decide in the next hour"
  • A first meeting at a private address
  • "Unpaid, but it'll lead to paid work"

• What's normal

  ID and bank details, after the offer

  Real productions do ask for right-to-work ID, your NI number and bank details for payroll. That comes from the production office, after a written offer.

• Paid courses aren't scams

  Film schools and short courses charge fees. That's fine. A course that promises a job or a credit for your money isn't.

• Free routes exist

  BFI Film Academy is free for 16 to 25s. Our Academy is free. Schemes and funds

• Usually legal unpaid

  • A placement your UK college or university course requires, under a year
  • School work experience
  • Shadowing only: watching, not working
  • Volunteering for a charity or voluntary group, with only expenses paid

• Usually due pay

  • You have set hours and real tasks
  • You're doing a job someone would otherwise be paid for
  • You've been promised paid work later

From GOV.UK, checked 13 Nov 2026. These are legal minimums, not crew rates. For your grade, see the current Bectu rate card.

• The fake crew call

  A big title, a vague role, great pay. Then a fee for "registration" or a "background check". Real productions never charge.

• The kit deposit

  You're asked to buy or put a deposit on kit from a named supplier before day one. Kit for the job comes through the production's rental order, not your pocket.

• The ID grab

  Passport, NI number and bank details up front "to save time". That's identity theft waiting to happen.

1. Search Companies HouseFind the company on the register. Check it's active and the name matches.
2. Look for the productionTrade press, the company website, the production office number.
3. Ask aroundA Bectu branch, a crew group you trust, your tutor, or us.
4. Meet safelyAn office or a public place. Tell someone where you're going.

• Scams

  Report Fraud

  For England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

  reportfraud.police.uk ↗

• Unpaid wages

  Pay and work rights

  Not paid the minimum wage? Complain to GOV.UK's pay and work rights service, or get advice from Acas.

  GOV.UK ↗

• Parents and carers

  Go through it together

  Our parents' guide has the same checklist. For parents

• GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
• GOV.UK: employment rights for interns
• GOV.UK: pay and work rights helpline and complaints
• Report Fraud
• Companies House: search the register