In practice
Cast clearance answers a simple but important question: are we contractually allowed to publish this image of this actor? It is the permissions side of the approvals process, sitting alongside the editorial choice of which frames are strongest.
Clearance flows from talent approval. When cast review a set and sign off the frames they are happy with — within the kill rights their contracts allow — the surviving images become cleared for publicity use. An image an actor has killed is not cleared and must not be published.
Because the percentages and limits differ from contract to contract and from solo to group shots, productions track clearance carefully, keeping a record of who approved what. Only cleared frames should enter the key selects delivered to the distributor.
Getting clearance right protects the production legally and keeps the talent’s trust. For how the limits are set and counted, read our guide to cast approval percentages.