The V Seal™

Get VFSSA Vertified!

Introducing The V Seal, the industry’s seal of approval for vertical productions.

When you see the V Seal, it means a project has been VFSSA Vertified: running above-board, safely, and professionally, meeting clear standards for crew, talent, compliance, and transparency. It’s a fast signal to agents, managers, and talent that your production matches (or exceeds) best practice for 9:16 work.

What it means about your production (at a glance):

  • Professional: documented processes, real insurance, real payroll

  • Compliant: union/guild obligations respected where applicable

  • Safe & Fair: clear safety, harassment, and payment practices

  • Transparent: who’s producing, how to escalate, how to get paid

Qualification Checklist (what you need to earn the V Seal)

    • Legal production entity in good standing (name, jurisdiction).

    • Certificate of Insurance (COI) covering general liability and workers’ comp.

    • Required permits/location permissions secured for all shoot days.

    • Signed IP/rights agreements for script, music, and assets.

    • Written deal memos for all cast/crew outlining rate, hours, credit, usage.

    • Payroll through a recognized provider; taxes and withholdings handled.

    • Payment schedule disclosed in writing; final payment within agreed window.

    • If union: proof of union/guild signatory status and adherence to terms.

    • Designated Safety Lead/First Aid on set; safety plan circulated.

    • Anti-harassment policy shared with reporting channel (anonymous option).

    • Reasonable hours, mandated breaks, and lawful turnaround.

    • Intimacy/stunt coordination where relevant.

    • Call sheets distributed 24 hours in advance with emergency info.

    • On-set consent for BTS; privacy considerations for minors/sensitive content.

    • Data management plan (backup + encryption for dailies/drive handoff).

    • Clear crediting policy; delivery specs communicated pre-shoot.

    • Public-facing contact for production (email) and paid point-of-contact.

    • Grievance/escrow or holdback plan for disputed payments (if used).

    • Post-wrap confirmation of payments completed (cast/crew sign-off).

    6) Vertical-Specific Readiness

    • Defined 9:16 workflow (framing guides, audio plan, captions/subs).

    • Accessibility plan (captions as default; platform compliance).

    • Release/usage scope aligned to short-form platforms & brand safety.

How to display the V Seal

On Breakdown Services:

VFSSA Vertified - The V Seal™: Above-board vertical production. Union-compliant where applicable, insured, payroll-backed, safety-led. Contact: [email].


On one-sheets, decks, and slates: place the V Seal mark with the line:

”This production meets V Seal standards, certified by VFSSA”

(We’ll provide vector lockups and usage guidelines: clearspace, min size, color/mono.)

Apply for the V Seal

Upon submission, a member of the VFSSA Team will respond to your request
within 5 business days.

Renewal: The V Seal is granted per production (or per season for series). Significant scope or company changes require re-verification.

*VFSSA and The V Seal™ are professional standards and not legal advice. Union/guild, insurer, and regulatory requirements always control; the Seal complements - never replaces - them.