Real-Life Decision Making
It's your responsibility as an agent to ensure that your clients are looked after. Contracts have to be negotiated and costs have to be set. You have to get the best deal for your client.
The best deal includes billing, which refers to when and how an actor's name is displayed in the opening or closing credits of a show. Big stars get their names displayed even before the title of the film is shown. The guys and gals who played the waiters, on the other hand, will get their names shown in little letters at the end of the movie, along with all the other cast members.
Your client is on set to play a medium-sized role in a TV special. The deal was worked out informally over the phone, but nothing has been signed yet. It is assumed that the paperwork will be on set for your actor to sign. It isn't.
The actor has called you up to ask what to do about this. They are in the middle of shooting a scene, but your client hasn't signed anything yet. He wants to know if he should carry on or tell the producers he won't work until he signs something.
You know that people have worked without a contract before and things have usually worked out OK. If the production company is reputable, and you have worked with them before, then usually it's not a problem to sign contracts after shooting.
On the other hand, there have been times when a producer has said your client would get "up front" billing (their name would appear in the opening credits), a personal dressing room and lounge, and a great paycheck, but then didn't fulfill those promises in the end. A contract takes care of that.
This time, you're hesitant. You've worked with these people before and they are fairly reputable. Still, you don't know them that well.
Your client is waiting on the phone. What are you going to tell him?