CLEARANCE TOOLKIT

What Actually is a Neg Check?

And do I need one?

There’s often some fuzzy crossover between the Neg Checker and the Clearance Consultant — sometimes they’re even the same person. That overlap can cause confusion on productions, so this guide focuses on unpacking the role of the Neg Checker a little more clearly.

When they are the same person, they become a trusted ally for filmmakers and TV producers — someone who helps keep the script clear of unintended real-world issues. When they are separate roles, they co-operate and collaborate to make sure the finished output is conflict free.

“Neg Check” is short for negative check — our goal is to help your script reach a “negative conflict” state, meaning there are no problematic real-world overlaps.

When it Goes Wrong

A few years ago, in the worldwide hit Squid Game, a real phone number was used as the hotline to join the fictional contest.

Unfortunately, it belonged to a South Korean woman who received thousands of calls and texts — to the point where it became impossible to go about her daily life. She couldn’t change her number, as it had long been tied to her business and clients.

The number was eventually removed from the show, likely through an expensive post-production fix and a major behind-the-scenes headache. While the details of any compensation remain speculative, her case shows how privacy breaches can become costly and reputationally damaging.

I didn’t work on that show, so I can’t speak to how the mistake happened. But it’s a neat and powerful example of why Neg Checking matters.

What Does a Neg Checker Actually Do?

Our job is to help protect creative freedom and maintain the integrity of your story — making sure what’s on screen is lead by your creativity, not accidentally shaped by legal conflicts.

We go through your scripts with a fine-tooth comb, flagging any mentions of people, business and brand names, telephone numbers, addresses or social media handles that could cause legal complaints or unintended connections.

Once flagged, we dive into research — working closely with script editors to understand the characters and uncover potential conflicts.

Personal reputation and privacy are arguably the most important protections we offer. We research birth records, and profession registers, we dig into business directories (like Companies house), telephone registers, logs and LinkedIn & Social media.

Certain professions are easier to cross-check via regulatory bodies — lawyers, healthcare professionals, accountants, first responders, and prison officers often have media or press offices we can contact to confirm there’s no conflict.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every case is context-specific, and we often need to get creative — blending publicly available data, social media trails, search engines, and a healthy dose of logic to piece things together.

Rights and Permissions

The neg check also forms your “blueprint” for clearances. If we find pre-existing content in the script — songs, artwork, book excerpts — we flag them for permissions. That list then gets passed on to the clearance person to begin the formal rights process.

Script Development

Sometimes, we get involved early in development to advise on copyright issues or provide alternative ideas that help sidestep potential legal risk while enhancing the story.

The Codebreaker Mentality

There’s a surprising amount of personally identifying data in scripts — passport numbers, license plates, email addresses, etc.

A good Neg Checker becomes a bit of a codebreaker: Understanding how real-world systems generate these pieces of data. Then using that knowledge to create something fictional. It’s a tricky balance — you want it to feel real, but not be real. Like the “555” phone numbers in 1980s films: they protected privacy, but broke the illusion.

Sometimes there are handy shortcuts like the Ofcom phone numbers for Film & TV Drama but we usually maintain that illusion by understanding the format of real data (e.g. how Washington DC phone numbers are structured), and then crafting fake examples that are “clear”.

Every Neg Checker Has Their Own Style

Sometimes, we may factor in the region where the story is set, other times we’ll clear it worldwide. Maybe a particular magazine title’s only been cleared for Yorkshire as the story is regional. The level of scrutiny will often shift depending on the context: is this the title of a hero magazine for a murderous housewife, or just one of ten magazines making a "barely there" appearance in a doctor’s waiting room? The time period also matters — was it vetted for a 1962 flashback or something contemporary? And what does contemporary even mean? This year or this decade?

It’s a constantly moving target. New people, brands, and companies pop up all the time. What was clear last production may be a problem on the next.

Context is Everything

Context plays a massive role in the research.

If your story is set in a fictional future where robots rule the Earth, it’s unlikely someone will claim you’ve infringed on their life story.

It’s also important to understand the interplay between a libel read and a neg check. In dramatisations of real events, the Neg Checker takes a step back to allow for a libel lawyer to focus on the legal implications. But for fictional stories — even those inspired by true events — the Neg Check is a key part of the script’s legal hygiene.

In Summary

Overall, script researching is essential to ensure that a script is not only legally compliant but also culturally sensitive. We'll help teams avoid legal disputes and maintain a high level of quality and authenticity in their storytelling.

Neg checking isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits—it saves productions from costly reshoots, digital fixes, and PR nightmares. By identifying risks early, we help filmmakers preserve their creative vision without unnecessary real-world fallout.

Need a Neg Check for your film or TV production?

Drop me an email at sarah@clearancecollective.com

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