Terms & Conditions

English version. This is a courtesy translation for international clients. Detached Astronauts is established in Germany; German law applies as set out in § 16. In the event of any discrepancy in meaning, the German-language version prevails, except where mandatory consumer-protection law of the client's country of residence provides otherwise.

§ 1 Scope and definitions

(1) These General Terms of Business ("Terms") apply to the business relationship between Anait Sagoyan, trading as Detached Astronauts, Küstriner Straße 26, 13055 Berlin, Germany ("Contractor") and the client ("Client"). They become part of the contract where the Contractor has referred to them, the Client has had a reasonable opportunity to take note of their content, and the Client agrees to their application. The Client may download, print, and store this text.

(2) A consumer within the meaning of § 13 of the German Civil Code (BGB) is any natural person who concludes the contract for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business, or profession. An entrepreneur within the meaning of § 14 BGB is a natural or legal person or a partnership with legal capacity that acts in the exercise of its trade, business, or profession. Where these Terms distinguish between consumers and entrepreneurs, the relevant provisions apply accordingly.

(3) Deviating, conflicting, or supplementary terms of the Client do not become part of the contract unless the Contractor has expressly agreed to their application in text form. This applies even where the Contractor performs the service without reservation in the knowledge of the Client's terms.

(4) "Media files" within the meaning of these Terms are all products created by the Contractor, regardless of the technical form or medium in which they were created or exist (including but not limited to video files, film footage, edited films, photographs, audio, graphics, and animations).

§ 2 Formation of the contract and scope of services

(1) The Contractor provides services in the field of film, video, and media production, in particular concept development, production, direction, filming, editing, post-production, and delivery of media files. The specific scope of services results from the individual offer or order confirmation.

(2) On the website detachedastronauts.com, the Client can obtain information about the Contractor's range of services. Presentations on the website and in portfolios are non-binding descriptions of services and do not constitute a binding offer.

(3) Offers and cost estimates of the Contractor are non-binding unless they are expressly designated as binding or contain a specific acceptance period. A contract is concluded when the Contractor confirms the order in text form (e.g. by email) or begins performance of the service.

(4) The Contractor is entitled to engage third-party service providers and vicarious agents (e.g. camera operators, editors, composers, studios) to perform parts or all of the services. The Contractor remains the Client's contractual partner.

§ 3 Client's duty to cooperate

(1) The Client shall provide the Contractor, in good time and free of charge, with all information, materials, briefings, and approvals required for the performance of the service.

(2) The Client is responsible for ensuring that all necessary rights, permissions, and releases exist for content, locations, persons, brands, products, music, or other materials provided by the Client or requested to be filmed — in particular the consent of persons appearing (model releases), permissions for filming locations (property releases), and licences for third-party works. The Client indemnifies the Contractor against third-party claims arising from the fact that such rights or permissions did not exist, unless the Contractor is responsible for the infringement.

(3) If the Client fails to fulfil duties to cooperate, or fails to do so on time, any resulting additional expenses and delays shall be borne by the Client.

§ 4 Changes to the order; additional services

(1) Any change to or extension of the agreed scope of services (e.g. additional shooting days, additional revision rounds, changed delivery formats) requires an agreement in text form. Additional costs arising from this shall be borne by the Client. Where possible, the Contractor will inform the Client of expected additional costs in advance.

(2) Events of force majeure (e.g. severe weather, illness, official orders, epidemics/pandemics, strikes, energy or material shortages) entitle the Contractor to postpone the order for the duration of the hindrance plus a reasonable start-up period. This does not give rise to a claim for damages by the Client. In the event of illness of the Contractor, the Client is entitled to withdraw from the order; already provided partial services shall be remunerated pro rata.

§ 5 Deadlines and delivery

(1) Delivery times result from the agreements between the parties. Unless otherwise agreed, performance takes place by the agreed target date. Stated deadlines are only binding if they have been expressly confirmed as binding in text form.

(2) If non-compliance with the delivery time is due to force majeure or other events not attributable to the Contractor, the delivery time is extended appropriately. The Contractor will inform the Client of the beginning and end of such circumstances without undue delay.

(3) Delivery of the media files takes place in digital form, either by provision in a cloud, on a portable SSD, or on a USB stick, as agreed. Any costs for physical data carriers shall be borne by the Client unless otherwise agreed.

§ 6 Approval and revisions

(1) After completion of the basic edit, the Contractor provides the Client with a preview version for approval. Unless otherwise agreed, the offer includes one revision round of reasonable scope. Further revision rounds or changes going beyond the agreed concept are charged separately according to the agreed rates.

(2) The Client shall notify requested changes collectively and in text form within the period stated by the Contractor. If the Client does not respond within a reasonable period set by the Contractor, the respective version is deemed approved.

(3) After final approval, subsequent change requests constitute a separate order and are remunerated separately.

§ 7 Prices and payment terms

(1) Remuneration for film and media production is charged as an hourly rate, a daily rate, or an agreed flat fee, as set out in the offer. Ancillary costs such as travel expenses, per diems, props, studio rental, licence fees, and costs of third-party service providers shall be borne by the Client unless otherwise agreed.

(2) All prices are net prices and are subject to statutory value added tax (VAT) at the applicable rate (currently 19%), unless a specific exemption applies. VAT is shown separately on the invoice.

(3) Unless otherwise agreed, the Contractor is entitled to request an appropriate advance payment or partial payments in line with project progress. For larger projects, an advance payment of up to 50% of the agreed fee may be agreed.

(4) Unless otherwise agreed in the contract, payments are due without deduction within 14 calendar days of the invoice date. If the Client is a consumer, default of payment occurs at the latest 30 days after receipt of the invoice, provided the Client has been informed of this consequence in the invoice. The statutory provisions on default apply.

(5) Available payment methods are bank transfer and, where offered, other methods communicated by the Contractor.

§ 8 Cancellation by the Client; cancellation fees

(1) If the Client cancels a confirmed order or an agreed shooting date, the following applies without prejudice to any statutory right of withdrawal of consumers (see § 9): the Contractor retains the claim to the agreed remuneration less saved expenses and less any amounts the Contractor acquires or wilfully fails to acquire through other use of its labour.

(2) By way of lump-sum settlement, and subject to proof of higher or lower actual damage, the Contractor may charge the following cancellation fees in relation to booked production/shooting capacity: cancellation more than 14 days before the agreed date — free of charge; 14 to 7 days before — 25% of the agreed fee for the affected service; 6 to 2 days before — 50%; less than 48 hours before — 80%. Costs already incurred for third-party services, travel, or bookings that can no longer be cancelled shall be reimbursed in full in addition.

(3) The Client is at liberty to prove that the Contractor incurred no damage or significantly less damage than the above lump sums.

§ 9 Right of withdrawal for consumers

If the Client is a consumer and the contract was concluded exclusively by means of distance communication (e.g. email, telephone, online), the Client may be entitled to a statutory right of withdrawal.

Please note: The statutory withdrawal notice for consumers, including the model withdrawal form and the rules on how services already begun with the consumer's consent are treated, must be provided in the exact legally prescribed form. This clause is a placeholder — the complete statutory withdrawal instruction (Widerrufsbelehrung) should be inserted here and confirmed by a lawyer or a specialised service before publication, as formal errors extend the withdrawal period to up to twelve months. For contracts with entrepreneurs, no statutory right of withdrawal applies.

§ 10 Rights of use and copyright

(1) The Contractor holds the copyright to the media files in accordance with the German Copyright Act (UrhG). The Client is granted rights of use to the agreed extent only.

(2) Unless otherwise agreed, upon full payment the Client receives the simple (non-exclusive), spatially and temporally unrestricted right to use the delivered final media files for the specific purpose stated in the order (e.g. use on the Client's own website and social media channels). Any use going beyond the agreed purpose — in particular exclusive rights, resale, sub-licensing, broadcast use, or use in paid advertising — requires a separate agreement and, where applicable, separate remuneration.

(3) The granting of rights of use is subject to the condition precedent of full payment of all the Contractor's claims arising from the respective contractual relationship. Until full payment, any use is provisional and revocable.

(4) The Contractor is entitled to be named as the author/producer in an appropriate manner. Unless expressly waived in text form, the Contractor may use the produced media files as a work sample for its own self-promotion (e.g. portfolio, website, showreel, social media). The Client may object to this for good cause (e.g. confidentiality interests) in text form.

(5) Raw data (unedited footage / project files) remains with the Contractor. The Client has no claim to the release of raw data unless this has been expressly agreed and separately remunerated.

§ 11 Third-party rights, music, and stock material

Where third-party materials (e.g. music, stock footage, fonts, graphics) are used in the production, they are licensed only to the extent agreed and for the agreed purpose. If the Client requires broader use, additional licences may be necessary, the costs of which shall be borne by the Client. The Contractor points out that licences for music and stock material are often limited to specific types of use.

§ 12 Retention and deletion of media files

The Contractor stores the media files with care. The Contractor is entitled, but not obliged, to delete stored media files (including raw data) after a period of three months following completion of the order. The Client is responsible for securing the delivered final files.

§ 13 Limitation of liability

(1) The Contractor is liable without limitation for damages arising from injury to life, body, or health, and for damages based on intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by the Contractor, its legal representatives, or vicarious agents, as well as under the Product Liability Act and to the extent of any guarantee assumed.

(2) In the event of a slightly negligent breach of a material contractual obligation (an obligation whose fulfilment makes the proper performance of the contract possible in the first place and on whose compliance the Client regularly relies), the Contractor's liability is limited to the foreseeable damage typical of the contract.

(3) Any further liability of the Contractor is excluded. In particular, the Contractor is not liable for the achievement of the Client's economic goals (e.g. advertising success, reach, sales).

(4) The above limitations of liability also apply in favour of the Contractor's legal representatives and vicarious agents.

(5) The Contractor is not liable for damage caused by force majeure or other events beyond its control (e.g. strikes, official orders, transport disruptions, technical failures not culpably caused, computer viruses or deliberate attacks on IT systems despite appropriate protective measures).

§ 14 Warranty / liability for defects

(1) The delivered media files have a defect if they do not have the contractually agreed quality and their suitability for the contractual use is thereby cancelled or reduced. An insignificant reduction in suitability is disregarded.

(2) Statements and explanations regarding the Contractor's services are to be understood exclusively as a description of the quality and not as a guarantee or warranty. Statements only constitute guarantees or warranties in the legal sense if they are made in text form and are expressly and literally designated as a "guarantee" or "warranty".

(3) For entrepreneurs, the limitation period for claims for defects is one year from delivery/acceptance, except in the cases of unlimited liability under § 13 (1). Statutory limitation periods apply to consumers.

§ 15 Availability of the website

The Contractor does not guarantee the permanent availability of the website detachedastronauts.com. Maintenance, updates, or disruptions may affect availability. The Contractor endeavours to keep the service continuously available and to carry out plannable maintenance at times of low use.

§ 16 Governing law, place of jurisdiction, and language

(1) The contract is governed exclusively by the law of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). For consumers, this choice of law applies only insofar as it does not deprive the consumer of the protection afforded by mandatory provisions of the law of the country in which the consumer has their habitual residence.

(2) If the Client is an entrepreneur, a legal entity under public law, or a special fund under public law, the place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from the contractual relationship is the Contractor's registered office (Berlin). The Contractor is also entitled to sue at the Client's general place of jurisdiction.

(3) The contract language is German or English, as agreed. Where an English translation of these Terms is provided, the German version prevails in the event of discrepancies, subject to § 16 (1) sentence 2.

§ 17 Consumer dispute resolution

The EU Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform was discontinued by the European Commission on 20 July 2025 and is no longer available; there is therefore no reference to it. We are neither obliged nor willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board (Verbraucherschlichtungsstelle) within the meaning of the German Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG).

§ 18 Data protection

In connection with the initiation, conclusion, performance, and reversal of a contract on the basis of these Terms, the Contractor collects, stores, and processes data within the framework of the statutory provisions. Details can be found in the Privacy Policy on detachedastronauts.com.

§ 19 Final provisions

(1) Amendments and supplements to the contract or to these Terms must be made in text form. This also applies to any waiver of this text-form requirement.

(2) Should individual provisions of these Terms be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected.

§ 20 Status of these Terms

Berlin, 05.07.2026