Terms of Service and Policies

1. FLMS Student Ethos

FLMS designed The Lab Series, both Live and Online, for individuals who are deeply passionate about creating meaningful change in their work. We work selectively with those who demonstrate:

  1. Dedication: A willingness to invest time, care, and energy into mastering the material.

  2. Action: A commitment to apply the lessons learned to impact your work.

  3. Accountability: Taking full responsibility for driving their growth and achieving your goals.

  4. Innovation: A readiness to approach familiar challenges with fresh perspectives.

  5. Perseverance: Doing whatever it takes to create the changes you desire.


2. Student Responsibility Agreement

This agreement outlines the terms regarding student responsibility for personal progress and growth in connection with the materials and resources provided by FLMS.

  1. Ownership of Progress: While FLMS provides guidance, tools, and educational materials to support your growth, your progress and development are solely your responsibility. The effort, focus, and application of the materials are key factors in your success and are within your control.

  2. Role of FLMS: Our role for The Lab Series Online Program is to provide 50 self guided recordings, live Craft Check-Ins, Live Online Exclusives and Workbooks for the Craft and Direct Series (as they become available). The materials provide insights to support and facilitate your journey. Our role for the Live Lab Series is to hold the workshops as advertised, and provide updates to any schedule or content changes as soon as they are known to us. 

  3. Self-Driven Growth: You acknowledge that personal growth and skill development are a result of consistent practice, dedication, and reflection. It is up to you to implement the techniques and strategies provided to achieve your goals.

  4. No Guarantees: FLMS makes no guarantees regarding outcomes, results, or the time required to achieve specific goals. Results may vary based on individual effort and circumstances.

  5. Acknowledgment of Responsibility: By participating in the Labs, you accept full responsibility for your progress and agree to utilize the materials and resources provided to the best of your ability.

  6. Confidentiality: Students are responsible for respecting their own NDAs for their given projects.  FLMS shall not be held liable for any breaches of confidentiality.

  7. Release of Liability: FLMS shall not be held liable for any lack of progress or outcomes resulting from your participation. Your success depends on your own actions, decisions, and perseverance.


3. Take Care of Yourself

  1. The Labs are both physical and lecture based. Please be respectful of your body during the exercises and do not participate in the physical work if you have any physical injuries, illness, are on any medications, or are pregnant. You are free to observe at your comfort level.

  2. Come open. You may have a seed of an idea, a script, several projects, or no ideas at all. Just come open. The work is designed to support your investigation as your project comes into focus. While you work, you may find your decision changes throughout the exercises. All good. Just let it speak. Your hand knows what it’s doing. 


4. Prepare Your Space & Dress to Move

The Labs involve physical exercises. While we encourage that you try them at home, please be mindful of the space you are working in and your own physical limitations. 

  1. At home: find a small or large area to clear out so you can move freely. Check the whole area and move aside anything you might trip over, or accidentally strike or bump into.

  2. Prepare to dress to move as if you were going to the gym. Wear sweats, yoga clothes, sneakers. 

  3. No belts, earrings, or jewelry please. We want you to protect your bodies during floor work!


5. FLMS Student Support Response Policy

  1. At FLMS, we strive to support our students promptly and effectively. While we aim to address inquiries and needs as quickly as possible, our standard response time is within 2 business days.

  2. For urgent matters, please email us at assistant@joanscheckel,com, clearly indicating the nature of your request, and we will prioritize it accordingly.


6. Access to Recordings - Lab Series Online and Live Labs

  1. Paid Students in Lab Series Online will have full access to the program and its resources for the duration of their designated term.

  2. Paid Live Lab Students have access to the recordings of their Lab for 2 weeks after their Lab ends.

  3. To maintain uninterrupted access, Students may continue with the Monthly or Annual subscription plan.


7. Payment Policies

  1. Term: There are 4 ways to enroll in FLMS programs:
    1. Lab Series Online — Monthly
    2. Lab Series Online — Annual
    3. Single Labs (In Person or Live Online via Zoom)
    4. One on One Script Series
  2. Payments: Receipt of tuition is due within 48 hours of acceptance. Credit card payments are processed via Thrivecart. By remitting tuition through Thrivecart, you authorize a charge to your credit card and agree to these payment terms. You will receive an email notification from Thrivecart when your card is charged, which serves as proof of payment. You must promptly notify us of any changes to your account number, expiration date, or billing address. If your card is canceled (e.g., for loss or theft), you are responsible for providing an updated payment method immediately.
  3. Monthly Subscriptions: By subscribing monthly, you authorize FLMS to process a recurring charge to your credit card each month. After completing the required two-month minimum, you may cancel at any time by sending written notice via email to FLMS. When you cancel, your access will continue through the end of your current billing period, and no further payments will be charged.
  4. Annual Subscriptions (Monthly Payment Option): Students who choose the monthly payment option for the Annual plan commit to all ten (10) monthly installments. This plan cannot be canceled once begun, and full payment is required regardless of participation, progress, or completion. By selecting the monthly payment option for the Annual plan, you agree to fulfill the full payment schedule as originally contracted.
  5. Freezing Policy (Program Pause Option): Freezing is available for the Lab Series Online — Annual. Annual students may freeze (pause) their enrollment for up to three (3) months total, in one-month increments. During a freeze, access is paused but payments continue as scheduled. Requests must be made in writing via email before the next billing date. Access automatically resumes when the freeze period ends.
  6. Bereavement: There is a two-week exception to our standard policies for bereavement. Two additional weeks of access will be added to the end of your term. To request this exception, notify us in writing via email with a brief explanation of your circumstances so that we can process your request promptly and with care.
  7. Late Payments: By submitting payment through Thrivecart, you authorize recurring charges based on the agreed payment dates. All payments must be received on the contracted date; there is no grace period. Payments received after the due date incur a 10% late payment fee, which increases by 5% for each additional day the payment remains late. If your credit card is declined, NSF bank charges will apply. If a payment remains outstanding for more than fifteen (15) days, FLMS may temporarily suspend your program access until the balance is paid in full. If the account remains unpaid, the balance may be forwarded to a collections process.
  8. Refund / Credit / Transfer: All tuition payments are final. No refunds or credits are available once booking is confirmed. Enrollment is non-transferable and cannot be reassigned to another participant, program, session, One on One Script Series, Live In Person Lab, Live Online Lab, Live Online Exclusive, Lab Series Online, Subscription Series, or Craft to Creation On Demand Courses.
  9. Cancellation / Termination: Single Labs (In-Person or Live Online via Zoom), One-on-One Script Series, and Lab Series Online — Annual cannot be canceled or terminated (see Freezing Policy above for available pause options). Students enrolled in The Lab Series Online Program — Annual (Monthly Payment Option) commit to all ten (10) monthly installments. This payment schedule is non-cancelable, and students remain responsible for all payments regardless of participation, progress, or completion. Students are responsible for full payment of tuition, whether or not they attend any portion of their enrolled program(s), including: Single Labs (In-Person or Live via Zoom), One-on-One Script Series, The Lab Series Online Program — Monthly, and The Lab Series Online Program — Annual.
  10. Make Up Policy: Make ups are available during your term via media recording links.
  11. Method of Communication: All official communications regarding payments, freezes, or cancellations must be made in writing via email to FLMS. Verbal conversations or messages through other platforms (e.g., Slack, text, or social media) are not considered valid notice.
  12. Program Access & Conduct: FLMS reserves the right to terminate a student’s access without refund in cases of misconduct, intellectual-property misuse, or violation of community standards.
  13. Policy Acceptance: By enrolling in any FLMS program or submitting payment, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Payment and Cancellation Policies.
  14. Policy Updates: FLMS reserves the right to revise these Payment Policies as needed to reflect updates to our programs, tuition structures, or payment systems. The most current version will always be available on our official website.



8. Online Conduct Agreement

To maintain a safe, supportive, professional learning environment, all participants are expected to adhere to the following guidelines: 

  1. Non-solicitation policy: FLMS follows a non-solicitation policy. Members may not promote private coaching, programs, or products to others. Violations may result in removal from the program.

  2. Respectful Communication: Engage respectfully with instructors, staff, and fellow students. Harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate language will not be tolerated.

  3. Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback on others’ work in a constructive and supportive manner. Criticism should be framed to encourage growth, not discourage creativity.

  4. Privacy and Confidentiality: Respect the privacy of your peers. Do not share personal information, class materials, or creative projects without explicit permission.

  5. Professionalism: Conduct yourself in a professional manner during all online interactions, including classes, discussions, and group projects. FLMS holds a zero tolerance policy for undermining colleagues, hate speech, discrimination, harassment, or any behavior that disrupts a respectful and inclusive environment.

  6. Intellectual Property: Honor the intellectual property of others. Do not copy, distribute, use or plagiarize  materials, scripts, or projects created by instructors or students without consent.

  7. Violation of this policy may result in removal from the program without refund.


9. Sensitive Content and Mental Health Disclaimer

At FLMS, our priority is to create and hold space for the development of authentic, truthful art. In each Lab,  storytellers, writers, directors, actors, producers, dps, editors etc. investigate and embody their projects in order to meaningfully engage with the themes, feelings, actions, relationships and visuals essential to their work BEFORE it is created for a general, global audience. The artists engage with topics that are personal, hard, deep, sensitive and raw. The content and subject matter explored can be upsetting or triggering. There may be graphic descriptions, visual depictions, or in-depth live discussion of sensitive material, such as, but not limited to:

  1. Violence, death

  2. War

  3. Abuse (torture, sexual abuse, child abuse, animal abuse)

  4. Medical issues (medical procedures, blood, bodily waste)

  5. Self-harming behavior (suicide, self-inflicted injuries)

  6. Eating-disordered behavior or body shaming

  7. Drug and alcohol addiction

  8. Sexual activity (including consensual sexual activity), pornographic content

  9. Hate speech or strong abusive language

  10. Discrimination (sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia)

  11. Stereotypes (about gender, race, national origin, age, or other status characteristics)

Please respect your own mental health. Should you find yourself feeling uncomfortable, please feel free to skip that section. Please reach out to a FLMS team member if you have any questions or concerns. If you need further support, we encourage you to seek professional help.

National Domestic Abuse Hotline

1-800-799-7233

Child Abuse Hotline

1-855-503-SAFE

Mental Health Hotline

1-800-273-TALK


10. Liability Waiver and Release Form

FILMMAKING LAB STUDIOS 

AGREEMENT OF RELEASE AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY 

This recording is for your personal practice only.  Do not teach or share the content of this recording without permission. 

I understand that I will be engaging in physical activity or activities during the Lab. I understand that my participation in the activity is voluntary and is at my own risk. In consideration of Filmmaking Lab Studios (FLMS), I hereby release FLMS and its agents, employees and students/participants from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions and causes of actions to accrue to me as a consequence of any accident or injury.

Insured:

Filmmaking Lab Studios, Los Angeles CA

I further hereby expressly agree to indemnify FLMS and each of its employees and agents and hold them forever harmless against any loss from any and all such claims, demands, or action, which may be made or brought for purposes of attempting to enforce a claim for damages or on account of injury sustained by me or to my property. This release shall insure to the benefit of and be binding upon the heirs, assignees, personal representatives, and successors in interest of the parties.

By paying for the courses, and/or watching any part of the recordings, and/or attending any part of any Lab, The Lab Series, whether Live, or Live Online, or On Demand, I also consent to the photographing and video recording of myself and audio recording of my voice, and the use of these materials in perpetuity, including but not limited to educational, publicity, documentary or other business purposes. We reserve the rights of these materials for use in all domestic or foreign markets by Filmmaking Lab Studios and its associated or affiliated partners. 

I hereby release Filmmaking Lab Studios and any of its associated or affiliated companies and associates from every claim of all kinds from such use. Attending any portion of the Lab and/or by making your initial payment you have also understood and agreed to these terms.  


11.  Acknowledgment of Terms of Service and Policies

  1. You confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to the FLMS Terms of Service and Policies.

  2. In addition, any payment, attendance or review of the courses, in whole or in part, of any Lab, The Lab Series, whether Live, or Live Online, or On Demand, confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to the FLMS Terms and Conditions.

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