When people talk about intermittent du spectacle, there are actually two different regimes: annexe 8 (the technicians) and annexe 10 (the artists). The calculation rules, the cachets and the 507h review are not identical. This guide explains which side you are on and what it changes in practice.
Where do these annexes come from?
Annexes 8 and 10 refer to the annexes of the general unemployment insurance regulation (RAC) of France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi). They define the specific rules applying to entertainment workers, distinct from the general intermittents regime (which is annexe 4, for the record, but does not concern the entertainment industry).
Annexe 8: entertainment technicians
Annexe 8 applies to entertainment workers and technicians. In practice, this covers all technical roles on film, audiovisual, live performance and events shoots.
Roles concerned (non-exhaustive list)
- Camera: DOP, director of photography, camera operator, 1st and 2nd assistant camera, video, colourist, focus puller
- Lighting: gaffer, chief lighting technician, electrician, spark, key gaffer, lighting console operator
- Grip: key grip, grip, machinist, rigging
- Sound: sound recordist, boom operator, sound engineer, sound post-production
- Unit / production: lighting unit manager, unit manager, props, set decorator, location scouting
- Post-production: editor, motion designer, colourist, VFX
- Costume / make-up: costume designer, wardrobe assistant, make-up artist, hairdresser
- Direction: 1st, 2nd, 3rd assistant director, script supervisor, casting
Specific annexe 8 rules
- 507 hours of work over 12 months to open/renew your rights
- Hours counted: the actual hours declared on the AEM (Attestation Employeur Mensuelle, monthly employer attestation); no cachet system
- Allowance calculated from the gross salary over the reference period
- Early review (examen anticipé) possible as soon as 507h are reached
Annexe 10: entertainment artists
Annexe 10 applies to entertainment artists: those who perform, act, sing, dance, present. The system differs because artists are often paid per « cachet » (a flat rate per performance/tour) rather than for actual hours.
Roles concerned
- Actors, actresses
- Musicians, singers, backing vocalists
- Dancers, choreographers
- Puppeteers, magicians, mimes, storytellers
- Circus performers, street artists, performers
- Presenters, hosts (under conditions)
- Art models (under conditions)
- Dubbing artists, voice actors
The cachet system
The cachet system is the major particularity of annexe 10:
- One cachet = 12 hours for the 507h calculation, since 1 August 2016, whether it is marked « isolated » or « grouped » on the AEM
- Before 2016, a « grouped » cachet was only worth 8 hours: this distinction no longer exists at France Travail
- The « isolated / grouped » box therefore no longer changes your France Travail rights; it only affects the contribution ceilings (URSSAF)
Example: a musician plays three concerts in a month for the same festival. The three cachets each count for 12 hours, i.e. 36 hours for the 507-hour counter, whether they are marked « isolated » or « grouped » on the AEM.
Specific annexe 10 rules
- 507h over 12 months, but counted in hour equivalents via the cachets
- A month worked entirely on cachets counts at most about 28 cachets (monthly ceiling), and there is no longer any notion of an « isolated » or « grouped » cachet
- Early review also possible
- Allowance calculated differently (based on gross earnings)
How do I know if I am annexe 8 or 10?
Three quick ways to check:
- Your employment contract: it explicitly states « employee covered by annexe 8 » or « annexe 10 » of the unemployment regulation
- Your AEM (Attestation Employeur Mensuelle): a code « 8 » or « 10 » is written depending on the applicable regime
- Your role: if you are a technician (not in front of the camera/on stage), it is annexe 8. If you perform (actor, musician, dancer), it is annexe 10
Some roles sit on the border: for example a voice actor is annexe 10, a boom operator on the same film is annexe 8. If in doubt, ask your production’s payroll or your union.
What if I do both?
Some intermittents work both as technicians and as artists (for example a musician who is also a lighting technician). It is possible. You then have two separate 507h counters (one for each annexe), and France Travail reviews the two separately.
But watch out: you cannot add up the hours of the two regimes to reach 507h. If you have 300h under annexe 8 and 250h under annexe 10, you are not eligible for any renewal (whereas combined you would have 550h).
Tracking your regime properly
Intermittor handles both annexes, with the calculation rules specific to each (actual hours for annexe 8, cachet hour equivalents for annexe 10). If you straddle both, the app keeps the two counters clearly separate.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I am annexe 8 or annexe 10?
Your employment contract explicitly states the applicable annexe. As a general rule: annexe 8 if you are a technician (lighting, camera, sound, grip, unit, post-production), annexe 10 if you are an artist (actor, musician, dancer). You can also check on your AEM.
What is the difference between annexe 8 and annexe 10?
Annexe 8 covers entertainment workers and technicians: the 507h are counted in actual hours declared on the AEM. Annexe 10 covers artists: pay is often per cachet, converted into hour equivalents for the 507h calculation.
How do annexe 10 cachets work?
Since 1 August 2016, each cachet is worth 12 hours for the 507h calculation, whether it is « isolated » or « grouped » on the AEM. The old 8-hour rule for a grouped cachet no longer applies at France Travail. The distinction now only affects the contribution ceilings (URSSAF).
Can you combine annexe 8 and annexe 10?
Yes, and the hours add up. The France Travail guide gives the worked example: 150 h under annexe 10, then 200 h under annexe 8, then 200 h under annexe 10 makes 550 hours, and the 507-hour requirement is met. What is decided next is the regime applied: the annexe where you total the most hours wins, here annexe 10 with 350 h against 200 h. Tracking the two annexes separately, never adding them up, wrongly suggests you are far from the threshold.
Is the 507h threshold the same for both annexes?
Yes, 507 hours over 12 months to open or renew your rights in both cases. The difference is the calculation method: actual hours for annexe 8, hour equivalents via the cachets for annexe 10.
Key takeaways
- Annexe 8 = technicians (lighting, camera, sound, unit, post-prod, editing, etc.)
- Annexe 10 = artists (actors, musicians, dancers, etc.), cachet system
- The 507h calculation rules differ (actual hours vs cachet equivalents)
- Check your regime on the contract and the AEM
- Combining both is possible but they are counted separately
Sources
- Unédic: Compensation for intermittents du spectacle (annexes 8 and 10)
- France Travail: Artist or technician?
- France Travail: Becoming an intermittent (507 h over 12 months)
Article written by Come Nolo, gaffer / chief lighting technician (annexe 8) on film, music video and advertising shoots. See also: How to calculate your 507h · Decoding your AEM · Intermittor: the app.
Related guides
- The end of the AEM: the DSN (nominative social declaration) / AER CS (rematerialised employer attestation) reform
- Calculate your 507-hour counter
- How to read your AEM (employer attestation)
- Starting out as an intermittent
Manage all of this automatically with Intermittor: 507-hour counter, timesheets, AEM import and France Travail tracking.
To go further, Intermittor’s intermittence guide covers this topic in detail with up-to-date rules and worked examples: The cachet: value, ceiling and declaration pitfalls. Complete contents: the intermittence guide.