But we are not sure what we are getting into.
I’m not sure what you’re getting into either.
If he is working for no pay then you cannot “hire” him. You will
have him sign an agreement with the deferred payment fee and
how it will be paid out. But he will recieve no money other than
that so he cannot be an employee.
He is a partner in your production. He is taking a financial risk
along with you. You cannot “hire” someone as an employee if you
are not paying that person. So his request in unreasonable. And
your expectations are unreasonable. It's great to have a valuable
addition to your production team - but he is not an employee.
Frankly if you hire him as an employee but do not follow all the
laws regarding employment in your state you will open yourself up
to legal issues beyond liability.
Also you need to fully understand the difference between working
for deferred pay and working for a percentage of profit. Never enter
a partnership like this without fully understanding exactly what you
are doing. Words like "hire" and "employee" and "deferred" are legal
terms. Make sure you use these words correctly in any contract.