Book description
* You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do you safeguard your concept?* There's a painting in the background of your independent film; is it necessary to clear the rights?
* The screenplay you and a friend wrote gets optioned; how do you split the proceeds fairly?
* How do you get a script to popular Hollywood actors or deal with their agents?
Find quick answers to these and hundreds of other questions in The Pocket Lawyer for Film and Video, the next best thing to having an entertainment attorney at your beck and call. Written by a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer, this no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English: no law degree required! The Pocket Lawyer is designed to help producers reduce legal costs by providing the vital information needed to make informed decisions on the legal aspects of film, video, and TV productions.
Film and video production is a litigation lighting rod: actors get hurt, copyrights are infringed, and contracts are broken. Big-budget producers have lawyers on retainer, but many independent filmmakers are left legally exposed. Arm yourself with the practical advice in this book. You will not only avoid common pitfalls, but become empowered in your daily work. Too many otherwise competent producers turn over every aspect of the deal negotiations to their lawyers and agents. This book explains the principal deals common to every production, putting producers back in the co-pilot seat with their representatives.
The format is carefully designed for quick reference, so you get the answers you need, fast. Features include:
* Clause Companion: explains the meaning and impact of typical contract clauses, taking the headache out of reading them.
* F.A.Qs: instantly answers the most commonly asked legal questions.
* Warnings: alerts you to critical areas and common mistakes.
* Pro-Tips: advice on unions, escrow accounts, etc. for producers who want to distribute their video widely.
Table of contents
- Cover
- Halftitle
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Disclaimer
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Part I. Overview of the Pocket Lawyer
-
Part II. Legal Building Blocks: Contract and Intellectual Property
- 1. Copyright and Intellectual Property
-
2. Issues in Film Contracting
- Deal Points
- Who Are the Parties?
- What Are You Getting?
- What Are You Giving in Exchange for What You’re Getting?
- What Rights Do You Have or Are You Giving Up?
- What Promises Are Being Made?
- What Protections Do You Have?
- What Rules Govern the Business Relationship Between the Parties?
- What Happens When Something Goes Wrong?
- Part III. The Production Company
-
Part IV. Development
- Creating, Acquiring, and Managing the Film Property
- 6. Idea Rights: (Protecting Your Pitches and Avoiding Idea “Theft”)
- 7. Creating a Screenplay
-
8. Acquiring Screenplay Rights
- Buying Rights
- The Screenplay Option/Purchase
- Major Deal Points: The Option Agreement
- Major Deal Points: The Purchase Agreement
- Hiring a Screenwriter
- Major Deal Points: Writer’s Services Agreement
- Screenplay Adaptations
- Major Deal Points: The Literary Property Acquisition Agreement
- Life Story Rights
- Major Deal Points: Life Rights Consent and Release
- 9. Chain of Title: The Care and Feeding of Your Copyright
- Part V. Pre-Production
- Part VI. Production
- Part VII. Post-Production
- Part VIII. Distribution
- IX. Conclusion, Law Library Appendices A–D
- Bibliography and Resources
- Notes
- Index
Product information
- Title: The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers
- Author(s):
- Release date: October 2012
- Publisher(s): Focal Press
- ISBN: 9781136067419
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