The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, 2nd Edition

INTRODUCTION

This book is intended to provide you with a grasp of many of the key legal issues you will face during the course of making your independent films. The material in this book can help you understand and negotiate crucial production contracts, steer you through the choppy waters of handling actors and their agents, and navi- gate your production past the perils of copyright infringement and other lawsuits. Most important, it can help you protect that most valuable of properties: the rights to your film.

When I was first approached to write this book, I wanted to create something film- makers would use on a daily basis—something that I would have used when I was a producer. Before sitting down to write, I surveyed the market and found ...