The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers - Softcover

Thomas A. Crowell

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0240808428 ISBN 13: 9780240808420

Publisher: Focal Press, 2007

Synopsis

* 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.

* Avoid legal pitfalls with this quick reference guide: get instant answers
* Written in plain English for filmmakers, not lawyers
* Three books in one: a handy manual on film contracts, a step-by-step guide to critical legal issues on and off the set, and a quick reference on copyright and intellectual property issues

About this title

From the Back Cover

Find quick answers to hundreds of questions in The Pocket Lawyer for Film and Video. This no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English with no law degree required! It is designed to help you reduce legal costs by providing the vital information you need to make informed decisions on the legal aspects of your film, video, and TV productions.

Actors get hurt, copyrights are infringed, and contracts are broken. Big-budget producers have lawyers on retainer, but as an independent filmmaker, you are left legally exposed. Arm yourself with the practical advice of a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer.

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.Q.s: instantly answers the most commonly asked legal questions

*Warnings: alerts you to critical areas and common mistakes

Avoid common pitfalls, save money, avoid lawsuits, and become empowered in your daily work. The next best thing to having an entertainment attorney at your beck and call is having one in your pocket!

Thomas A. Crowell counsels his clients in New York and New Jersey on a wide range of entertainment law and intellectual property rights issues. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Crowell produced television news and children's entertainment for over a decade.

About the Author

Thomas A. Crowell, Esq., is a New York-based lawyer who counsels his clients on a wide range of entertainment law and intellectual property rights issues, He graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, cum laude, and was awarded membership in the Order of the Coifùthe national legal honors society. For over a decade prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Crowell produced television news and award-winning children's entertainment. He is a member of the bars of NY, NJ, and the United States Supreme Court, For more information, please see www.thomascrowell.com.

Edition details

• Publisher: Focal Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0240808428
• ISBN 13: 9780240808420
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 360