Are you treating it like a business?

My legal practice is a mix of business clients and entertainment clients, so I come across many people that are growing their endeavor from an early stage. That early stage is frequently a natural progression from a unique combination of passion, interest and skill...

Top 4 Filmmaker “Must Do” Practices and Why !

Aspiring filmmakers often let the contract and business details of film production be an afterthought, thinking “that’s not fun. Or creative. And I don’t have the budget for that un-fun, un-creative stuff.  I’m working with my friends… it’ll all be...

Join me at the Screenwriters Network Attorney Panel

I’m looking forward to being a panelist at the Scriptwriters Network Entertainment Attorney Panel – about the law and business of screenwriting – August 13, 2011, 1PM. Come on out and join us on the Universal Studios Backlot....

Contracts & Business Needs of Film Production – and why.

Filmmakers and writers often let the contract and business details be a second – or third or forth priority, which is unfortunate. Neglecting contracts and business formalities may prevent getting investors into a movie, or may cause a host of other problems...

Parody, Fair Use, Or Copyright Infringement?

A recent question asked whether a project was a permissible “parody” of a preexisting work, or whether the project was too close to the original and was therefore an impermissible rip off – a/k/a copyright infringement. The answer can be maddeningly...