About the Book:
This book teaches filmmakers to avoid
legal pitfalls; now you don't have to go to a lawyer for every
question. It is the next best thing to having an entertainment
attorney on retainer!
• There's a painting in the
background of your independent film; is it necessary to clear the
rights?
•
You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do
you safeguard your concept?
• The screenplay you and a
friend wrote gets optioned; now, how do you split the proceeds
fairly?
• How can you use film tax credits to fund your film?
• How can you fund your production with product
placement?
• How do you get a script to popular Hollywood
actors and deal with their agents?
Independent filmmakers face
questions like these every day, but they don't have the legal
training to answer them, nor do they have enough money to call an
entertainment lawyer every five minutes. Find quick answers to
these and hundreds of other questions in this new and updated 2nd
edition of The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers. This no-nonsense
reference provides fast answers in plain English – 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 author Thomas
Crowell, 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.
This new edition of The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers features:
• New sections on product placement, film tax credits and
production incentive financing, Letters of Intent, and DIY
distribution (four-walling, YouTube, Download-to-own, Amazon.com,
iTunes, and Netflix)
• Updated case law
• Even more
charts and graphics to help you find the information you need even
more quickly.
This book has
been adopted as a core textbook in many film and law schools across
the United States.
What people say:
"...provides a readable
map through the world of legalese and contract negotiations for any
filmmaker interested in doing pretty much all his or her own
producing legwork.... It's an excellent, potentially career-saving
resource." — Back Stage
"Filmmakers need to do what
they can to make sure that they cover all of their legal bases. The
problem is that the task seems so huge and overwhelming, that most of
us don't even know where to start. This book does an excellent job of
breaking it down for you: what you can do, what you need to do, and
what you will need help doing." — Microfilmmaker
Magazine
"Crowell,
entertainment and intellectual property rights lawyer, presents this
pocket guide providing vital and useful legal information for
independent filmmakers. With this well organized reference, producers
can navigate the murky legal waters associated with the filmmaking
process. Crowell covers everything from protecting intellectual
property to dealing with Hollywood actors' agents and even benefiting
financially from film tax credits and product placement. Presented in
accessible language, without all the obfuscation of legal jargon,
this guide provides adequate legal counsel for those embarking on
producing an independent film." — Book News,
Reference & Research
About the Author:
Thomas A. Crowell, Esq., is a
partner with the New York-based law firm of Lane Sash & Larrabee
where he counsel clients on a wide range of entertainment law and
intellectual property rights issues. He is the author of The
Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers.