Often when filmmakers begin their first movie, it is with a partner. It might be a film school classmate or a friend with a similar vision. If you’re in this situation, be sure you understand what you’re getting into. A partnership is legally very similar to a marriage, except that no one has to pronounce [...]
Most people have heard the term “fair use” in the context of copyright, but it seems that very few really understand it. They seem to think it gives them the right to use someone else’s work under certain conditions. First of all, fair use is not a “right” at all, it is an “affirmative defense.” [...]
For many filmmakers, the first step in the production process is to create a business entity. There are several reasons to do this. The most obvious, of course, is to be able to raise money. But there are other reasons. Types of Entities The types of business entities that are most commonly used for film [...]
In my last blog article, I wrote about the basics of every contract. But there are a few other clauses that should be in every entertainment contract, although these are sometimes overlooked. Here is a brief (and I emphasize the word brief) description of some of those paragraphs that should be included. As always, for [...]
Often in the production of a film, the discussion turns to whether to hire crew members as employees or independent contractors. However, this is not really up to the producers, it is determined by government regulations. This article discusses those regulations.
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