This is the authoritative handbook you need to lead you through the legal morass of producing an independent film, from financing, development, principal photography, distribution, and the too-often overlooked subject of delivery. Each chapter contains a general road map for the phase of filmmaking covered by that chapter, including the relevant forms and contracts, which come with plenty of explanatory info and some select negotiating tips.
“From Script to Screen” provides small and medium sized independent filmmakers with practical insights and advice on how to ensure efficient distribution of their audiovisual content while making use of their intellectual property. This training material takes the user through the pitfalls of the distribution process pointing out the importance of intellectual property during its different stages.
Directing the Documentary is the definitive book on the documentary form, that will allow you to master the craft of documentary filmmaking. Focusing on the hands-on work needed to make your concept a reality, it covers the documentary filmmaking process from top to bottom, providing in-depth lessons on every aspect of preproduction, production, and postproduction. The book includes dozens of projects, practical exercises, and thought-provoking questions, and offers best practices for researching and honing your documentary idea, developing a crew, guiding your team, and much more. This fully revised and updated 7th edition also includes brand new content on the rise of the documentary series, the impact of video on-demand and content aggregators, updated information on prosumer and professional video (including 4K+), coverage of new audio & lighting solutions and trends in post-production, coverage of the immersive documentary, and provides practical sets of solutions for low, medium, and high budget documentary film productions throughout. The companion website has also been fully updated to a variety of new projects and forms. By combining expert advice on the storytelling process, the technical aspects of filmmaking and commentary on the philosophical underpinnings of the art, this book provides the practical and holistic understanding you need to become a highly regarded, original, and ethical contributor to the genre. Ideal for both aspiring and established documentary filmmakers, this book has it all.
In this comprehensive guidebook, three experienced entertainment lawyers tell you everything you need to know to produce and market an independent film from the development process to deal making, financing, setting up the production, hiring directors and actors, securing location rights, acquiring music, calculating profits, digital moving making, distribution, and marketing your movie.
Now extensively revised, updated, and expanded, "Clearance and Copyright" is the industry-standard guide to almost every conceivable rights issue that filmmakers, video-makers, and television producers might encounter: from the initial acquisition of material through the rights situations that arise during pre-production, production, post-production and release. Legalese-free, well-written, it's a must-read for all producers, directors, and writers -- whether they make feature films, shorts, documentaries, television programs, music videos, or Internet content -- and those who advise them. Armed with this book, you can protect yourself and your work from disastrous legal actions and save thousands of dollars in attorney fees. You can even learn how to save money by exercising your rights to use certain materials without paying anyone.
The Insider's Guide to Making Money in the Music Industry. Millions dream of attaining glamour and wealth through music. This book reveals the secrets of the music business that have made fortunes for the superstars. A must-have for every songwriter, performer and musician.
You ought to be making pictures. Designed for people who want to tell a story their way, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Independent Filmmaking explains everything a budding auteur needs to know—from literary development and financial and organizational pre-production to principal photography production, post-production assembly, exhibition and distribution, and more. • The advent of desktop editing and a wide range of consumer cameras enable the average person to create a “film studio” at home. • A great “textbook” for novice filmmakers, whether film students or on-their-own auteurs. • The proliferation of film festivals around the world, many of which encourage submissions from “amateur” filmmakers, shows there are countless filmmakers who aren’t learning the ropes in school. • Author has terrific credentials and has a feature-length script in development in Hollywood.
Entertainment Law: Fundamentals and Practice is a comprehensive and unique "how to" guide covering every area of entertainment law including fundamental principles, detailed business models, legal foundations, contract terms, practical advice, and full legal citations for cases and statutes. It has the depth required for practicing lawyers and law students, while at the same time being readable, approachable, and a guidebook for anyone interested in how the entertainment industry works including general courses in the entertainment, film, and music industries. The key to understanding entertainment law is to understand the underlying business models. The unique broad scope of the book is organized into chapters focusing on film, television, book and magazine publishing, music, live theater, radio, celebrity rights, and cyber law. Within those categories, topics such as agents and managers, licensing, advertising, social media, financing, branding, digital media, new television models, new models in music publishing and recording and digital radio, computer games, and copyright fair use are included. The revised first edition includes new and expanded coverage on the Music Modernization Act, film and TV production state tax incentives, case updates in life story rights for film and TV music licensing, and updates on legal and business issues between talent agencies and guilds. Developed in recognition of the broad scope of entertainment law and its areas of overlap with contract, corporate, intellectual property, regulatory law, and more, Entertainment Law: Fundamentals and Practice is an excellent resource for both survey courses and breakout courses on film, television, and music law, among others.
This book explains how to comply with the federal and states securities regulations when seeking to raise money from private investors for the development, production and/or distribution of a feature or documentary film. Drawing from the experience and expertise of a securities and entertainment attorney who has worked with independent filmmakers for 30 plus years, this resource explores securities law compliance in order to help readers comply with the law and avoid criminal and civil liability, while successfully raising investor funds for their film projects. Readers will gain an understanding of why the securities laws apply to most investor financing transactions, what choices need to be made by the filmmaker, what information needs to be disclosed to prospective investors, how to comply with the SEC’s policy regarding financial projections, what is the appropriate investment vehicle for various forms of investor financing, what limitations are imposed on the use of finders and how to handle the required federal and state notice filings. It is an essential resource for any film student taking a film finance course (or a production course with a film finance component), as well as any independent film producers, entertainment/securities attorneys and film school instructors, who want to be informed about the legal and practical aspects of investor financing of independent films.
