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

* 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 * 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

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.

* How can you use a state's film tax credits to fund your film? SEE PAGE 63. * You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do you safeguard your concept? SEE PAGE 77. * How can you fund your production with product placement? SEE PAGE 157. * How do you get a script to popular Hollywood actors and deal with their agents? SEE PAGE 222. Find quick answers to these and hundreds of other questions in this new edition of The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers. This no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English-no law degree required! Arm yourself with the practical advice of author Thomas Crowell, a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer. This new edition 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 is the next best thing to having an entertainment attorney on retainer! * Avoid legal pitfalls with this quick reference guide- get real answers written in plain English for filmmakers, not for 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 *Revised and updated to cover YouTube, Internet distribution, webisodes, and production services agreements