The producing process starts with the seed of an idea: a concept borne of the producer’s mind, pitched to the producer by a third party, or triggered by an outside stimulus, such as a writer’s pitch, pre-existing literary property (novel, play, news story, etc.), or life story. Whether you need legal counsel and/or must stop…
You may develop a screenplay based on a public domain work, such as a play by Shakespeare. A public domain work may be used by anyone in any way without the need for permission or payment to the author or the author’s estate. A work is in the public domain when the work lacks copyright…
You are free to independently create works that may be similar to others, as long as you can prove that they were, indeed, completely original to you. The U.S. Copyright Act grants the author of literary property such as a book, video game, screenplay, motion picture, play, etc., the exclusive right to use his creation….
You will require the assistance of an attorney throughout your producing journey. How do you find the right attorney? Well, first off, only retain an “entertainment” attorney (who I will refer to as “attorneys” going forward). Ask friends and colleagues for referrals, read blogs, books, and legal articles by attorneys, and read posts and responses…
Introduction Music is a powerful storytelling tool since it has the ability to convey and heighten the emotion in a scene. Nonetheless, independent film makers, generally out of necessity, under budget for it. Worse even, they spend the money they did budget, on dealing with unforeseen expenses associated with the production or post-production process. Filmmakers…
Introduction Success in the Entertainment Industry requires more than just talent. It, also, requires good Karma , well 1 directed intention, goodwill, and a little bit of luck. The practice and business of law, and my lifelong study of metaphysics, have taught me how to create what I desire while avoiding self-sabotage and all-around bad…
Just about every writer and producer I know or represent is concerned that their ideas will be stolen by some unethical and unscrupulous producer, production company, studio executive or competitor. As such, this article is meant to educate writers and producers regarding the protection of their ideas, treatments, and screenplays. [Read Article]
Most filmmakers appreciate the importance of the film score, but their method of budgeting time and money often makes it difficult, if not impossible for the composer to do the best job possible. Composers are generally hired during post-production, a hectic time when the composer is given a very short time to create a “masterpiece.”…