Cinema Law: The Importance of Finalizing Contracts

By Patricia Millett
URL: http://www.moviemaker.com/blog/item/cinema_law_breach_of_contract_finalizing_contracts_20090608/
Q: A screenwriter and I signed a non-disclosure/non-circumvent agreement in late 2007 with the intention to make a movie together, myself serving as producer and bringing $6 million for the budget.

I found an overseas investor, the writer got paid WGA scale ($125,000 plus 14 percent) and as soon as the writer signed the deal with the investor, they conspired to leave me out and started production. But as the writer—a first-time writer-director—was so incompetent, the investor pulled his money out after only one-and-a-half weeks of shooting.

In the meantime, they left me hanging with no compensation. Suggestions?