Gregory R. Kanaan

  • Cinema Law

Do You Need Life Rights or Adaptation Rights to Write a Fact-Based Screenplay?

Since we're all inside working on screenplays (right?), we're re-sharing this 2015  MovieMaker posts on one of the most common…

4 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Enforcing Your Rights (When They Haven’t Been Paid For)

Q: I did CGI work for a film and our contract states that they don’t acquire the copyright in my…

6 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Can I Fictionalize A Reality TV Idea Without Infringing Its Copyright?

Q: I wrote a novel about a fictional reality TV dating show that bears similarities to The Bachelor and other…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What Are Your Options When You’re Fired From A Job Before It Even Begins?

Q: I was booked as a makeup artist on a production for the month of August. I signed a written…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Does Your School Own Your Student Film?

When I was in film school many years ago, a rumor developed that the school owned the films we made…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Should I Write a Season of TV For a Producer Without Upfront Compensation?

Q: A producer recently approached me with a finished pilot script and asked me to write the rest of the…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What to Put in A Life Rights Contract

Q: I’m friends with a semi-famous musician and she’s helping me writing a biopic about her life. I was told…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What You Should Know About Using Other Peoples’ Quotes in Your Film

Q: I’m making a film and I’d like to use a quote from a famous person in the script. Are…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Getting the (Screenwriting) Credit You Deserve, For WGA Members and Non-Members Alike

Q: Is there some way to ensure that I receive a “written by” or “screenplay by” credit when the client…

7 years ago
  • MM Guide 2017

More Than You Bargain For: Negotiating With Talent 101

I used to be terrified of negotiating—my instinct was to immediately acquiesce and avoid the hassle. So when I meet…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What Are Your Rights When Filming a Criminal?

Q: As a producer, what are my rights when filming a documentary subject as he confronts a criminal about a…

7 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What You Should Know When Working with Someone Else’s Characters

Q: Who owns the copyright to a script when it’s based off someone else’s originally created characters? Should the screenwriter…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

When Fair is Foul: Why Fair Use Isn’t an Impenetrable Defense for Indie Films

This situation is probably familiar to you: You don’t own it and you need to use it. Most films use…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Trust is Earned Over Time — So Always Get the Contract

Q: I wrote a screenplay and got a producer interested. He said he could generate interest in getting it funded.…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Paper Trail, No Fail: How to Stay Out of Legal Trouble? Document Everything

Also known as “Contracts or it didn’t happen,” this practice might help you get out of jail—or at least sleep…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Do I Need Life Rights for a Scripted Film if I Have Them for a Documentary?

Q: I am writing a film based on a documentary I wrote, produced and directed in 2005. When I made…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Does an International Copyright Protect My Film in Foreign Countries?

Q: I’m a foreign national and I would like to send my film to festivals inside and outside the United…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: The Problem of Joint Ownership on a Film

Q: Our short film is now in post and we plan to submit it to festivals. I wrote the script…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Yes, Trademark Fair Use Exists!

Q: I’m writing a pilot for a TV workplace comedy and my characters work for a low-rent competitor of a…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Clearing Copyrighted Material Before Submitting Your Film to Festivals

Q: I’m an amateur filmmaker who recently made a film that uses the Gary Jules cover of Tears for Fears’…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What Does “Work For Hire” Mean for Moviemakers?

Q: I was hired to work on a film as a DP and the contract stated that it was a…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Is Working For Exposure Ever Worth It?

Q: I was just asked by a producer to work for free on an indie film, but he promised that…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: What are the Rights of a Documentary Subject?

Q: What rights does the subject of a documentary film have if the film falls apart? As with all things…

8 years ago
  • Cinema Law

Cinema Law: Who Owns a TV Show?

Q: Last year, I joined a small team as an actor producing a not-very-good TV show. At the end of…

9 years ago