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Cinema Law: How To Tell The Truth Without Paying For It
Adapting a true story for film can be tricky. On the one hand, reality can be...
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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...
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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....
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Cinema Law: Yes, Trademark Fair Use Exists!
Q: I’m writing a pilot for a TV workplace comedy and my characters work for a...
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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...
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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...
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Max Incentives: Five Best Practice Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Tax Incentives
So you’ve read our Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2016 lists...
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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,...
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Cinema Law: Why Moviemakers Should be Very, Very Careful About Equity Crowdfunding
Just days before the American Film Market began last November, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)...
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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?...
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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....
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Cinema Law: Will Drawing Up a Contract With My Filmmaking Partner Kill Our Friendship?
Q: My friend and I just finished writing our first feature together and now we want...
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The Producer’s Sacred Trinity: Three Positions that Separate Filmmaking Success and Disaster
Filmmaking is tough on the producer. When you’re responsible for making sure the entire picture runs...
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Cinema Law: Why Using Volunteers is a Risky Way to Keep Costs Down on Your Film
Q: Is it legally permissible for a California LLC to use unpaid labor to produce a...
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Cinema Law: Do I Need to Obtain Life Rights?
Q: Do I need to obtain life rights before making a film about that person? Writers...
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Cinema Law: Do You Need Release Forms for Passers-by in the Background of Shots?
Q: If I am filming a character on the street and real-life people walk in and...
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Cinema Law: Do You Need to Copyright Your Festival Submission?
Q: I’m about to send my film to a festival for consideration. How can I copyright...
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Staying Clear: How the First Amendment Can Protect Your Documentary
If there’s one thing both Alex Gibney and Scientology should agree upon, it’s the value of...
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Cinema Law: What You Should Know About Wiretapping Phone Calls
Q: What are the rules regarding wiretapping in documentaries? When people think of wiretapping, they imagine federal agents...
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Cinema Law: To Drone or Not to Drone
Q: I’d like to use a camera-mounted drone for an upcoming film shoot, but I’m not...
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Cinema Law: Using a Song Title as Your Movie Title
Welcome to Cinema Law, where you ask the questions of our resident team of legal experts...
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Cinema Law: What’s an LLC, And Does Every Production Need One?
Welcome to Cinema Law, where you ask the questions of our resident team of legal experts...
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Cinema Law: Who Owns the Copyright to Behind the Scenes Footage?
Welcome to Cinema Law, where you ask the questions of our resident team of legal experts...
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Cinema Law: Can I Film U.S. Currency?
Welcome to Cinema Law, where you ask the questions of our resident team of legal experts...
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