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Q: I was just asked by a producer to work for free on an indie film but he promised that…
Lawyers and financiers are all of the unanimous opinion that equity crowdfunding, as applied to independent filmmaking, sucks. Why?
What rights does the documentary subject have if the film falls apart?
Cinema Law answers: Can you profit from a TV show that is successful due to your efforts? Can you take…
In the long run, drawing up a contract is better for your nascent filmmaking career together, and maybe even your…
Cinema Law answers the question: Is it legally permissible for a California LLC to use unpaid labor in the form…
Cinema Law answers the question: Do I need to obtain life rights before making on a film about that person?
If filming a character on the street and real-life people walk in and out of the frame in the background,…
If there’s one thing both Alex Gibney and Scientology should agree upon, it’s the value of the First Amendment: freedom…
Q: What are the rules regarding wiretapping in documentaries? When people think of wiretapping, they imagine federal agents sitting in…
Q: I’d like to use a camera-mounted drone for an upcoming film shoot, but I’m not sure what I need…
Welcome to "Cinema Law," MovieMaker's blog where you ask questions of our legal experts and they provide answers. Using a…
Welcome to Cinema Law, where you ask the questions of our resident team of legal experts and, each week, they’ll
I rejected the score of one composer for another. Do I still need to pay him the original amount, or…
A brief scene in my movie (which also appears in the trailer) was filmed at a local restaurant parking lot…
We are speaking to a star but don’t have the budget to pay the actor up front, so he’s requested…
I've been told that I do not own the rights to my behind-the-scenes footage, since it was videotaped on a…
Most copyright experts agree that typefaces are simply not protectable under the U.S. copyright laws. But know the difference between…
There's quite a lot of information that leads me to believe I should create an LLC before I undertake a…
"My clients often seem confused about who owns the raw footage and who owns the finished piece when the project…
Can you explain to me the legalities surrounding public domain? My dream project is a reinterpretation of a classic Shakespeare…
I made a short film in 1983 and now a feature film is being made with the same title. Nobody…
In every scene our main character has been wearing a T-shirt with a Poland Spring brand logo on it. Do…