how to get an entertainment attorney as a startup filmmaker

If you type into google entertainment lawyer followed by your filming location, you will get many suggestions. To sum up, the person you hire needs to be a perfect fit for your project requirements and location. You can hire a lawyer fit for your specific filmmaking stage, from pre-production to distribution.

Full Answer

How do I become an entertainment lawyer?

To become an entertainment lawyer, candidates must complete a bachelor’s degree, which is mandatory before being allowed to apply to law schools. The American Bar Association can provide guidance on how to become an entertainment lawyer with its listings on approved law schools, as well as those that offer specialization in entertainment law.

Who is the best entertainment lawyer?

There is no single best entertainment lawyer, as what may be “best” for a client can vary significantly depending on their circumstances. However, many entertainment lawyers and law firms have a trustworthy reputation earned from their peers and former clients.

Do I need a lawyer for my film?

There's no way around it: your film needs a lawyer whether or not you have the budget for one. Here's what to do. Despite the fact that the film industry is built upon contracts, we filmmakers are notoriously ill-equipped to deal with legal matters. (No, they don't teach us these things in film school.)

Do I need an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles or NYC?

Los Angeles and New York City are hubs for the entertainment industry, which makes it relatively easy to find an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles or an entertainment lawyer in NYC. If you keep up a bicoastal career, though, you may want to consider bringing on both an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles and an entertainment lawyer in NYC.

Is it hard to get into entertainment law?

Turns out, it's really difficult to break into. It now seems to me that people break into the entertainment law field in one of three ways: Good connections, great experience on the business side, or incredible credentials.

What can an entertainment lawyer do for you?

An entertainment lawyer is a law professional who specializes in legal matters related to the entertainment industry. Entertainment lawyers may focus on advising clients on entertainment contract laws, intellectual property or entertainment labor laws.

Do entertainment lawyers meet celebrities?

3. Entertainment Lawyers Have a Diverse Clientele When you picture the life on an entertainment lawyer, you probably picture someone who deals directly with celebrities. For many attorneys, this is a reality, but many more do not work directly with celebrities.

What is the primary reason you need an entertainment attorney?

The most common reason that an entertainer hires a lawyer is to review, draft, or negotiate a contract. But you might also hire a lawyer if you need to litigate, for example if your producer breaches a contract, or if your manager has stolen money from you.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:Medical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.

What does a media and entertainment lawyer do?

It can refer to legal issues of any type – finance, intellectual property, litigation, contract, etc. – as they affect participants in the media and entertainment industry, such as film and television studios, broadcasters, music companies, communications companies, and the like.

What type of law is entertainment law?

Entertainment Law is a comprehensive body of law that includes business formation, contracts, employment, and intellectual property law, and the negotiation and drafting of industry specific agreements.

What is a media lawyer?

A media lawyer covers every legal issue that relates to the media including television, music, sport, cinema, advertising, the internet, theatre and film. On the job. Media law has a glamorous reputation because it can involve mingling with celebrities.

Is entertainment law transactional or litigation?

Entertainment lawyers are both transactional lawyers and litigation lawyers. While some entertainment lawyers do it all, most lawyers who practice entertainment law specialize in one subset of entertainment law.

What is media and law?

Media Law is a branch of law that deals with legal issues such as intellectual property or digital media. It also touches on free speech and the first amendment because of influence from public airways. It regulates the entertainment industry but often overlaps with other media through intellectual property laws.

What does a family lawyer do?

Generally, a family lawyer can represent and defend victims or suspects of domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, and a lot more.

What do corporate lawyers do?

Corporate lawyers structure transactions, draft documents, negotiate deals, attend meetings and make calls toward those ends. A corporate lawyer works to ensure that the provisions of an agreement are clear, unambiguous and won't cause problems for their client in the future.

What type of law is entertainment law?

Entertainment Law is a comprehensive body of law that includes business formation, contracts, employment, and intellectual property law, and the negotiation and drafting of industry specific agreements.

What is a media lawyer?

A media lawyer covers every legal issue that relates to the media including television, music, sport, cinema, advertising, the internet, theatre and film. On the job. Media law has a glamorous reputation because it can involve mingling with celebrities.

How much do entertainment lawyers make in California?

The middle 57% of Entertainment Lawyers makes between $20,514 and $59,659, with the top 86% making $187,200.

What type of law is art law?

Art law, simply put, is the body of law, involving numerous disciplines, that protects, regulates and facilitates the creation, use and marketing of art. Art law is not a separate jurisprudence or unified legal doctrine that applies to all of the issues confronting those in the art world.

How Do I Go About Hiring an Entertainment Lawyer?

Although this guide dives deeper into what an entertainment lawyer is and what role they play, the truth is that there are all kinds of entertainment lawyers that specialize in various areas of law as well as provide specific services designed specifically for the situation you may find yourself in when you seek out their help.

What Role Do They Play in Your Business?

The work that they undertake on behalf of your company is essential to keeping your company and its employees protected as you continue operations.

How much do entertainment lawyers take?

While you are assembling your team for representation, you may overlook how important it is to have a lawyer on your side. Entertainment lawyers take 5% of your earnings, but what can they do for you besides reading over contracts?

What do entertainment lawyers represent?

Other entertainment lawyers only represent talent, that is, they represent writers, directors, and actors and negotiate their deals with production companies, networks, etc. ". When it comes time for you to pick a lawyer, ask them who they specialize in and why — it can matter when it comes to your contracts.

Do lawyers have your back?

Lawyers have your back and you do not change them as frequently as you might change agents or managers.

What Is the Job of an Entertainment Attorney?

The job duties of an entertainment attorney include performing legal tasks related to talent representation, contract negotiations, copyright issues, and other legal proceedings for clients that work in the entertainment industry.

How Can I Become an Entertainment Attorney?

The qualifications that you need to become an entertainment attorney include a law degree, knowledge of entertainment law, and negotiating skills to obtain advantageous contracts for your client. You start on this career path by earning a bachelor’s degree, passing the LSAT exam, and enrolling in law school.

What to do if you're raising money for a movie?

If you're raising money for the film, you want to distinguish between crowdfunding money and investments. Investments can be very, very complicated. If you're asking people to contribute money to the production of the film with some expectation that they're going to participate in the equity of the film, then you need to have a lawyer to go through that with you. There are securities laws that are implicated and not everyone is familiar with that.

Do artists license their music for soundtracks?

Morrison: My experience has been that it depends on the permissions of the person or the company that owns the rights. Artists are free to say that we don't license our music for use in the soundtrack of films. There are some artists who do that, or they may say that we do on occasion but we're just not interested in this particular film or we do but only if we're being paid full licensing fees up front.

Do independent filmmakers have to pay upfront?

Your argument or plea as an independent filmmaker is that you don't have the upfront money, but you'd like to get a license that will include the payment of additional fees either as the film goes from the festival to some form of commercial distribution, or that the fees will be determined on the basis of how much money the film makes. If the film is really successful, the fees are going to approximate what you would have paid if it had been produced by a studio.

Do you need an attorney to bring in investors?

There are lots of securities laws. You need to consult with an attorney who's experienced in those kinds of financing agreements anytime you're really considering bringing in significant investments. Y ou want to have someone who has experience guiding you through that.

Do attorneys charge flat fees?

Attorneys will occasionally bill on an hourly rate, and attorneys will occasionally bill a flat fee for a very defined set of services. It's project-specific, but it's a significant amount of money. The problem is — and I think the thing that's important to keep in mind — is that there's only so much you can do under certain circumstances if the work hasn't been done up front.

Do documentary films come with scripts?

Documentaries don't come in typically with scripts, so we're trying to talk with the filmmakers about what they're doing. What their footage is really going to be. Are there any issues with archival materials?

Can music supervisors help with filming?

My experience has been that in some cases record companies and publishers are more than willing to do that and can be really helpful. Music supervisors can be really helpful in dealing with music as well. Music is very, very complicated, both as an area of law and as a practical issue for film. This is one of the things we would want to look out for when we're reading a script. If there are people performing pre-existing songs in your film, you have to get that cleared before you actually shoot those scenes, because someone may say, "You can't use it," and then you've got to re-shoot with different music that you have cleared, or you have to cut the scene. Which in some cases just can't work for the edit of the film.

What is entertainment lawyer?

What is an entertainment lawyer? Unlike divorce or corporate lawyers, an entertainment lawyer represents and protects the interests of creatives, companies and others in the many areas of the entertainment industry, such as film, television, new media, theater, publishing and music.

What to do if you already have an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles?

If you already have an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles or entertainment lawyer in NYC, consult with them about how to move forward in such circumstances . Depending on the nature of your role on the project, they can advise about seeking in-state legal advice.

Why is an entertainment lawyer important?

Especially when it comes to negotiating contracts and handling potential litigation matters, an entertainment lawyer is key to best protecting your interests.

How long does it take to become a lawyer in California?

Between a conventional four-year undergraduate program, law school and bar exam success on the first try, a person looking to be licensed as a California entertainment lawyer may do so in approximately seven years.

Can an emerging creative lawyer be an entertainment lawyer?

And while true that these professionals can foster your career and provide some of the same benefits as an entertainment lawyer, namely industry connections and career advice, neither have the legal expertise of an entertainment lawyer.

Do entertainment lawyers provide free consultations?

Yes, most entertainment lawyers will provide a brief complimentary consultation. Keep in mind, though, that this consultation isn’t about getting free information for a legal issue. Rather, the consultation is to determine if that particular lawyer will be a good fit for your needs. 10.

Can an entertainment lawyer be hired as an employee?

Unless you are potentially forming a company that would require the ongoing services of an entertainment lawyer, they would not be hired as an employee. Rather, they are a contractor who is part of a law firm or the proprietor of their own business.

What an Entertainment lawyer can do for you

If you are an entertainer, movie producer, or musician, an entertainment lawyer can assist you with important legal issues, including intellectual property rights. Hiring an entertainment attorney will enable you to negotiate or write your contracts, deal with intellectual property issues, and work on publication deals.

Why hire an Entertainment attorney

Entertainment lawyers provide services to the entertainment industry, including film, music, television, theater, publishing, visual arts, and multimedia. They also represent sports stars and other celebrities. Entertainment lawyers negotiate and write contracts, deal with intellectual property issues, and practice employment and labor law.

Did you know?

Although entertainment lawyers do assist their clients with legal decisions such as contracts, compensation, real estate purchases, etc., entertainment attorneys also use their skills to help further a client's career.