how to pitch an entertainment production attorney

by Ms. Jannie Lueilwitz IV 10 min read

Generally, the best approach is to ask people you know who are in the music business and who have previously hired an entertainment attorney. Find out whether they had a good experience, whether the legal matters the attorney handled were similar to the legal matters you need help with, and whether the attorney’s fees were reasonable. 2.

Full Answer

How do entertainment attorneys Bill their actors?

Mar 19, 2013 · If you have a great idea you believe in you should find an attorney who believes in your script, treatment, pitch, ete and then retain them to shop the script, and perhaps create a worthwhile incentive for the lawyer or agent if the pitch is picked up for production.

Where do entertainment attorneys work?

Sep 11, 2020 · This firm is primarily a firm that provides production counsel. 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 is the right time to hire an entertainment lawyer?

May 02, 2022 · Generally, the best approach is to ask people you know who are in the music business and who have previously hired an entertainment attorney. Find out whether they had a good experience, whether the legal matters the attorney handled were similar to the legal matters you need help with, and whether the attorney’s fees were reasonable.

Does your law firm pitch dramatic TV series?

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How do I pitch myself as a lawyer?

Four Steps to a Solid “Elevator Speech” Introduction
  1. Describe your clients. It could be your typical client or your ideal client. ...
  2. Explain how you help clients and the value you bring. ...
  3. Explain what makes you different or distinctive from other lawyers in your field. ...
  4. State a “for example”
Sep 26, 2019

What does a production lawyer do?

Film production has legal issues that can arise at every stage of the project. The role of production counsel is to take care of those matters whether it involves setting up financing, securing intellectual property rights, negotiating and drafting agreements, or minimizing potential liability.

Do entertainment lawyers make a lot of money?

The average annual salary for Entertainment Attorneys is approximately $117,600. The salary range for Entertainment Attorneys runs from $77,000 to $186,000.Jul 5, 2019

What skills do entertainment lawyers need?

Networking with clients and making new connections. Helping clients gain distribution rights for their creative works. Representing client's in court and pursuing legal action regarding intellectual property. Connecting clients with other entertainment professionals such as managers.Apr 8, 2021

What does entertainment law consist of?

Overview. Entertainment law covers an area of law that involves media of all different types (e.g. TV, film, music, publishing, advertising, Internet & news media, etc.)

Are entertainment lawyers in demand?

Entertainment Lawyer Growth Trend

Jobs for lawyers, including entertainment lawyers, are expected to increase 9 percent in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS.
Jan 20, 2022

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice area
  • Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Employment lawyer: $87,000.
  • Real Estate attorney: $86,000.
  • Divorce attorney: $84,000.
  • Immigration attorney: $84,000.
  • Estate attorney: $83,000.
  • Public Defender: $63,000.
Apr 24, 2022

What type of lawyer gets paid most?

Types of Lawyers That Make the Most Money
  • Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000;
  • Corporate lawyer: $118,000;
  • Employment lawyer: $88,000;
  • Real estate attorney: $87,000;
  • Divorce attorney: $86,000;
  • Immigration attorney: $85,000;
  • Estate attorney: $84,000;
  • Public defender: $66,000.

How much do Nintendo lawyers make?

550 Nintendo of America employees have shared their salaries on Glassdoor. Select your job title and find out how much you could make at Nintendo of America.
...
Nintendo of America Salaries.
Job TitleSalary
Lawyer salaries - 1 salaries reported$190,589/yr
Corporate Counsel salaries - 1 salaries reported$217,707/yr
2 more rows

What does a media and entertainment lawyer do?

Lawyers specializing in the field are required to act as commercial-legal production counsels for advising, structuring and negotiating deals across various production and distribution models, for syndication and licensing of content for domestic and international film distribution across platforms (traditional and new ...Mar 5, 2020

What is media law?

Media law is law that regulates media production and use. Media law can encompass many different types of media including broadcast television, internet and print media.

How long do you have to be in school to be a lawyer?

7 years
Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to complete a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Is entertainment lawyer specialized?

The nature of work for an entertainment lawyer is highly specialized. That in part explains the costly fees for them. However, it also indicates the extensive education they must attain to be skilled at their job.

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.

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.

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 is intellectual property?

Intellectual property, or IP, is big business. From a screenwriter’s spec script to a musician’s original song, anything created within this industry necessitates protection from those who may want to buy it, option it, license it—or infringe upon it with unauthorized use. An entertainment lawyer can see to it that a client’s intellectual property is handled properly and protected when copyright or trademark issues arise.

Where is Anna Keizer?

Anna Keizer originally hails from the Chicagoland area. After receiving her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago, she moved to California and finished her M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. She has also graduated from UCLA’s Writing for Television Professional Program and is currently in post-production on the short She Had It Coming, which she wrote and is executive producing.

When Should You Consider Hiring an Attorney?

Certainly, you should consult with an experienced entertainment attorney before you sign a contract of any significance. An experienced entertainment attorney can also be very useful as a sounding board for ideas and strategies you have, and as a source of contacts to music business professionals who can help you move ahead in the music business.

How to Find an Entertainment Attorney

1. Referrals. Generally, the best approach is to ask people you know who are in the music business and who have previously hired an entertainment attorney. Find out whether they had a good experience, whether the legal matters the attorney handled were similar to the legal matters you need help with, and whether the attorney’s fees were reasonable.

Music Connection

Published since 1977, Music Connection magazine is a monthly music trade publication catering to musicians, industry pro’s, and support services. Music Connection exists to serve artists and music people, to offer connections to the unconnected and to provide exclusive information that can help our readers take their music to the next level.

Should entertainers love their attorney?

An entertainer does not need to love his or her attorney, but should at least respect and trust the attorney's abilities as a hired professional. As a general rule, you should switch attorneys (fire one and hire another) if you are unhappy with the services you've received.

Why do entertainers hire lawyers?

The most common reason that an entertainer hires a lawyer is to review, draft, or negotiate a contract.

How much do attorneys charge per hour?

Understand up front that most attorneys bill on an hourly basis (often between $300 and $700 an hour) and send a bill at the end of each month. Some attorneys bill on a fixed-fee basis, in which you pay a set amount for services (expect to pay $5,000 to $25,000 to negotiate a major entertainment deal, for instance).

What is retainer in a lawyer?

Many attorneys ask for a retainer, which is an advance payment for legal work. The amount of the retainer is included in the attorney-client fee agreement. The fee agreement is negotiated between you and your lawyer and establishes the payments and the lawyer's responsibilities.

What is fee agreement?

The fee agreement is negotiated between you and your lawyer and establishes the payments and the lawyer's responsibilities. It is usually contained within a broader retainer agreement, the contract between you and your lawyer outlining your relationship.

Is the internet secure?

The Internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent through this site could be intercepted or read by third parties. Entertainment professionals often need the services of lawyers. Whether you are an actor, director, dancer, or musician, there are various legal services that could prove essential to your career.

Who is the lawyer for Netflix?

Attorney representation can be key, and when it comes to selling a project to Netflix, entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake shares everything he knows from 20 years in the film and television business. Nov 11, 2020. Oct 26, 2020.

What is the reality of putting together a film?

One is that packaging a project, which involves bringing together cast, writers, and directors with viable production companies and real distribution is hard, time consuming work.

What does AVOD mean in streaming?

Streaming is starting to look a lot more like network and broadcast as AVOD begins to take hold. AVOD means “advertising-based video on demand.”. From what I have been told, major advertisers have been looking for places to spend their money, and a lot of top shows are at subscription services.

Why did the network upfronts go virtual?

The effect was that less long-term deals were signed, with a lot of major advertisers making short term, quarterly ad buys rather than going all-in with upfront commitments.

Is talent management a one to one job?

Talent management is not a one-to-one replacement for talent agency representation. The reason is because of the Talent Agencies Act, of which there are similar versions in California and New York and many other states.

What is packaging in WGA?

At the heart of all of the controversy between WGA and the agencies is packaging, which is representing an entertainment property (generally a film or television script), and attaching cast and then bringing the project to production companies, studios, networks and financiers.

When does pilot season start?

Pilot Season starts in January, when major network executives begin ordering pilots for series. Pilot orders are when a network decides that a series pitch is good enough to merit the production of a pilot to determine whether or not the series concept will translate into a popular series.

Bartley F Day

You should find out exactly what they want from you to start out. Sometimes they only want a logline or synopsis, sometimes they want a treatment or a script.#N#Also, it frequently happens that even when an attorney contacts them on your behalf, they will want to email you a submission agreement for your signature before you...

Bruce E. Burdick

Here are several Memphis entertainment attorneys to choose from.#N#http://www.avvo.com/search/lawyer_search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Entertainment&loc=Memphis%2C+TN&commit=

Aaron Craig Young

The Avvo directory is an excellent location to find an Entertainment Attorney. I also suggest that you contact the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in Nashville at this link http://www.abcnashville.org/volunteer-lawyers-professionals-for-the-arts-vlpa/.

Bennett Jay Fidlow

If you have verifiable interest from an established entertainment company or from a celebrity, then any entertainment attorney would be very happy to help you by submitting your script or pitch materials, with the understanding that they'd represent you in the negotiation with that company or celebrity.

Robert V Cornish Jr

There are many good attorneys handling entertainment matters here on AVVO, including many in Nashville. My firm also handles this sort of work, and has familiarity with some of the players who appear in your question, given work done in Memphis in the past. Happy to assist through referral or otherwise.

Harry Finkel

I second the use of Lawyers for the Arts as a referral source- great organization.#N#My only suggestion as far as entertainment attorneys go since the gate has already been opened in your relationship with the network is to choose an attorney in the city where the decision makers of the network are...

Alonzo McAlpine Alston

You're doing the exact right thing. People typically want to be confident in their lawyers abilities, and they want to feel comfortable with the lawyer. Call a few of us, and see who you'd like to work with.

What is entertainment law?

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Where is the Seay Firm located?

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Divorce Magazine is the Internet's leading divorce and separation resource site, providing information and advice about divorce law, divorce lawyers, family law, children and divorce, and other divorce-related issues as well as information on divorce professionals such as family lawyers and online…

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