Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know [Paperback]

Michael C. Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003

In this guide for independent filmmakers, entertainment lawyer Donaldson addresses copyright and clearance questions using a minimum of legal jargon. The text is organized in the chronological order in which legal issues are normally encountered when making a film and bringing it to the screen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The business end of independent filmmaking is laid out clearly and concisely . . . The contract models are alone worth the price." -- Hollywood Reporter, Novemeber 20, 2003

From the Publisher

"An indispensable guided tour of an area of law that filmmakers cannot afford to ignore . . . presented in a clear, accessible, and even friendly manner. Read it once for background, then keep it for reference."

-Marcia Bloom, Sony Pictures Classics

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Silman-James Press; 2 Rev Upd edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187950572X
• ISBN-13: 978-1879505728
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,055,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have for Indy Filmmakers, February 10, 2004

By 

Phillip Glau "Phil Glau" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know (Paperback)

If you are serious about making films and in particular documentaries, this is a great book and valuable resource. I can't count the number of times I've consulted it.

It clears up a great deal of the myths surrounding 'fair use' and 'pubic domain'. Many filmmakers wrongly consider a wide variety of things as 'fair use' or 'public domain' and would be well advised to read this book before rolling a frame of film or video on anything bigger than a home movie.

It covers privacy rights, music rights (yes, you must pay/clear ALL music that you use except under the most rarest of circumstances. Even a couple of notes from a popular song could result in an expensive injunction against your film.), clearances and issues related to copyright.

The 20 buck you'll spend on this book will save you thousands in legal fees down the road when it comes time to actually show your film outside of your house, be it a film festival, TV distribution, or theatrically. The mistakes you avoid could well mean the difference between acquiring E&O insurance and having your film sit on the shelf due to clearance problems.

The writing is simple and straight forward and is an easy read for those who might shy away from books on legal issues. While not as in-depth as a Westlaw book or other scholarly legal tome, it provides relevant citations to important cases. It assumes the reader is intelligent but not trained in law.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable resource for film makers, June 29, 2007

By 

Galatia Films (Clemson, SC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know (Paperback)

This book gets constant use in my library. As a documentary film maker and owner of a production company, Donaldson's sound advice gives us security knowing that we have completed the proper steps to secure our rights and the rights for "borrowed" film clips used within our documentaries.

It is written in clear everyday language so no need to fear the legal-ease. Clearance and Copyright is an invaluable resource for production companies and film makers alike.

4.0 out of 5 stars Indie Filmmakers need this for their libraries, July 22, 2009

By 

Coolbert (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know (Paperback)

As an Independent Filmmaker, this was one of the first books I purchased when I was starting out. Invaluable is an understatement. Basic Templates are given for most of the basic forms needed. Clear explanantion of copyright, trademark, music, hiring, etc is given. I've found that you never know enough on any of those subjects and this book is an excellent starting point. If I can understand it, anybody can. Recommended.