The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers [Paperback]

Thomas A. Crowell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240808428 | ISBN-13: 978-0240808420 | Publication Date: March 19, 2007 | Edition: 1

* You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do you safeguard your concept?
* There's a painting in the background of your independent film; is it necessary to clear the rights?
* The screenplay you and a friend wrote gets optioned; how do you split the proceeds fairly?
* How do you get a script to popular Hollywood actors or deal with their agents?
Find quick answers to these and hundreds of other questions in The Pocket Lawyer for Film and Video, the next best thing to having an entertainment attorney at your beck and call. Written by a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer, this no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English: no law degree required! The Pocket Lawyer is designed to help producers reduce legal costs by providing the vital information needed to make informed decisions on the legal aspects of film, video, and TV productions.

Film and video production is a litigation lighting rod: actors get hurt, copyrights are infringed, and contracts are broken. Big-budget producers have lawyers on retainer, but many independent filmmakers are left legally exposed. Arm yourself with the practical advice in this book. You will not only avoid common pitfalls, but become empowered in your daily work. Too many otherwise competent producers turn over every aspect of the deal negotiations to their lawyers and agents. This book explains the principal deals common to every production, putting producers back in the co-pilot seat with their representatives.

The format is carefully designed for quick reference, so you get the answers you need, fast. Features include:
* Clause Companion: explains the meaning and impact of typical contract clauses, taking the headache out of reading them.
* F.A.Qs: instantly answers the most commonly asked legal questions.
* Warnings: alerts you to critical areas and common mistakes.
* Pro-Tips: advice on unions, escrow accounts, etc. for producers who want to distribute their video widely.

* Avoid legal pitfalls with this quick reference guide: get instant answers
* Written in plain English for filmmakers, not lawyers
* Three books in one: a handy manual on film contracts, a step-by-step guide to critical legal issues on and off the set, and a quick reference on copyright and intellectual property issues

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...provides a readable map through the world of legalese and contract negotiations for any filmmaker interested in doing pretty much all his or her own producing legwork....It's an excellent, potentially career-saving resource." - Back Stage

"Filmmakers need to do what they can to make sure that they cover all of their legal bases. The problem is that the task seems so huge and overwhelming, that most of us don't even know where to start. This book does an excellent job of breaking it down for you: what you can do, what you need to do, and what you will need help doing." -Microfilmmaker Magazine

"While reading the book may feel like doing word problem after word problem, there's no denying you're smarter on Page 318 than you were on Page 1. It's an excellent, potentially career-saving resource." -Sam Thielman, Back Stage Magazine

From the Back Cover

Find quick answers to hundreds of questions in The Pocket Lawyer for Film and Video. This no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English with no law degree required! It is designed to help you reduce legal costs by providing the vital information you need to make informed decisions on the legal aspects of your film, video, and TV productions.

Actors get hurt, copyrights are infringed, and contracts are broken. Big-budget producers have lawyers on retainer, but as an independent filmmaker, you are left legally exposed. Arm yourself with the practical advice of a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer.

The format is carefully designed for quick reference, so you get the answers you need, fast. Features include:

*Clause Companion: explains the meaning and impact of typical contract clauses, taking the headache out of reading them

*F.A.Q.s: instantly answers the most commonly asked legal questions

*Warnings: alerts you to critical areas and common mistakes

Avoid common pitfalls, save money, avoid lawsuits, and become empowered in your daily work. The next best thing to having an entertainment attorney at your beck and call is having one in your pocket!

Thomas A. Crowell counsels his clients in New York and New Jersey on a wide range of entertainment law and intellectual property rights issues. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Crowell produced television news and children's entertainment for over a decade.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (March 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240808428
• ISBN-13: 978-0240808420
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Law > Business > Entertainment
  • #80 in Books > Law > Law Practice > Research

More About the Author

A founding partner of Saperstein & Crowell, Thomas A. Crowell counsels clients on a wide range of issues including film, television, publishing, new media, and intellectual property rights issues. He is currently the production counsel for programs produced for Discovery, Smithsonian, TLC, WE, Starz, and other cablecasters. Mr. Crowell is the author of the book: The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers (Focal Press, 2007).

In addition to his private practice, Mr. Crowell lectures nationally, teaching producers how to avoid common legal pitfalls in the film and television industry. He has taught film law courses for Film/Video Arts, the School of Visual Arts, the New York County Lawyers' Association, and the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Crowell was a television producer and the head of business development for one of Japan's premier satellite television news companies, the Science Technology Network. Mr. Crowell is a strong supporter of legal pro bono work for artists and is the Executive Director emeritus of the New Jersey Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.

Mr. Crowell received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is admitted to the practice of law in New York and New Jersey and before the United States Supreme Court.

For more information about Mr. Crowell, as well as a sample of his articles, please log on to: www.thomascrowell.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Approachable Guide to Key Filmmaking Legal Issues - Great for Non-Lawyers, March 3, 2007

By 

Jason Mark Anderman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers (Paperback)

Even though I've practiced law for many years outside of the entertainment law area, now that I have moved over into independent film production, I have found the legal issues involved in properly putting together a film to be daunting. If these entertainment law issues are hard for me, as an experienced attorney, I can imagine that they are dramatically more difficult to handle for everyone else. As a result, it is frankly tempting to instead focus on the artistic side of filmmaking so you can skip slogging through the legal quagmire, but you do so at your peril. This is true for a number of reasons, but most importantly, you are taking a huge risk because distributors won't touch a distribution deal for a film with serious legal problems. Fortunately, I've found that this book takes away much of the pain of learning about the legal issues in film, simply because it is so approachable. After reading this book, I really believe that even non-lawyers can quickly grasp the legal challenges of filmmaking. Best of all, the book skips typical "legalese" and instead offers easy to understand, quick references to the contracts, rights clearance and negotiating issues that everyone should understand. Not only did I like the book, but it really is unique, because there's very little else out there on this subject. It really should be on the desk of every producer. I couldn't recommend it more.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful guide in a small package!, March 22, 2007

By 

S. WALKER (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers (Paperback)

This book contains a wealth of information presented in a clear, concise, yet thorough manner. Whether you are a writer, producer, composer, or actor, this book will help you understand the legal issues that are part of the process of filmmaking. You can use it as a quick reference to answer a specific question, or you can read it from the beginning as the author unpacks legal concepts and the step-by-step process of setting up a production company to selling your film. As a bonus the book has appendices that make up a valuable law library of intellectual property, i.e. copyright, trademarks, contract law, labor, and employment law. And if you are a lawstudent or lawyer, this book is better than any entertainment law class you will ever take and at a fraction of the price.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Legal Advice Has Never Come So Cheap!, June 16, 2007

By 

Joshua R. Powers "Eric Rohmer" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers (Paperback)

This book has allowed me to craft a sound legal structure around my ideas, and my film making has become a true business venture. "Pocket Lawyer" has already saved me from several minor blunders, like not posting a Notice Release when shooting in public, and it will undoubtedly save the day in bigger ways as my projects grow. Where was this book when I was in film school? Valuable legal advice has never come so cheap--well worth the $21.75.