Legal & Business Issues in Art – 5 Essential Topics with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is proud to present its popular series of 5 free classes targeted to artists and individuals interested in the arts. The classes will be taught by our current Columbia Law School Student Interns as part of their work at VLA, and supervised by VLA staff.

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Legal & Business Issues in Art
 

VLA programs are supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with The City Council.

PRODUCTION TIPS: It’s Better to Avoid a Lawsuit Than to Win One pt. 3

From FilmStrategy.com:  In parts 1 and 2, we covered the reality of being sued and ways to minimize the chances of that happening (and losing) by essentially displaying common sense, taking the time out to make sure ‘things are what they seem’ and getting everything in writing.  Producers and filmmakers with money hire lawyers and others to do all that work for them so they can focus on the fun stuff like directing scenes or hobnobbing with actors and financiers. The true no-budget filmmaker can’t hire a lawyer to do the work but the work still needs to get done somehow.  This series has been an attempt to provide no-budget filmmakers, like you, some guidelines to help you organize and minimize your risk.*

1. INTERNS.  ‘Everyone loves PA interns cuz they work for free, right?!?’ Wrong. The Blackswan case was a wake-up call for the industry; your interns are not a way to get free labor.  For far too long, interns have been used in abusive manners (even if the producers didn’t intent to abuse the interns). The clearest rule to remember regarding the use of an intern in your production is that they are there for THEIR benefit. The job they do should be something that benefits them because they learned something or gained a valuable experience.  And a big no-no is using an intern to replace someone you would actually hire.  It’s ok to use interns in your no-budget production but use common sense and provide an actual opportunity that benefits them. If you want some tips on using interns… here you go.

Read the rest at FilmStrategy.com –>

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PRODUCTION TIPS: It’s Better to Avoid a Lawsuit Than to Win One pt. 2

The second article of a 3-part series

In part 1, we looked at the reality and possibility of being sued for creating art and entertainment followed by ways to avoid legal problems with the script and other artworks used in making the film.  As we all know, the main (but not only) reason why you as a producer would hire a lawyer is to avoid lawsuits.  Although it might not seem like it when you are itemizing your production budget, it is money well-spent (provided you get a good lawyer).  However, in this day, age and economy, there are filmmakers who literally have no budget. But even without a budget, you are still vulnerable to lawsuits so you need to do what you can to protect and defend yourself.  That’s why I place so much emphasis on documenting everything you do and keeping it in a safe, accessible place.  This protects you and minimizes the risks you face.  In part 2, let’s look at what you can do when dealing with actors, crew, locations, children, music, trademarks and titles.

Read the rest at FilmStrategy.com –>

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• 10 ways a director MUST think like a like a line producer
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• PRODUCTION TIPS: It’s Better to Avoid a Lawsuit Than to Win One