It has been a few weeks since I wrapped up production on my first feature film, Appropriate Behavior. Having the opportunity to shoot your first feature must be what getting married is like for a certain type of woman. After so many years of fantasizing and months of …
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a petition for certiorari and agreed to hear an appeal about a copyright dispute concerning the 1980 Oscar-winning boxing film “Raging Bull.” The case was one of eight cases out of more than 2,000 pending appeals that the …
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has finally proposed, for comment, new Regulations for Crowdfunding to implement the requirements of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”), enacted on April 5, 2012. More than one year overdue, the SEC has released a 585-page comprehensive report with its proposed rules …
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Day 1: Future Forward
Case Study: Fruitvale Station
In a conversation with Fruitvale Station director and writer, Ryan Coogler, and lead actress Melanie Diaz, the director discusses what inspires his work, and what’s up next …
After attending the Sundance Shorts Lab at BAM this past Sunday, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people wanting to write, direct, or produce a short and submit it to the Sundance Film Fest. For 8,000 submissions, there are only 80 films that …
The right of publicity is the right of individuals to control the use of their name and likeness in a commercial setting. You cannot place an image of another person on your brand of pickles without their permission. Celebrities can earn large fees from this right by endorsing products. Some …
There’s increasingly a lot of talk about Transmedia storytelling; the idea of taking pieces of a story and systematically putting them across different media touch points for the purposes of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. But why is Transmedia storytelling important for independent filmmakers in particular?
The digital revolution …
Legal issues may be the most remote worry that keeps independent filmmakers up at night. There are often more tangible and immediate stresses: finding financing, getting film festival screenings, building positive publicity and momentum for a film, and securing distribution arrangements. For filmmakers who have a few minutes to polish …