The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers

This no-nonsense reference helps independent filmmakers recognize and solve the critical legal issues they might face throughout the course of making a film.

Author Thomas Crowell, TV producer turned entertainment lawyer, will help you to understand and negotiate crucial production contracts, handle actors and their agents, and navigate the perils of copyright infringement and other lawsuits. Updated throughout to address important changes to the law, and incorporating discussion of online distribution, crowd-sourcing funding, social media marketing, and international productions, this expanded third edition will provide you with the skills to:

Protect the copyright to your work

Finance your film and watch out for common financing traps

Understand how tax credits and other incentives are used in film financing

Work with other screenwriters, and protect your script ideas

Adapt a book or comic into a screenplay

Know how to spot the difference between copyright infringement and fair use

Hire crew members, actors, and post-production staff

Draft a production services agreement, or a license to use someone else’s work

License music for soundtracks

Negotiate a distribution agreement, or understand how to distribute your film alone

Learn how to best position your film for Netflix

Make money from YouTube

And much more!

Written for accessibility and ease of reference, this book is a vital resource for any student or independent filmmaker wanting their films to be successful and free of legal disasters.