Are you participating in a film production as a producer, director, author of a script/screenplay, or in some other way? Do you have a need for legal advice in negotiating and designing your film contracts? Do you need legal support in connection with the film financing, for example through film funding, tax benefits, investments, co-producers, or private equity?
What we offer
Film production is characterized by cooperation from a multitude of somewhat highly specialized participants. To ensure that this functions as it should, clear agreements are necessary, which should also be contractually stipulated in order to be effective.
For our clients active in the film industry, such as film producers, film distributors, film financiers, investors, and filmmakers, we can handle the design of contracts and other legal conditions, a carry out a comprehensive review of the legal situation, particularly with respect to maintaining chain-of-title, and other copyright aspects, and clarify additional protective rights, such as personality rights.
Furthermore, we can review the financial feasibility of the planned film project and the conformance with the applicable film funding provisions as well as any necessary approvals. We can advise you in the financial structuring, particularly in regulating the restitution and distribution of revenues, and support you in the implementation of your position in negotiations, as well as in disputes in the event of failure. If necessary, we will support you in negotiations regarding errors and omissions insurance, completion bond insurance, and other filming insurance agreements.
We will lead and accompany negotiations with the participating parties and support the film and TV production, from a legal perspective, from development to the exploitation stage and beyond. We will indicate to you any potential risks and requirements in connection with your project and will work together with our client to find solutions for the avoidance thereof and/or a legal solution.
Scope of service
- Creating and reviewing contracts, such as
- Co-production contracts
- Co-financing contracts
- Collaboration contracts (TV station)
- Financing contracts
- Deal memorandums
- Option agreements
- Exposé agreements
- Treatment agreements
- Script/screenplay contracts
- Story rights/screen adaptations
- Filming contracts
- Film clip contracts
- Music licensing agreements
- Laboratory access letters
- Director contracts
- Actor contracts
- Performer contracts
- Camera operator contracts
- Executive producer contracts
- Production crew contracts
- Agency contracts
- Film score composer contracts
- Master use license agreements
- Product placement agreements
- Presale contracts
- Theatrical distribution contracts
- Worldwide distribution contracts
- Licensing agreements
- Video distribution contracts
- Merchandising licensing agreements
- Contracts regarding ancillary rights (prequels, sequels, remakes, book-to-film, etc.)
- Location contracts
And general agreements etc.
- Consulting and representation regarding copyright and entertainment rights, particularly in all film law questions
- Rights clearance, particularly for securing the copyright usage rights and personality rights, trademark rights, and music rights
- Consulting in connection with official approvals
- Consulting connection with safety regulations
- Consulting and representation in liability and insurance law
- Consulting in connection with media exploitation and creating reports
- Consulting and negotiations with respect to contractual partners in the area of film and TV of all types as well as collecting societies (GEMA, [German Society for Musical Performance and Mechanical Reproduction], GVL [German Collecting Society for Performance Rights], and VG Bild und Kunst [German collection society for images and art])
- Consulting them representation in the labor and social insurance law including questions regarding the statutory minimum wage
- Representation before all district and regional courts in Germany by means of temporary injunction proceedings and in complaint proceedings
Costs
We normally offer these services to you calculated according to the time spent at a suitable hourly rate. We believe that cost transparency and cost reliability obviously form the basis of successful cooperation. We will be happy to provide you with an estimate of the expected costs and the cost risk before taking the job.
