Film Strategy

Film is an artform. But it is also a business. If you want to keep making your art, you have to treat it like a business ( I am talking about the logistics of making film, I am NOT talking about the cinematic parts; please don't substitute artistic elements and creativity with financial ratios and marketing buzzwords ). Running a business well means asking the right questions. Here's an article meant for small to midsized business (which is what most film production companies are) about 5 questions they should ask regarding their intellectual property. Substitute "IP" or "intellectual property" or "copyright" with "film" or "pilot" or "media project" and it will make sense and be relevant to you.  So enjoy: Five IP Lessons for Small to Medium–sized Businesses Originally published on 6/29/2016 by Joseph Walsh, Jr. | Harness, Dickey & Pierce, PLC Intellectual property plays an increasingly significant

Here's a guest post I did for Script Reader Pro entitled " How to Copyright a Script and Other Legal Tips for Screenwriters ." Of course, this advice also pertains to filmmakers, in general, since so many of you wear multiple hats in your productions and are aspiring Tarantino-types.  I know I am biased but it's a really good article. Check it out. ~~Danny Jiminian, Esq  I am an entertainment lawyer at www.djimlaw.com . For help in getting permission from musicians and other copyright owners to use their stuff without getting sued, as well as, clearing the script, negotiating life story rights, researching public domain works, registering your script with the US Copyright Office, drafting collaborator’s agreements and dealing with copyright infringement/entertainment litigation matters, you can contact me at danny@djimlaw.com

A snapshot of what these 2015 low-budget films did to make a profit. Deadline just published a good article with breakdowns of the numbers of 5 "small" films (by Hollywood standards) that had big profits . I was curious to probe a bit more into why these films were able to make a profit and came across a couple of recurring themes which I elaborate on in the FILM STRATEGY TAKEAWAY : their use of the horror genre, that the films are based on a well-known novel or sequel, their exploitation of production incentives, their release on a day with no competition and more. Check it out: +++++++ Each year when Deadline runs its film profitability countdown , readers understandably ask about wildly profitable films, usually genre pictures, that don’t merit inclusion on the basis of highest domestic gross. But that doesn’t mean these films don’t tell compelling stories in their own right. So this time, we included snapshots of five overachieving pictures. The final four film

So there is a benefit to becoming famous on Youtube. Feature-length films starring YouTube stars are getting Hollywood's attention. In their quest to de-risk a film and make a film with a built-in audience and marketing potential at little cost, they have decided to invest in films starring people popular in the digital world. According to THR : There were about a dozen such "film" projects in 2015 alone, and that number could double this year as major entertainment players look to cash in. These digital-focused films follow a similar, and more inexpensive, formula on their way from concept to completed project. According to numerous industry sources, studios will pay between $500,000 and $1.5 million to produce the movie, and the marketing spend is a fraction of the minimum $20 million that a studio normally would shell out.  Instead of going to theaters, studios typically distribute the films through iTunes and Vimeo, where viewers can download them for about $1

The Witch   |  Robert Eggers (dir)   | Release date: February 2016   |  USA  | 92 minutes   |  Format: D-Cinema I finally caught The Witch last night. It's the kind of horror movie I want to see more of; quiet and disturbing like The Shining and The House of the Devil that builds to a riveting climax. With it's low-budget yet high-end production values, the making of the film yields aesthetic and practical cues to filmmakers trying to make their films with a premium on quality. To get a better understanding of how this movie made the journey from script to screen, check out the following excerpts and links below: The Scariest Movie at Sundance: How Robert Eggers Made the Horrifying, Historically Accurate ‘The Witch’ "Eggers spent five years researching, developing, and writing the script for The Witch. To forge his authentic colonial setting, the writer-director pored over historical documents at Smithsonian’s Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Accord

There is alot wrong in this picture according to CBS/Paramount. Maybe you've heard about the Star Trek fans lawsuit? In January 2016, CBS and According to The Wrap , Paramount sued  “ producer Alec Peters of Axanar Productions for copyright infringement... The suit concerns “Axanar” and the prequel film “Prelude to Axanar,” collectively referred to as “the ‘Axanar’ Works. ”  “The ‘Axanar’ Works infringes plaintiffs’ works by using innumerable copyrighted elements of ‘Star Trek,’ including its settings, characters, species, and themes,” the complaint reads. CBS and Paramount are seeking up to $150,000 for every copyrighted “Star Trek” element present in the films. ” I admire the love, devotion and skill Peters has demonstrated with the making of the 'Axanar Works' but he doesn't seem to have a strong defense, even if he cites "fair use." The fair use doctrine would provide protection if he were making a parody like this In Living Color "Star Trek&qu

If you want to reach the Chinese market, one way to do it is through the Netherlands. Here's why .

Six 2 Six | Cassandra “Cass” Riddick (dir)   | Release date: October or November 2015   |  USA  | 90 minutes (est.)   |  Format: 2.5K (Blackmagic) The entertainment industry is a tough business that chews people up with the consistency of a meat grinder. It's no wonder that the shelf-life for many filmmakers is short. But for a brave few, filmmaking is a passion that can't be ignored. Through sheer willpower and creative talent, these brave few make their dreams come true and keep on making it. Cassandra Riddick is one of the brave few. She has that perfect combination of artistic creativity, business savvy, managerial instinct and charming personality that I would argue are the main reasons to her success. She is also someone who takes what she has learned in her past productions to be better and more efficient in her future productions.  And through it all she treats her co-producers, crew, cast and everyone else in her circle with love and respect because