Thanks to today’s many streaming companies and visual media’s inherently quick-moving nature, it’s more important than ever for entertainment workers to have reliable legal teams. Many assume actors need lawyers, but entertainment workers, including directors, producers, and costume designers, could benefit from legal representation. Here’s how attorneys can help entertainers navigate an increasingly complex space and unlock as much time as possible to do what they love.
Straightforward Contractual Negotiations
Multifaceted negotiations precede every entertainment deal, including, but not limited to, agreements in film, television, and live streaming. The same is true, albeit on a smaller scale, for the behind-the-scenes teams that help bring projects to life.
Mountains of paperwork and hours of back-and-forth discussions are the tip of the iceberg when hammering out entertainment contracts.
However, these contracts couldn’t be more significant. In addition to determining straight compensation, entertainment agreements lay out precise terms for one’s obligations—including, for instance, work on the central project and mandatory promotional activities.
Consequently, tapping qualified attorneys to handle entertainment contract negotiations can save clients time and money. Plus, knowing beforehand what’s expected by the parties paying for the work at hand can give peace of mind (and safeguard against misunderstandings down the line).
Objective Professional Advice
Qualified talent agents and managers can help entertainment professionals unlock career opportunities and maximize their earning potential. Unfortunately, at their worst, the same individuals can inhibit talent’s income and make costly mistakes on behalf of their clients.
That’s where qualified attorneys come in. Admittedly, there’s also a degree of self-interest in the legal world. But in general, lawyers are loyal to the law, advocating to the best of their abilities based on the client and the situation.
A legal professional can answer pressing questions, review existing representation contracts, and scrutinize management’s practices, to name a few areas.
In entertainment, it’s common for managers and agents to fail to provide services as contracted and/or intentionally decide against making required payments to talent. Third-party attorneys can remedy these issues – and, to be sure, have helped some of the biggest names in entertainment over the years.
Worthwhile Contacts and Connections
For better or worse, contacts and connections have been fixtures of the entertainment space for some time. Relationships can lead to conversations, gigs, and even significant career opportunities for talent, who can unlock advantages by forging friendships.
While agencies encourage collaborations between signed professionals – related discussions aren’t difficult to come by – attorneys can help facilitate talks involving otherwise unconnected individuals. New jobs and relationships may (and often do) follow.
Reliable Dispute Mediation
Last but certainly not least, attorneys are essential when mediating and achieving favorable results in contractual disputes. Sometimes, at no fault of entertainers, workplaces and employment conditions simply fall short of the terms outlined in agreements.
Rude behavior, unprofessional conduct, dangerous situations, and creative differences are seldom resolved without the assistance of counsel. Entertainment professionals can benefit in more ways than one by having attorneys advocate when other parties fail to honor deals’ terms and spirit.
Published by Stephanie M.
