Film & Television
Overview
Supporting the Screen
For more than thirty years, North Carolina has been a hot spot for film, television and commercial productions. Our entertainment practice has broad experience counseling and representing clients located in North Carolina and beyond, including production studios and independent production companies, as well as the individual producers, directors, actors and screenwriters who make entertainment projects happen.
We work with a broad array of projects, from low-budget independent motion pictures to studio-backed film and television productions, as well as other creative projects in different formats and media, such as music videos, commercials and online digital content.
Our experience includes:
- Project inception, including production company formation and the purchase or other acquisition of rights for use in productions
- Development matters, including protection of project ideas, copyright registration and navigating private investor financing legal requirements
- Negotiating talent agreements as well as subject appearance agreements for documentaries, unscripted (reality) TV and other projects
- Pre-production matters, including music and content licensing, script review and location agreements
- Drafting and negotiating production contracts and other agreements with cast and crew
- Preparing and negotiating agreements and securing court approval of agreements when using minors as talent
- Copyright clearances, including copyright fair use considerations, obtaining necessary permissions and managing chain-of-title documents
- Assisting in securing errors and omissions insurance
- Reviewing and negotiating distribution agreements and contracts with sales agents
- Handling litigation and other dispute resolution methods involving entertainment projects and producers’ or artists’ rights
- Navigating state tax incentive credits and applications (click here for more information about North Carolina’s film incentive program)
- Lobbying before state and federal legislative assemblies on behalf of the film and television industries