5 Interesting Facets of Entertainment Law That Lawyers Must Be Aware Of

If you are a lawyer who has a knack for creative aspects or loves to have a fair share of the limelight, entertainment law might be your forte. An inclination towards the law and entertainment industry would make you an apt candidate for pursuing entertainment law.  But before you jump onto becoming an entertainment lawyer, you must understand a few vital aspects of the job description. We provide a brief discussion about the elements you can get involved in when you pursue entertainment law.

The world of entertainment and its concerning law

When we come across the word entertainment, it leaves a similar effect on our mind as the words “candy” or “beach vacation.” Unless you dislike them both, my point is that the word is enough to smile on our faces.

To categorize the word, it encompasses all purposes or intents to share your creative and imaginative work with your audience. It includes epic movies, television serials, stage plays, breathtaking music scores, etc. It requires a significant amount of hard work and often collaboration on top of the creative aspects of the artists. There is simply nothing much alike people trying to spread joy through their works of entertainment.

You can check out all the legal aspects of entertainment law at Lawrina.com. Nevertheless, it remains a crucial aspect for the entertainment industry to survive.

Entertainment law consists of the subject of contracts, negotiating contracts and fees, first rights and copyrights, publishing rights, etc., among other responsibilities. Be sure to always look into the copyright disclaimer.

If you are eager to pursue a career in entertainment law, then you must be ready to enjoy the association of celebrities, the glamorous lights, and the creative process that creates the entertainment industry. We provide five important aspects of entertainment law practice that every entertainment attorney must know about.

1. Who are the usual people that an entertainment lawyer has to work with?

The first question that one might come across is who all are the people that an entertainment lawyer works with. To start off, junior law associates collaborate with seniors and sometimes directly with partners. Junior associates have the opportunity to rise up the ranks and draft simpler productions and negotiate them. They can handle independent contractor agreements coming from independent industry talents. Entertainment attorneys from the law firm often consult specialists focusing on employment or labor law from the firm itself. They even consult professionals from the copyright counsel, trademark, and entertainment industry.

A handful of entertainment law practitioners even have the privilege to directly work with celebrities that are their clients. They act as their personal attorneys tending to their entertainment law requirements. These celebrity clients often form a team of legal advisors that includes agents, managers, attorneys, and legal advisors. They also work with network executives from the industry, financiers, producers, and lawyers.

2. What does an average day at work look like for entertainment lawyers?

A typical workday for an entertainment attorney can vary from a traditional lawyer’s in more ways than one. Their practice entails many aspects of the law and includes a hefty combination of business associations, intellectual property law, labor and employment law, securities law, and negotiating contracts. A typical entertainment lawyer focuses on a single sector of the entertainment industry, such as film production, television. Their daily tasks can be summarized somewhat in the following ways.

• Working on financial agreements, loans, and investment documents.
• Reviewing and negotiating contracts and analyzing the rights of their clients.
• Preparing production contracts and negotiating distribution deals.

3. How hot is entertainment law currently?

The present market for entertainment law is nothing short of very hot. At worst, we can consider it mild. The practice can vary considerably from client to client in many stages of project completion. These stages can range from Development, production, and entertainment projects distribution.

In many cases, in-house lawyers may specialize in more cases having less variety in their work. These attorneys usually work on two or three kinds of agreements that come in large volumes. But the entertainment industry is forever changing and can be wrought with emerging issues that change our perception of it.

Entertainment law practitioners must hence be alert constantly for such changes. These changes can range from newer technologies, interested parties in some projects or any other development. They keep the work of an entertainment attorney interesting and help them grow and learn continuously.

4. How much stress does entertainment law bring to the table?

Like most practices, entertainment law is a transactional practice where the expectations and pace are akin to deal-driven practices. Long lead legal projects can tend to extend for longer periods at a calm pace, whereas shorter projects will go on rapidly. Projects such as photography start date or airdate are examples of such rapid, short-term projects.

Television shows and sitcoms also fall under this category. The entertainment industry law expectations are understandably high with so much reputation and money at stake. Creators are also very passionate about their projects, and the pressure can often amount to insurmountable levels.

Hence as an entertainment lawyer, prepare yourself to handle intense pressure scenarios and long periods of stress in many instances.

5. Are there any cons to the job?

As far as observations go, we have barely come across entertainment law attorneys that despise their jobs. On the contrary, most lawyers continue their practice throughout their careers. Entertainment lawyers adapt their personalities in accordance with their field of work. They become flamboyant or flashy, with the spotlight always on them. This, however, can turn out to be a negative aspect when your personal life can get affected adversely. Also, the constant pressure can sometimes prove to be too much for many to handle. But then again, the case can be put forth for other occupations as well. The pros of entertainment law surely outweigh the cons in all aspects.

Conclusion

A general attorney can don many hats and imbibe multiple personalities to cope with them. In entertainment law, lawyers have to have a creative understanding as well as the commercial aspects. Dealing with major stars and directors, writers, and production houses can become very difficult, but when you understand the process of art creation and the legal facets that come with it, you can overcome those hurdles with time.

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