Attorneys for Corporate Actors


Book Description




Everyday Law for Actors


Book Description

Everyday Law for Actors is a resource and reference book, providing both professional working actors, and those who aspire to be, with clear, easy-to-read information about the everyday laws they need to know. The book is intended for actors just starting out, for those who have been making a living at acting for a long time, and for every actor in between. All actors can benefit from knowing more about the everyday law that affects their trade. Even well-established "stars" with a full team of lawyers, agents, managers, and business managers will still find this book useful because they can learn all about that "legalese" and "business mumbo jumbo" that maybe they never fully understood. Everyday Law for Actors features short chapters, numerous examples of legal principles in plain, understandable language, practical explanations about contract provisions and how to negotiate them, and useful and concise information about actors' unions, working with agents and managers, employment laws, landlord-tenant laws, and more. Actors are artists. But actors must also be smart business people. They don’t call it "show business" for nothing. With this book in hand, actors will be much better prepared to work the "business" side of "show business," and will have easy reference in one manageable volume to the wide variety of legal information they need to advance their careers.




Acting Skills for Lawyers


Book Description

For the lawyers, research and written communications are only half the battle. In this innovative book you'll learn how to... develop and use stage presence use an actor's voice and gestures? develop different characters for different audiences deliver effective speeches adopt the role of talk-show host for depositions improvise in unprepared situations incorporate the skills of great storytellers be the acting coach for your closing arguments use monologue skills in your closing arguments and even take the perfect professional photo! With acting Skills for Lawyers you will discover the way to be completely present in the moment, in a focused, authentic, and powerful way. If you want to be yourself and use your own personality to succeed, while radiating passion and commitment with every word, make sure you add this book to your legal library. These twelve secrets, based on ideas from some of the world's great thinkers and advocates, will show you how to make the most persuasive argument possible and maximize your success before a judge or jury, in mediation or arbitration, and anywhere else. Some come from the work of contemporary scholars in communications and social psychology, some derive from the world's most renowned lawyers, and others are distilled from the authors' own collective experience of more than 100 years as trial lawyers and teachers of trial advocacy. These secrets, both classical and new, can be your key to successful argument. Book jacket.







Model Rules of Professional Conduct


Book Description

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.




The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers


Book Description

* You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do you safeguard your concept? * There's a painting in the background of your independent film; is it necessary to clear the rights? * The screenplay you and a friend wrote gets optioned; how do you split the proceeds fairly? * How do you get a script to popular Hollywood actors or deal with their agents? Find quick answers to these and hundreds of other questions in The Pocket Lawyer for Film and Video, the next best thing to having an entertainment attorney at your beck and call. Written by a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer, this no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English: no law degree required! The Pocket Lawyer is designed to help producers reduce legal costs by providing the vital information needed to make informed decisions on the legal aspects of film, video, and TV productions. Film and video production is a litigation lighting rod: actors get hurt, copyrights are infringed, and contracts are broken. Big-budget producers have lawyers on retainer, but many independent filmmakers are left legally exposed. Arm yourself with the practical advice in this book. You will not only avoid common pitfalls, but become empowered in your daily work. Too many otherwise competent producers turn over every aspect of the deal negotiations to their lawyers and agents. This book explains the principal deals common to every production, putting producers back in the co-pilot seat with their representatives. The format is carefully designed for quick reference, so you get the answers you need, fast. Features include: * Clause Companion: explains the meaning and impact of typical contract clauses, taking the headache out of reading them. * F.A.Qs: instantly answers the most commonly asked legal questions. * Warnings: alerts you to critical areas and common mistakes. * Pro-Tips: advice on unions, escrow accounts, etc. for producers who want to distribute their video widely.




The Film and TV Actor's Pocketlawyer


Book Description

The Film and TV Actor's Pocketlawyer is an educational handbook for actors to use and reference whenever they are presented with an underlying contract for a talent management deal, a talent agency deal, a series regular role for a television show, or a speaking role for a major independent or motion picture film and the book is organized into six helpful chapters: Chapter One: The Talent Management Agreement Chapter Two: The Talent Agency Agreement Chapter Three: First Television Series Regular Role Chapter Four: First Major Indie or Motion Picture Role Chapter Five: SAG-AFTRA FAQs Chapter Six: Spearheading Your Own Projects The first four chapters summarize the most important areas to look out for when negotiating and signing certain agreements commonly signed by actors, while also providing general industry standard norms and tips to be aware of as they pertain to each area. And the last two chapters address commonly asked questions regarding basic SAG-AFTRA actor rights, and the dos and don'ts when actors spearhead their own small writing and/or film projects. Although there many legal handbooks out there in the market for music industry folk and filmmakers to use and quickly reference, there are absolutely none for the actor. As such, this legal and educational handbook was created for the actor in mind.




The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers


Book Description

This no-nonsense reference helps independent filmmakers recognize and solve the critical legal issues they might face throughout the course of making a film. Author Thomas A. Crowell, TV producer turned entertainment lawyer, will help you to understand and negotiate crucial production contracts, handle actors and their agents, and navigate the perils of copyright infringement and other lawsuits. Updated throughout to address important changes to the law, and incorporating discussion of online distribution, crowd funding, social media marketing, and international productions, this expanded third edition will provide you with the skills to: Protect the copyright to your work. Finance your film and watch out for common financing traps. Understand how tax credits and other incentives are used in film financing. Work with other screenwriters, and protect your script ideas. Adapt a book or comic into a screenplay. Know how to spot the difference between copyright infringement and fair use. Hire crew members, actors, and post-production staff. Draft a production services agreement or a license to use someone else’s work. License music for soundtracks. Negotiate a distribution agreement or understand how to distribute your film alone. Learn how to best position your film for Netflix. Make money from YouTube. And much more! Written for accessibility and ease of reference, this book is a vital resource for any student or independent filmmaker wanting their films to be successful and free of legal disasters.







Trial by Fire


Book Description

In the face of corporate bullies, one lawyer's passion and persistence paid off. Bullied as a Jewish kid in the hardscrabble neighborhoods of Chicago, Mike Burg had to learn how to fight at a young age. As an adult who started his own law firm from scratch that fire—and understanding of the underdog—still burns and makes him one of America's top trial lawyers fighting for consumers' rights. In Trial by Fire: One Man's Battle to End Corporate Greed and Save Lives, read about Burg's unwavering personal constitution to stand up for the weary, the weak, and the downtrodden at all costs. Follow the justice as he takes on a negligent gas company and wins not only financial settlement for victims but dramatic changes to a city's pipelines to save thousands of lives. Cheer him on as he leads hundreds of individuals against companies shilling drugs such as Fen-Phen, Yaz, Zyprexa, and Pradaxa. Empathize with him as he fights an eight-year battle against UBS Warburg for knowingly selling risky mortgages to investors before collecting compensation. Root him on as he files a sweeping action against 28 California wineries to force them to stop selling toxic wine contaminated with arsenic. Representing everyone from the Little Rascals to Ralph Tamm in the first NFL steroid case, Burg has lived a thousand lives. Trial by Fire shows that, like with every victory in the courtroom, he doubles down for the next adventure. Performing stand-up comedy alongside Roseanne Barr, golfing with Michael Jordan, and attending President George W. Bush's inauguration with President Bush's father, Burg has a story to tell. His undeniably explosive personality and inspiring tale—complete with theatrics, eccentricities, excitement, humor, and maybe just a hint of craziness—will make you laugh, leave you in disbelief, and, most of all, inspire you.