Getting 'rights' for a doc

fives eyes (love the name, btw) could you post on here, or pm me, a blank release form for talent? i wrote my own, and i think it covers most of the stuff on here, but i would like to have a form thats been tested and tried. is this a possibility on your part?
 
bosindy said:
I would not post contracts like the above. I know you are trying to be helpful but it is not adequate in my opinion. You definitely didn't find that in the Litwak book. Controversial documentaries are ripe for litigation so you really should have an attorney draft the contracts and go over the issues.

Jim
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agreed, it wasnt the smartest contract to post, but I did find it in the Litwak book on pg. 42 of the 2nd Expanded and Updated text. its the "Short Form" for a documentary depiction release looking over the document again i see that i did leave out wording that just about says the "and/or but not limited to" and i again apoligize as it was not supposed to be a working contract. but rather a rough template of what a much longer wordier contract will say.

thank you for pointing out the problems and your advice on tortuous interference.
 
lucidstudios said:
agreed, it wasnt the smartest contract to post, but I did find it in the Litwak book on pg. 42 of the 2nd Expanded and Updated text. its the "Short Form" for a documentary depiction release looking over the document again i see that i did leave out wording that just about says the "and/or but not limited to" and i again apoligize as it was not supposed to be a working contract. but rather a rough template of what a much longer wordier contract will say.

thank you for pointing out the problems and your advice on tortuous interference.
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Sorry, my mistake, I was thinking of The "Independent Film Producers Survival Guide" not the Litwak book when I said that. Thanks for pointing that out.
 
thekyleman71 said:
fives eyes (love the name, btw) could you post on here, or pm me, a blank release form for talent? i wrote my own, and i think it covers most of the stuff on here, but i would like to have a form thats been tested and tried. is this a possibility on your part?
Click to expand...

Wish I could help, but my understanding is that, except for background participants, one size doesn't fit all when it comes to this. Release forms are a specific type of contract that cover a multitude of areas. You need to not only license for use of image and voice but require a release from all liabilities that might arise and cover all possible exploitations of the film you're considering.

If things do come to the point that you're facing a lawsuit, one of the primary things considered is the diligence you took. Downloading a form from the internet might well be decided as not taking adequate care.

Unfortunately, I'm seeing a lot of "this is what I use" postings. Used for which documentary? Which festivals did it show at? How is it being distributed? These are the questions that should be asked when someone offers their well-intentioned legal advice.

The fact is, paperwork requirements increase with the expected distribution- a short form may work for DVD-R's sold on e-bay but not make the grade for (say) domestic distribution through Block Buster. At a certain level, Errors and Omissions Insurance has to be obtained. To give you an idea what that entails, check out http://www.filmemporium.com/insurance/AIG_E%20%20O%20Application.doc paying particular attention to the last of that document, pages seven and eight.

Speaking just for myself, I would hate to labor months on a work that I felt deeply about just to find out that I had limited myself from the beginning by not having adequate legal counsel.
 
Has anyone here who's used an entertainment lawyer have any suggestions
on how to find or pick a good one? I'm in the metro ny area so I've no
doubt I can find plenty of entertianment lawyers in the city.
But, picking one who is good and reasonably priced would be the issue.
I've dealt with lawyers (non entertainment ) in the past and all i can say is YIKES!
They can all talk well and dress well but the quality and ethics are very
varied and hard to judge until you are actually working with them and have
spent much money.
If doing a documentary are there entertainment lawyers who specialize
in documentary film?
 
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