Your first job is to make your idea as compelling as possible so someone will want to buy it. But assuming you've done that, If an agent, producer, or executive is offering you a contract get yourself an experienced entertainment attorney to review it.
The entertainment world is full of artists who signed contracts without reviewing them only to learn later they signed away the rights to their ideas and projects. According to Dave Marsh, his biographer, Bruce Springsteen signed his first management contract on the hood of a car without reading it. It cost him lots of time and money to end that relationship. The best way to avoid that situation is to get the advice of an attorney that knows the business.
Some people recommend hiring an attorney before you start pitching ideas. I think that depends on where you are in your process. If you haven't committed your idea to paper and developed it to a point that would interest a media company, don't bother with an attorney. You need to make your idea compelling first. If you have done that work, an entertainment attorney can help you. A good one can even open doors for you with production companies and networks.
But just like you wouldn't sign a contract blindly don't hire the first entertainment lawyer you find on the internet. Ask friends for recommendations. Ask the attorney for references. Can you find out who else he or she represents in the business? Remember the attorney will be working for you, so treat hiring an entertainment attorney with at least the same amount of care you'd hire an employee at your business.
Remember: Don't sign a contract with anyone without having an attorney review it.
No comments:
Post a Comment