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Monthly Archives: May 2007

What is a Producer?

 

“I think only people in the theater know what a producer is. The public does not know. It knows a writer writes, and an actor acts, and a director tells them what to do. A producer raises money. Well, he does, and in some cases thats all he does. But the workers in the theater know that this is not the real thing. A producer is a rare, paradoxical genius -hard-headed, soft-hearted, cautious, reckless, a hopeful innocent in fair weather, a stern pilot in stormy weather, a mathematician who prefers to ignore the laws of mathematics and trust intuition, an idealist, a realist, a practical dreamer, a sophisticated gambler, a stage-struck child. That's a producer.”

— Oscar Hammerstein II

No Permit Required – Handheld Filming & Photogaphy in NYC

The City of New York has agreed to relax its film permit requirements.

According to the Associated Press, Filmmakers and photographers using handheld equipment on city streets will no longer be required to obtain permits.

In January, 2006 The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of an award-winning filmmaker detained by police while shooting a documentary about post 9/11 New York. The settlement calls for the city to relax its permit requirement, and provide a written rulebook governing the issuance of permits.

Copyright and Contract in conflict?

Professor Eric Goldman’s Technology & Marketing Law Blog has an interesting article about the simmering dispute over copyrights in photographs of public-domain works of art.

It seems a public interest group recently downloaded scores of photographs from the Smithsonian Institution and posted them on the photo-sharing site flickr. The problem is… the Smithsonian’s ‘copyright’ page prohibits this type of exploitation of the images… even if they’re in the public domain.

Can contract law reach where copyright law doesn’t?

Musicians Union approves new Broadway contract

82% of the American Federation of Musicians local 802 members voted today to approve a new contract with Broadway Producers. The three year agreement is the conclusion of negotiations between the Union, the League of American Theatres and Producers, Disney Theatricals, and Musical Rights, Inc. The new agreement preserves the musician’s health plan, which has… Continue Reading

Student Sues Board of Education for showing 'Brokeback Mountain' in class.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a 12-year-old girl and her grandparents have sued the Chicago Board of Education alleging that a substitute teacher showed “Brokeback Mountain” in class. The complaint claims that Jessica Turner was traumatized after viewing the movie in her 8th grade class last year. They want $500,000 in damages for the… Continue Reading

Our Newest Client!

Congratulations to Naoko and Bob Marino on the birth of their baby girl, Hana. Hana was born on April 4th, 2007! Bob is a musician, musical director and teacher. He’s also Gordon’s best friend of over 25 years, and partner in Fierce Theatricals, Inc. Continue Reading

New Jersey joins the club: passes a "Truth In Music" law.

Did you know that in ten states it’s against the law to impersonate a music band? New Jersey recently became the tenth state to pass a “Truth in Music” bill. Led by a lobbying effort from vintage singing groups like the Drifters and Sha Na Na, musicians have pushed for legislation making it illegal to… Continue Reading

"All the World's a Stage" – Basics of Theatre Law for Hollywood lawyers.

On Monday, June 4th, 2007, Gordon Firemark will present “All the World’s a Stage” – Basics of Theatre Law for Hollywood lawyers. The Theater is among the first-developed of America’s entertainment industry businesses, and a significant body of law exists surrounding this business, yet the legal, regulatory and collectively bargained frameworks within which theater producers,… Continue Reading

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