How do you provide & charge for services?
Each client situation is unique. Many clients utilize an hourly fee structure, where the client receives a bill for the work I do and is billed upon completion of the work. If the work involved is relatively simple and straight-forward, then a flat fee is sometimes more appropriate, regardless of the number of hours I spend on the project. Also, due to the nature of entertainment law, I often take on projects on a percentage basis - I get paid only when the client gets paid on a given project. This is often the situation for artists, where the client is cash-poor but talent-rich.
Can you help me with my legal work, even though I don't live in San Francisco or in California?
Lawyers are licensed by the particular state they reside and/or practice in. However, the entertainment business laregly revolves around California or New York. Even if you live in another state, if your business or legal issue involves a California company or individual, then I can assist you. I have assisted clients all over California, as well as clients residing in New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, London, Canada, Mexico, and Germany.
What's the deal with attorneys shopping music for their clients... and do you do this???
This question is understandable because getting your music into the right hands is extremely difficult. Some self-help books out there suggest that a musician find an attorney to submit music to labels on their behalf in order to "end run" the hurdles that record labels put into place to manage their business. This is a tricky proposition. Those self-help books recommend this step when an attorney has an established relationship with a record label, has a track record of making suggestions to that label, and is trusted as a musical ear by the A&R people at the label. Attorneys can't just randomly call up a label and get music successfully submitted. It doesn't work this way. In my opinion, attorneys who are willing to accept clients solely to do this are violating ethical standards if they 1) charge the artist any money up front or 2) take a percentage of whatever flows to the artist out of the efforts of the attorney. Submitting music to labels is often performed by attorneys as a courtesy to their existing musical clients - it shows that the attorney respects the client's work, but also that the attorney respects their attorney-client relationship. If you, as a musician, don't have that attorney relationship already established, asking attorneys to submit your music is a waste of everyone's time - especially the attorney's.
How do I keep my idea safe?
Quite honestly, using an attorney to submit ideas is your best defense. Barring a good relationship with an attorney, you can register your writing projects with the Copyright Office or with the Writers' Guild of America. If you have an idea that has not been written down, then you will want some form of Non-Disclosure Agreement with whomever you submit your idea. Basically, you need to create a traceable paper trail between you, your idea, and the recipient in order to later prove that they were witness to your idea, and that it came from only you.
How do I sell my idea?
It is extremely rare for someone to sell "just" an idea. No one is going to want to do your work for you, but if someone DOES buy your idea without any work behind it, then be prepared to receive very little money. In order to make any money from your original idea, you need to be prepared to put a little development effort into it. This includes preparing a business plan, lining up the relevant resources, people, and finances, and maybe even providing a preliminary example (i.e. short film/trailer for your feature, a sample product, a completely written pilot with treatments for a full season's worth of episodes, etc.) You must put in the time and effort in order to reap the benefit of your idea. Note: If your idea is Reality TV-based, be prepared to put in even more time and effort.
How do I get my screenplay into the hands of an actor/producer/director?
If you do not have an agent - and historically the above question only comes from people who do not yet have agents - then getting your material into the appropriate hands is purely a relationship/networking effort. You must find someone who knows the actor/producer/director's people and convince them that your material is worth passing along. This takes persistence, dedication, strong networking ties, as well as the ability to handle many "no's" before reaching the YES. Many people turn to entertainment attorneys to help them shop their idea, screenplay or music. Because entertainment attorneys are one of the first resources that successful artistic ventures secure, studios, agents and record labels feel more comfortable reviewing materials that are represented by counsel.
