Life Story Rights a Hot Commodity in Hollywood
Sep 13, 2011
Los Angeles, CA (Law Firm Newswire) September 12, 2011 – Hollywood is all about making a deal to get a good story for a movie or TV show that will rake in the big bucks. The story of the 33 Chilean miners and their exclusive life story rights were just purchased by producer Mike Medavoy, who recently produced “Shutter Island” and “Black Swan”. The miners’ attorney, Chilean Guillermo Carey, said that the men wanted the intricate details of their ordeal to remain secret until a proper offer was made. Undoubtedly, they were approached by many, but Medavoy ultimately landed the rights.
In a town where only so many stories are truly authentic and will draw a big audience, life story rights and agreements are a vital part of the process to stay ahead of the competition. It also helps keep audiences connected to certain studios and producers who year after year create quality work. A controversial, yet no less appealing life story was recently bought for $1 million so that the story of Colton Harris Moore, the barefoot bandit, could appear on a feature-length film. His representatives say all the monies will be donated to the victims who were affected by him as he hot wired their planes, broke into their homes, traveled around the world, and caused a lot of property damage.
“Life story rights give the buyer the right to publicity and protect the buyer from defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuits when structured correctly,” said Los Angeles entertainment attorney Anthony Spotora, of the Law Offices of Spotora & Associates, P.C. “It also gives you access to the person, heirs, or other documents they could have that are relevant to your TV or movie production.”
Life story agreements involve decisions on what is allowed to be adapted in the future by the buyer. Some buyers want the ability to make merchandise, turn the story into a play, and even tour around the world with the story, for example. These factors are all outlined in the agreement. Releases for what relatives and colleagues are needed to make the story whole will also need to be created. And depiction releases for what parts can be fictionalized or embellished are also necessary. Some life story rights are optioned and later purchased for a flat fee, and others are given a percentage of the net profits, consulting fees, and bonuses.
Spotora & Associates has some of the top Los Angeles entertainment lawyers that have been critical to award-winning TV shows and movies. For decades, they have been the go-to law firm for individuals with life story rights as well as studios, agencies, and production houses. They are experienced in life story agreements, negotiating and drafting contracts, and protecting a client’s rights.
To learn more, talk to a Los Angeles Business Lawyer or Los Angeles Entertainment Attorney by visiting http://www.spotoralaw.com/.
Law Offices of Spotora & Associates, P.C.
1801 Century Park East, 24th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90067-2302
Call: (310) 556.9641
