“I Promise” Documentary Series Debuts on Quibi in April 2020
Shown in 8-minute segments, “I Promise” documents the first year of the I Promise School that LeBron James opened in his hometown of Akron, Ohio in an effort to close the achievement gap by creating a new model of urban public education. Executive produced by James and CDAS client Marc Levin, among others, “I Promise”
CDAS Partners Briana C. Hill and Benjamin Jaffe Named Co-Chairs of the Entertainment and the Digital Media & Technology groups, respectively.
Briana Hill, Co-Head of the Beverly Hills office of Cowan DeBaets Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, joins Fred Bimbler and Simon Pulman in leading the firm’s Entertainment group, which includes televison (traditional to broadband), streaming, film, new media, talent, theatre and podcasting. The group assists clients with their entertainment projects through early development, the solicitation of
The New Documentary Market: Four Tips to Prepare
One thing is clear from Sundance 2020: the current market for documentary and quality unscripted projects is extremely strong. Among several eye-catching deals, the $10m paid by Apple to acquire the documentary “Boys State” matched the sum paid by Netflix to acquire “Knock Down the House” in 2019. Concurrently, premium cable outlets and SVOD platforms
Tune in today to see the premiere of CDAS client IDW Entertainment’s new Netflix series “Locke & Key.”
Lessons From Sundance 2020: Festival Trends and Predictions
Amid concerns over a weak market and the impact of streamers on the independent film industry, the 2020 Sundance Film Festival closed with the exhibition of several highly anticipated films, some record-breaking sales and the upsurge of important new deal makers. See below for some key trends that emerged from this year’s festival. Slower Initial
CDAS Client Waleed Zuaiter Stars in “Baghdad Central”
Just back from London, Fred Bimbler reports that the highly anticipated 6-part crime thriller, Baghdad Central, starring CDAS client Waleed Zuaiter, will soon debut on the UK’s Channel 4 and subsequently stream on Hulu. Watch the trailer.
CDAS Named a Top Tier Firm, Nationally, for Entertainment Law and Trademark Law in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms in America 2020,” and achieved High Rankings in Copyright and Media Law
CDAS achieved a Tier 1 ranking nationally for Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television as well as Trademark Law. The firm was also ranked nationally in Tier 2 for Copyright Law. Within New York City, CDAS was ranked in Tier 1 for Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television, Copyright Law and Trademark Law,
The Entertainment Industry in 2020: Four Legal and Business Issues For Consideration
1. AB5 Brings Uncertainty: The new California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) became effective on January 1, 2020. Originally created to codify the California Supreme Court’s decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903 (Dynamex), and to address the increase of misclassification of workers as independent contractors, the
Acquiring Videogame Properties for Film and TV: Considerations for Buyers
The videogame industry is now the most profitable individual sector of entertainment, having experienced exponential growth over the past forty years. Great games can quickly generate a large and unusually engaged fanbase, and as a result it could be argued that games will be the single biggest source of major entertainment brands for the foreseeable
Demystifying WGA Television Residuals
Under the Writers Guild of America Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement (the “Basic Agreement”), credited writers for television motion pictures, including episodic programs, are entitled to receive compensation for the reuse of their work, also known as residuals. Television residuals were first negotiated by the Writers Guild of American (the “WGA”) in 1953, under the