Entertainment lawyers submissions...

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  • Entertainment lawyers submissions...

    Ok, I finally have to ask. When submitting to power people like publishers or producers, we often see that some only accept submissions from referrals, agents or entertainment lawyers. I understand agents and referrals, but can I hire an entertainment lawyer for a fee (it maybe a fee of thousands of dollars but they can be hired) and have him send my work around?

    Does this mean if I pay a high power Hollywood lawyer a bunch of money, he'll plop my material on Ron Howard's desk?


    An agent just invests a few seconds looking at a query and decides it sucks. Will a lawyer have to be paid to look at your work and say it sucks? Having decided it sucks, would he still send it out if you pay him enough? If you pay him thousands of dollars and give him a script that sucks, will he take the money, thank you, tell you your script sucks, then ask you to leave his office?

    What's the deal with this lawyer stuff?

  • #2
    Re: Entertainment lawyers submissions...

    Generally, the kind of entertainment attorney you might find willing to shotgun blind query submissions to studios or prodcos for a fee are not the kind of entertainment attorneys that studios or prodcos are going to put much stock in.

    There are always exceptions to the rule I suppose but a top-flight LA entertainment firm is not really in the practice of doing query mailings for unknown writers.

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    • #3
      Re: Entertainment lawyers submissions...

      Here's the thing with entertainment lawyers... it's not their expertise or their JOB to read and evaluate the quality of your script. That's the job of your agent and your managers. They don't have time to read your script. Nor does reading it have an impact on how they represent you. Some may read your work.

      An entertainment lawyer is there to ensure that your contract is written effectively and in your best interests. He's there to protect your rights as established in the contract. This is why many work off referrals. They trust people in their community to refer them to writers.

      I have a good entertainment lawyer who I was referred to by my old manager. He did not read my scripts. He negotiated my option/purchase contracts. He receives 5% of what I earn. If I earn $0, then so does he.

      If you don't have an entertainment lawyer, you can hire one on an hourly rate, but you should also be able to find one that will get paid in the traditionally manner. If you can get a referral, great, but if not you can solicit a law firm by using DDP and research one and contact them to inquire if any of their lawyers are accepting new clients.

      In lieu of an agent, your entertainment lawyer can negotiate your option/purchase agreement.

      An agent is there to negotiate the BEST DEAL for you. Their function is primarily to get you a job and/or sale based on a monetary reward. They will determine whether your script is ready to go out. They may have notes that need to be addressed before your script goes out, but they may not read it, either. Their job is to sell your script. Their job is NOT to DEVELOP your script. They can also assist with securing attachments.

      Your manager develops your script with you. They provide direction and advice to assist you to deliver a consistent product that is SALEABLE. This can take time. Their involvement can vary depending on the manager and the writer relationship. It is the manager's JOB to help the writer develop concepts that achieve the desired career path established by both the manager and the writer together.

      There is some crossover between agent/lawyer, agent/manager and manager/lawyer.
      "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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