Entertainment Lawyers

 The Chinese New Year box office has launched what may be the world’s next biggest animation success. As Ne Zha 2 continues to blow through local Chinese records, it’s also beginning to make its name on the global stage. Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer Los Angeles at Blake & Wang P.A., shares this exciting news.                                                                     Brandon Blake Bigger than Inside Out 2 ? It is thoroughly remarkable to be talking about global records around a film that has yet to release outside of the Chinese market. Ne Zha 2 will only open this week in North America, New Zealand, and Australia. However, with takings now topping $1.37B from its Chinese run alone, Ne Zha 2 has already knocked The Super Mario Bros. Movie out of its spot on the Top 3 animated films of...

                                                                                            Brandon Blake Amazon has canceled HBO Max subscriptions as of last week, as WarnerMedia leaves its bouquet of channels. Anticipating significant subscriber loss with the move, HBO Max has announced a dramatic price cut to head off the potential hemorrhaging. With such a major entertainment business move afoot, we asked entertainment lawyer Los Angeles and industry expert, Brandon Blake, to weigh in on the implications.  Amazon Prime Video subscribers accounted for just north of 5 million HBO subscribers, so this is no small shift. Will the lure of 50% off for the first 6 months be enough to entice these lost subscribers back, or at least to bring in replacements? ...

The recent introduction of the Nielsen ‘The Gauge’, to provide more accurate monthly figures on viewing, has finally given studios and marketers what they want- a real picture of the state of audience numbers across linear and streaming channels. What it has revealed, however, is slightly unexpected. Where to now for interested advertisers? BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Attorney look into it.  Brandon Blake - Managing partner at Blake & Wang P.A The complaints that Nielsen’s traditional methodology don’t match the streaming era have been heavy. Without a proper knowledge of how streaming sits in comparison to linear TV, making smart advertising decisions is near impossible. And with so many streams turning to ad-supported tiers, the lack has been devastating. Finally, we’ve seen Nielsen update its strategies, no doubt in response to the push to direct-to-consumer tactics from major studios.  The results were surprising. The...

With 2020 having brought one of the most unpredictable, strangest years for movies there has ever been, the Oscars feel like an uncertain entity for many this season. As always, SAG Awards nominations (and wins) are expected to have a heavy hand in predicting who will see their Oscar campaigns succeed, so BLAKE & WANG P.A  one of the best entertainment law firms San Francisco are watching the SAG Awards process gear up with much interest. Who can we expect to see nominated? While nothing is ever certain, it’s highly unlikely Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Anthony Hopkins in The Father will be snubbed. That’s quite an interesting pairing, given one will be (very regrettably) posthumous, and the other has never won a SAG award.  The field is a lot more open on the women’s side. There are probably a dozen stellar performances that each deserve a slot. Probably the only safe bet currently is Frances McDormand’s Nomadland performance, which has shone with t...

There’s no secret that the rigorous safety protocols being used on sets have had a positive effect in creating safe working environments for thousands in the film industry. Sadly, in the face of an America that hasn’t performed as well generally, there still may be good reasons for a temporary pause in LA-based filming as the second wave crashes over us. BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Attorney Los Angeles investigate further. The appeal has come from the overwhelmed Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, urging productions in the Southern California area to consider focusing on low-risk productions or pausing filming for a few weeks. This comes as the area faces a catastrophic surge in ‘second wave’ COVID-19 cases, where hospitals face oxygen and bed shortages.  This is fully supported by both SAG-AFTRA and the Producer’s Guild, who, in conjunction with key advertisers, have urged that commercial production be put on ice for a few weeks. Most major studios and streame...

As 2020 draws to a tumultuous close, there’s one thing for sure- this has been a year like no other for the entertainment industry. Netflix would soar to prominence as streaming services boomed, driven by the needs of people suddenly facing quarantine and stay-at-home orders. Despite the vaccine roll-out, at least the early parts of 2021 are likely to face similar challenges, so Netflix will likely opt to order along the guidelines established this year. BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Attorney takes a look at what that is. The Surprises While possibly not too surprising in the wake of the controversial murder of George Floyd, it’s unlikely that many would have predicted a rise in demand for documentaries and other fare that highlights the BIPOC experience. Netflix wrappered this in 2020 as their ‘Black Lives Matter’ collection. Shows like Dear White People (700%), 13th (5000%), and LA92 (1300%) would see soaring engagement numbers. With the entertainment industry itself also pu...

  As we’re sure you’re aware, the WGA has seen a rocky 18 months to date trying to force agencies to comply with its demanded end to packaging fees for writers. So far, the only holdouts have been the CAA and the WME- but why? With an end to the standoff promised soon, we take a quick look at the reasoning behind it.  On the CAA side, it has an ownership interest in the affiliate whip. WME has ownership stakes in Endeavor Content to consider. That alone isn’t the entirety of the problem, however. It’s that the WGA demands any ownership stakes in production entities be 20% or less… a slightly problematic demand for both. So there can be a little surprise it’s been tough getting to this point. The CAA had, however, announced in a statement earlier this month that it will accept the bulk majority of the guild’s terms, save a ‘few details’ around wiip to tweak. The WGA still, however, refused to agree to the proposed changes. Probably wisely, to be honest. While both have a...