Entertainment Lawyers

How do you campaign for something as illustrious as the Oscars when you can’t even meet up with the voters you’re trying to court? This is the key question that has plagued the movie industry this year. While much has been made about the more-open playing field created by 2020’s lack of Box Office Oscar-bait, BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the best entertainment law firms Los Angeles wants to take a closer look at the difficulties that have hit the Oscar campaign trail, too. Naturally, flashy premiers and private screenings have long been a tool to rocket a film to Oscar prominence. Much of this would typically fall on the theatrical industry, but with key areas like LA and NYC remaining shuttered for almost the entirety of the eligible period, and no major gatherings being allowed country-wide, we’ve seen little chance for this to occur. Another key tool in the Oscar promotion toolbox is the celebrity endorsement from prominent Academy members. Yet again, it’s difficult to publicize th...

  This year we see 4 bold and remarkable International Film Feature entries for the Oscars. As of yet, there is no clear frontrunner, and it’s probably unwise indeed to try and predict one in this weird Oscar season of dark horses and indie productions. The entertainment Lawyer BLAKE & WANG P.A has all the info you need. Possibly the wildest- and the most deviant- of the nominations belongs to India’s Jallikattu. It has impressed critics to the core, despite an on-paper B-movie setup in which a buffalo rampages through a village. Yet we see a crazy progression of figures bring petty jealousy, senseless violence, and sheer incompetence to life in a dazzling reminder of man’s dubious status as the most savage animal of all. Bosch-like cinematography pairs off with impressive direction to create a wild-card that seems improbable on paper, but delivers delight on the screen. It’s paired against Never gonna snow again , a Polish entry in which we see a fascinating and compelling b...

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...

SAG-AFTRA and AEA are pitted against each other over Broadway matters during the pandemic, with knock-on effects for the industry. Entertainment law firms San Francisco to LA and beyond have been monitoring the situation carefully, so we have all the information you need to stay in the loop. We’ve looked in detail at the complexities of the matter before, as well as the core of AEA’s argument. Today we take a closer look at SAG-AFTRA’s response, and where the matter currently lies.  Unsurprisingly, after some pretty accusatory statements of contract poaching and breaching solidarity from AEA’s side, SAG-AFTRA has come back swinging, labeling the claims made as ‘blatantly untrue.’ They note that SAG-AFTRA has traditionally had jurisdiction over broadcast and recorded media, and that (far from the claimed ‘breaches of AEA jurisdiction’) AEA is, in fact, the ones attempting to poach from SAG-AFTRA territory. This ‘uncertainty’ over jurisdiction, they claim, is impacting their abi...