Entertainment Lawyers

 As we all eagerly await the ending of the last major strike action to rock the entertainment industry, we’ve seen an interesting bid from Hollywood A-listers to sweeten the deal. While the court of opinion is divided on whether it will help the negotiation process, it is an encouraging sign that SAG-AFTRA, at least, is keen to see an end to labor disruptions. You could check Entertainment lawyer Los Angeles Brandon Blake covers the unusual offer. Brandon Blake Removal of Dues Caps The suggestion, spearheaded by George Clooney and a number of other A-listers, proposes that SAG-AFTRA remove the dues cap on high-earning members to build the union’s coffers over the next 3-year period. This cap currently sits at $1,000,000 in earnings. It was also proposed that lower-income members get residual payments before those with higher incomes. The idea is that this offer could help bridge the gap in negotiations between the union and studios. Perhaps A Good Sign, If Not A Solution ...

 It’s always good to see an indie or festival title play well to home-viewing audiences. As we take a look at the toppers for this week’s PVOD charts, Netflix’s Sundance acquisition, Fair Play , is holding the fort with a strong start. Blake & Wang P.A.best entertainment lawyer in USA, Brandon Blake, has all this week’s details for you.                                                                       Brandon Blake Fair Play Has a Strong Start Fair Play premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, igniting something of a bidding war between several key players (including Neon and Searchlight Pictures) to eventually go home with Netflix for a cool $20M. It looks like they may just recoup that if its strong start at number 1 on their PVOD movies list is anything to go by. Of course, its true te...

 With the traditional red carpet promenade severely limited by strike action, the fall film festival circuit gave indie movies a near-unprecedented chance to shine to buyers. While some jitteriness around the SAG-AFTRA waiver system caused slower-than-normal sales and some of the larger AMPTP distributors to opt for a ‘wait and see’ policy, there have been some strong acquisitions to keep on your radar. Entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A., highlights just a few to watch. Brandon Blake Festival and Post-Festival Sales Of the titles acquired during the festival itself, we see Sing Sing (to A24) headed to 2024 theatrical release in a seven-figure deal. Sorry/Not Sorry (Greenwich Entertainment) and Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (Wavelengths)also attracted considerable festival attention. Despite the quiet market overall for documentaries, Netflix took home Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa alongside Women of the Hour as th...

 AMC Entertainment announced last spring that they would be introducing an ad-supported tier to their flagship streaming service, AMC+. Following the broader trend of offering lower-cost subscriptions in return for advertising space, the rollout of this ad-supported tier has finally begun. Check one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles from Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake, unpacks the details we have.                                                                  Brandon Blake A $5 Subscription with ‘Light Ad Load’ Launching at $5 monthly, this represents a significant price reduction from the existing $9 premium tier. Offering ‘no more than’ 5 minut...

 Every weekend can’t be a Barbie weekend at the Box Office, but we still have some promising progress even as we enter the awkward mid-season slump time for theatrical releases before we fully enter the end-of-year cycle. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney in USA, Brandon Blake, takes a closer look at this weekend’s performances.                                                                Brandon Blake A Spooky Double Billing The Nun II sequel continues to build on the franchise-best start it had last weekend with $14.7M, for a gross so far of $56.5M domestically and a further $30.1M in international markets. This also puts it as another 2023 film with ove...

 In the current dual-strike environment, it sometimes seems very little progress has been made at all. We’ve even seen a negotiation phase just to get back to the negotiating table! However, it finally seems like there should be some movement from at least one of the strikes, with the WGA and AMPTP set to return to the bargaining table this week. Brandon Blake,the USA entertainment attorney at Blake & Wang P.A. shares what we know so far. Brandon Blake Negotiations This Week While we’d love to be able to offer fully concrete details on the new talks, sadly we are still in vague territory. Other than a promise of scheduling a meeting ‘this week’, exact timelines are still vague indeed. However, despite some very eager talk from the AMPTP itself about their willingness to end the strike ‘as soon as possible,’ all does not seem to be well on their side of the bargaining table.   The announcement comes right as talk of ‘internal friction’ amid the top streamer and st...

 Has there been any more contentious issue in the entertainment industry this year than that of residuals? One potential solution to this thorny issue lies in the success-based residual metrics already employed in parts of Europe- ironically, and most notably, by Netflix themselves. Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer Los Angeles from Blake & Wang P.A, takes a look at this most unusual development. Brandon Blake The European Model Where European copyright legislation and Netflix meet, there could be middle ground. Netflix has already established several collective streamer residual agreements in European countries, from France to Germany, and Scandinavia. These agreements offer additional compensation to creators for well-performing content. However, the level of transparency regarding compensation details remains a concern for both unions and streamers.   It’s no secret that European entertainment markets are more heavily regulated than others, with EU law manda...