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| TDF Helps Make Ticket-Buying Easier With New App and Patron Services  January 3, 2011 - In January 2011, the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York will open the doors of The Indie Film Clinic, which will provide free legal services to eligible independent and documentary film projects. The first program of its kind in New York City, the Clinic is designed to help the nascent and indie producer meet the often challenging legal demands of filmmaking. All work on selected projects will be undertaken free of charge.“More than simply a labor of love, making a film requires a significant investment of time and money,” said Clinic director Thomas A. Crowell, “but while countless hours are spent setting up shots and editing footage, many independent producers face a financial struggle trying to take care of the legal aspects of their productions. As a result, producers often learn the difficult lesson that no matter how good their films may be, a distributor can't sell a movie unless all of the necessary rights and permissions have been secured. In fact, without the correct agreements in place, producers may be surprised to find out that they may not even own their own films.” For more than twenty years, Cardozo has supplemented its core legal instruction with clinical programs for students that blend both theory and practice by combining professional work experience with academic instruction and supervision. Each year, nearly 400 upper-level law students at Cardozo help to represent real clients under the supervision of expert attorneys at a wide variety of clinics, ranging from The Innocence Project to the Immigration Justice Clinic. In doing so, they perform an important public service by making legal services available to underrepresented communities. The Indie Film Clinic continues this tradition by offering free legal counsel on production issues for smaller budget independent, documentary and student films shot in the City. Attorneys at the Clinic will be available to advise producers on issues ranging from copyright research and registration, intellectual property licenses, location permits, guild registrations, writer’s agreements, employment agreements, postproduction supervisor agreements and more. An informational session will be held for filmmakers and producers on Tuesday, January 18 at 6pm at Cardozo’s campus at 55 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street. Clinic attorneys will be on hand at the session to discuss the Clinic and answer questions. To RSVP, contact David Morrison, executive director of the Clinic, at dmorriso@yu.edu. If you’re unable to attend, call 212.790.0417 or email (dmorriso@yu.edu) to discuss scheduling an initial interview. For more information, visit the Clinic online at cardozo.yu.edu/indiefilmclinic. | |
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