Swimming With the Stream – Lisa Callif Authors MovieMaker.com Article
Today’s digital era invites filmmakers to create content quickly and inexpensively, but to capitalize on new revenue streams from media companies, moviemakers must learn to alter their current production mentality. In her MovieMaker.com article “Swimming With the Stream: Entertainment Lawyer Lisa Callif on Creating Content in the Digital Era,” Partner Lisa Callif discussed the increasing legal hurdles indie moviemakers face with corporate funding of creative content.
According to Callif, independent moviemakers are “accustomed to calling the shots” and operating production on their own time table. However, when a studio funds the project, filmmakers must comply with corporate policies that they may not be accustomed to.
“Now the legal landscape is more akin to a traditional studio-driven model,” wrote Callif. “This increases budgets and potentially makes it more challenging to tell stories. This shift is causing a fracture within the independent film space, as these larger entities still want cost-effective content, but require more rights and clearances, which can be expensive.”