After shooting is completed, the critical post-production phase begins. The post-production phase of a film can take several months to complete, and often the process is much longer than the actual shooting of the movie. During this time, many steps need to be taken to produce a final finished product, such as

  • Sound mixing, including editing, adding foley, dubbing, sound effects, and music
  • Cutting hundreds of hours of raw footage into one coherent and effective storyline
  • Addition of motion graphics and any visual effects that the producer and director have planned for
  • Color grading the film
  • Archiving and storing all work in progress in an accessible format for all those working on the film
  • Finishing and mastering the film so that it is ready for distribution
  • A whole host of professionals is necessary to complete these highly technical and time intensive processes. A producer has a choice for how they wish to find these professionals. Some producers choose to contract with a post-production house or “post house,” which already has their own structure and might offer a package deal for all aspects of post-production on a particular film. An experienced attorney will be able to help producers negotiate with post houses to ensure that the agency has a solid and legitimate record of producing films, a comprehensive legal structure, and the proper goods and services for the film’s post-production needs.

    In other scenarios, a producer might wish to individually hire each person in the post production team rather than going through a post production house. If this is the case, contracts and deal memos with each of these individuals must be drafted and reviewed by all relevant parties. These contracts will outline each individual’s duties, rights, payment schedule, and obligations, among other things.

    LEGAL ASSISTANCE WITH POST-PRODUCTION

    An attorney can also help draft and send out a nondisclosure agreement with the post-production house or with the individuals contracted to complete the post-production work. These agreements, known as NDAs, are designed to protect any details about the production from being shared with anyone who is not involved with the production. These contracts protect the film’s public image by ensuring that all information about the movie is released at the appropriate time and by the producer when they are ready to do so.

    Legal counsel is an important aspect of all stages of the filmmaking process. There are many legal relationships between different parties during the production of a film, and it is vital that all these relationships are clearly negotiated and documented before each individual begins their portion of the work. Post production is a long phase of filmmaking, and various issues may come up if an effective legal framework is not constructed at the beginning of the process. If you are looking for a thorough and efficient attorney to work with you as you move through the legal complexities of any stage of filmmaking, speak with Corlandos Scott today by calling 818-707-5236 or contacting him online.