Entertainment

OVERVIEW

EXPERIENCE

With over 75 years of experience in all the legal aspects of film, television and music production, the attorneys of The Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law Group of Pailet & Ostendorf, LLP offers our clients unique and unparalleled service both domestically and internationally.   Members of the firm have worked in all aspects of business affairs for productions ranging in size from major theatrical releases, TV, and Music to avant-garde experimental films, including every aspect from chain of title to distribution.  In addition, we have handled transactional and business aspects related to merchandising, book publishing, radio, video games and multi-media entertainment.  P&O Law handles all types of issues pertaining to the United States Copyright Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the United States Trademark Act, as well as certain international intellectual property laws.  
 
LOCAL AND REGIONAL EXPERIENCE

In addition to our knowledge of the complex and detail-oriented nature of funding, producing and distributing of motion pictures, music, and other intellectual property assets, our years of Louisiana and Gulf South experiences allows us to provide our clients unparalleled insight into the industry dynamics, local crew base and the myriad of ever changing local market conditions.  This insight translated directly into savings on production budgets.

Filming in Louisiana is unique from filming anywhere else in the world.  The unique topography of Louisiana allows production companies to film almost any environment with the exception of alpine mountains.  New Orleans has doubled for a wide range of urban settings ranging for tree lined “Americana” suburbs of middle America, the high fashion central business districts of New York City and Chicago to the gritty industrial setting of the “rust belt”.  Rural Louisiana offers an unsurpassed range of settings from upland old growth forests to sweeping farm lands and the deep swamps of Cajun country, as well as historical architecture.

Just as Louisianan can offer all you need regarding locations, The Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law Group of Pailet & Ostendorf, LLP can offer all you need with respect to getting your project from concept onto the screen or stage. 

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

Members of our firm have taken the lead in ensuring that Louisiana is an entertainment friendly state.  Mr. Pailet is a former member of the Louisiana State Film Commission and served as the co-chairman of the Louisiana State Music Commission, and he and the other members of the firm have represented many film, music, and television entities. The firm’s decisive leadership role has been instrumental in ensuring that the economic incentives at the state level continue to evolve in a way that will foster the motion picture, music, and digital media industries in Louisiana.

FILM AND TELEVISION

The attorneys at Pailet & Ostendorf, LLP represent film and television writers and performers, producers, production companies, technology proprietors, directors, actors, models, spokespeople, independent film distributors, and all other people and entities whose business pertains to the film and television industries. We advise our clients on a range of legal and business needs in diverse areas, including corporate structure and finance, business planning, talent agreements, literary acquisition and sales agreements, production and distribution contracts.  We draft, review and negotiate any and all types of contracts related to the film and television industries. Our 75 plus years of overall legal experience in Louisiana and the Gulf South gives us unparalleled access to the top local producers and above- and below-the-line talent.

The following is an abbreviated list of the local services and industry professionals to which we have access, and which we can help secure for our clients.

PRE-PRODUCTION

Budgets

  • UPM
  • Script Breakdown
  • Office Staffing
  • Animation Services
  • Construction
  • Rentals
  • Travel
  • Computers
  • Re-writes

Logistics

  • Schedules
  • Food
  • Transportation
  • Payroll
  • Timelines

POST-PRODUCTION 

  • Post-supervisor
    • Editor
    • Animation Staff
    • Music Supervision
      • Scoring
      • Sound Editor
      • Voice-over
      • Foley Sound

PRODUCTION

  • Admin Staff
    • Line Producers
    • PAs
    • Craft Services
    • Courier Services
  • Production Staff
    • Supervisor
    • Actors and Talent
      • Extras
      • Stand-Ins            
    • Practical effects
      • Special effects
    • Stunt coordinator
    • Hair/makeup
    • Costume Lead
    • Cinema photography
      • Gaffer
        • Bestboy Electric
        • Electrician
      • Key Grip
        • Bestboy
        • Grips
      • Camera
        • First
        • Second
    • Boom operator
      • Sound mixer
    • Art director
      • Art Department

MUSIC

Pailet & Ostendorf, LLP handles all transactional aspects of the music industry business – from protecting the music asset through registration with the Copyright Office, to counseling bands on building their brands, preparing industry agreements and assisting clients with making creative and financial decisions, to assisting with digital distribution and merchandising of music assets.  We draft, review and negotiate any and all types of contracts related to the music industry.
We represent songwriters, recording artists, producers, production companies, publishing companies, managers, record labels, and technology and website owners.  In addition, we represent copyright owners and controllers in all aspects of music recording, publishing, copyright administration, licensing, and digital distribution over the Internet and electronic commerce.  We also handle the contractual aspects of concert tours and festivals.

INTERNET AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA

The Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law Group of Pailet & Ostendorf, LLP handles all aspects of interactive media related to entertainment.  We assist our clients with acquiring domain names and setting up music and film websites, advise on advertising on the Internet, and draft and negotiate contracts for website design and development, hosting agreements, privacy policies, terms of use agreements, confidentiality agreements, and digital distribution contracts.  We represent application service providers, website operators, music and film website owners, entertainment-related technology companies, video games developers, and electronic entertainment and information service providers.

LITERARY PUBLISHING

The attorneys at P&O Law have advised book authors, ghost writers and publishers in connection with their literary works and legal relationships with literary agents, publishing companies, and electronic publishers.  We review and negotiate contracts involving the legal relationships between the author and agent, author and publisher, publisher and distributor, publisher and packager, content provider and electronic publisher, as well as other collaborative arrangements, permissions and licenses.

MERCHANDISING

The attorneys at P&O Law have represented and negotiated agreements on behalf of trademark and copyright owners and merchandise companies in connection with their creation, manufacture, and distribution of products.

VISUAL ARTS

The attorneys at P&O Law assist visual artists to promote and sell their works by counseling on the legal protections afforded to art work, advising on the creation and management of virtual galleries, and facilitating business opportunities with other sectors of the entertainment industry.  We have reviewed, drafted and negotiated all types of art-related agreements, including work-for-hire agreements, consignments, purchase agreements, artist-art gallery contracts, and loan agreements.