LAW AND PRACTICE WITH THE HOLLYWOOD GUILDS
(LAWF-4033) - 3 UNITS

Students pursuing careers as "entertainment lawyers" in the audio-visual industries will sooner or later encounter the extensive and pervasive impact and influence of these "above the line" unions -- the Directors of Guild of America [DGA], the Screen Actors Guild [SAG]/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists [AFTRA] and the Writers Guild of America [WGA]. The collective bargaining agreements of these unions govern the employment of actors/performers and the directing team and writers. To be fully effective, lawyers in the audio-visual industries will require and understanding of the law, agreements and the industry practices with regard to these unions.

This course examines:
A. The federal and state laws and regulations (labor law, intellectual property law, agency law, contract law, the regulatory schemes for talent agents and artists representatives, other) applicable to the operations of these guilds in the audio-visual industries (film, television and the internet and the ancillary DVD and similar markets).
B. The collective bargaining agreements which regulate the employment of actors/performers, directors and writers (including the purchase and sale of literary material), and
C. The current and evolving practices within the industry in regard to the above-the-line guild agreements, and
D. The current and future issues emerging, for example, from the internet, digitalization, internationalization, globalization and the increasing presence of conglomerated and integrated production/distribution/exhibition companies.

This course is taught by Adjunct Professor Brian Walton. He was Executive Director (and Chief Negotiator) for the WGA for 13 years, chief negotiator for SAG and a consultant for the Producers Guild of America. A member of the California Bar for 40+ years, he has been involved with the entertainment industry and the world of the guilds in the US and abroad for most of that time.

Pass/Fail:
No

Prerequisites:
None