Hollywood Dealmaking

Negotiating Rights and Talent Agreements for Film, TV, and Digital Media

Dina Appleton, Daniel Yankelevits

• Publisher: Allworth
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781621538486
• Edition: 4
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Entertainment Industry
• Index: Law

“This book is a must-have resource for anyone looking to break into Hollywood or seasoned veterans who need a quick reference guide.”––Matt Belloni, Puck founding partner and host of The Town

The legal resources of studios and networks are legendary, often intimidating independent producers, writers, actors, directors, agents, and others as they try to navigate through the intricate maze in negotiations. This invaluable reference presents the interests of talent as well as the point of view of creative executives, producers, entertainment attorneys, agents and managers, and major guilds—making clear the role that each plays in the deal-making process.

Readers will find expert insights to talent and production deals for television, feature film, major streaming platforms, and other digital media, as well as an in-depth overview of net profits and other forms of contingent compensation. Hollywood Dealmaking, Fourth Edition, also addresses changes resulting from new union agreements, and the evolution in deals as worldwide streaming platforms and FAST channels erode the past dominance of cable and linear television. In addition, this comprehensive guide includes:

• Basics of copyright law and impacts of recent legislation and court decisions on the deal-making landscape
• New section on non-writing executive producer (NWEP) deals
• Explanations of employment deals
• Details of rights acquisition
• Sample contracts and forms
• Timely new negotiating tips on the evolving landscape straight from industry insiders
• Deal considerations of new technologies such as generative AI
• Glossary of industry lingo and terminology
• And much more!

Peppered with facts on the deals of superstar players and with summaries in each section to clarify complex legal issues, Hollywood Dealmaking is an essential resource for industry novices and veterans alike who want to sharpen their negotiation skills and successfully close each deal.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Chapter 1 | INTRODUCTION TO THE DEALMAKING PROCESS
• Chapter 2 | THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE
• Chapter 3 | RIGHTS AND ACQUISITION AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 4 | FEATURE WRITER AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 5 | TELEVISION WRITER/PRODUCER AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 6 | FEATURE FILM AND TELEVISION DIRECTOR AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 7 | FILM PRODUCER AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 8 | FEATURE ACTOR AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 9 | TELEVISION ACTOR AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 10 | CREW (BELOW-THE-LINE) AGREEMENTS
• Chapter 11 | CONTINGENT COMPENSATION NEGOTIATIONS
• Chapter 12 | THE BASICS OF COPYRIGHT LAW
• Chapter 13 | UNSCRIPTED TELEVISION
• Chapter 14 | SHORT-FORM DIGITAL CONTENT AGREEMENTS
• Appendix A | SAMPLE CONTRACTS/FORMS
• Appendix B | THE LINGO
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Index