When you’re faced with any issue that requires legal representation – be it an employment tribunal, a family legal case or something far more severe, choosing your legal representation is one of the biggest choices you’ll make. After all, if you truly believe that you have a chance of winning your case, you want the very best representation for the money you can spare. Continue reading
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The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, New Frontiers in film financing.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold directed by Morgan Spurlock.
Where and When: Thursday 29th September at BFI Southbank
On Thursday I saw Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary about branding, advertising and product placement, which is entirely funded by branding, advertising and product placement.
Afterward, a panel of experts from film and advertising discussed how producers can create new synergies and forms of production finance without losing their artistic integrity. The panel included; Pippa Cross, Producer of Chalet Girl, Duncan Forrester, Head of Public Affairs, Volvo, Darryl Collis, Director of Seesaw Media, Pete Buckingham, Head of Distribution and Exhibition at the BFI
“Nothing like a cold call to let you know how little power you have.” Morgan Spurlock.
What I learned:
1) The Greatest Movie Ever Sold was the first film to be in profit before it hit theatres
2) Spurlock ‘didn’t negotiate for success’ so the brands didn’t have to pay him any more money when the movie became a runaway success.
3) In the first few months, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold had over 900 million media impressions.
4) Spurlock called over 100 ad agencies and 650 companies to contribute to the documentary, only 15 companies said yes. A success rate of only 2%.
5) Pom juice is 40% as effective as Viagra for helping a man sustain an erection.
6) Volvo did not pay to be in Twilight, the filmmakers stayed true to the fact that Edward drives a Volvo in the book. But they have people come in and buy the car Edward drives after seeing the movies, even though it’s a £35-50,000 investment.
7) A big champagne company turned down the opportunity to be in The King’s Speech because they ‘didn’t do period films’.
8) Morgan Spurlock could not legally disparage the entire country of Germany in or around the Mini that he was given for the film. Most of the contracts had a non-disparagement clause.
9) Spurlock said all of the brands asked for ROI (return on investment) but not of them got it.
10) Ditto for the final cut, Spurlock says: ‘Retain final cut or it’s not your film”. However, if your film costs more than $40-50 million, you will not get final cut.
11) Spurlock’s advice to filmmakers when negotiating with brands and advertisers is: Always know what you are willing to give up. Integrity is valuable.
12) Fed ex did not pay to be in Castaway.
13) The film uses all of the things it criticise in the beginning to sell the film to you later
14) Old Navy gave Spurlock a cheque for £200,000 after seeing the documentary at the Sundance Premiere.
15) The brands have bigger lawyer than you.
16) Pippa Cross had to spend 2K on CGI to get ride of a beer bottle on Shooting Dogs because the beer brand did not want to be associated with the genocide.
17) The Social Network has Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the cast using Sony laptops, but, factually, the real people the film is based on would have been using Apple Macs.
18) Pippa Cross got Tesco vouchers for Chalet Girl, and the best Ski brands on board.
19) Morgan Spurlock made a deal with a tri-state pet discount store; you could get a goldfish and after the first one died, use a voucher to get another one. Like Spurlock does in the film.
20) Spurlock tried to get a gun company onboard, but they all said no.
21) The lawyer Morgan interviews in his documentary tells of of the term ‘Faction’. Where fact and fiction meet, and what advertisers use to confuse you and integrate their products into your favourite TV shows and Films.
The documentary is essential viewing for anyone interested in film, or raising finance.
Michael Jackson's lawyers battle to save art
Michael Jackson’s lawyers are battling to save his $900 million secret art collection.
The late ‘Thriller’ star’s “rare intact major collection” has just been discovered, but rather than securing the financial future of his three children – Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, eight – lawyers for the star are battling to reverse its $87.7 million sale to an undisclosed international businessman.
Appraiser Eric Finzi told Star magazine the 182-piece collection, which has never publicly been seen, has “an invaluable pedigree for future sales in the international art market”.
He added: “Michael’s mystique in life combined with this exposure of his wonderful fine art creations following his tragic death will escalate the value of these works and the popularity of his artistic vision worldwide. I do not think we have begun to see the true value of this fine art yet.”
The collection is made up of drawings, sketches and sculptures made by the ‘Beat It’ singer over a number of years while being taught by an Australian artist and friend, Brett Livingston Strong.
Among the artworks are sketches of Martin Luther King, President Abraham Lincoln and President George Washington, said to be worth in all, more than $8.1 million, sketches of Jackson’s own feet doing his signature dance move the Moonwalk and recreations of the Statue of David and Dying Slave, the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo.
Before Michael died in August 2009 his estate was in financial trouble, yet a letter sent to Brett by Dr. Tohme Tohme – Jackson’s last business manager and spokesperson – paved the way for the sale, transferring over the collection of artwork free of charge “to keep, sell, copy, exhibit and to use in whatever way you wish”.
Brett and his advisors are thought to have orchestrated the deal to sell off the artwork recently.
Lawyers are now questioning the validity of the letter and trying to reverse the sale.
The letter transferring the works to Brett reads: “Michael wants you to know he is truly grateful for the loyalty you have shown him over the years, and he views this as a small token of appreciation for your continued friendship and artistic partnership.”