Past UCLA Entertainment Symposia

Relive the excitement of past UCLA Entertainment Symposia.

Most prior Symposia Syllabi are available from the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law. To order, complete the syllabus order form and return by mail with check or money order. For any other questions or further inquiries please email ziffreninstitute@law.ucla.edu.

Past Symposia

  • 2023 Symposium

    The Disrupters, the Disrupted, and the Disrupted Disrupters

    47th Annual Entertainment Symposium

    Wed May 31 | Wed June 7 | Fri June 9

    Bela BajariaKeynote Speaker: Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Netflix

    For a decade or more, one of the dominant narratives in the entertainment industry has been the disruption of the legacy players and their businesses by the arrival of deep-pocketed, norm-breaking tech companies. But in the last few years, even these giants have weathered stock price plunges, endured labor conflict as the sequel to a global pandemic and faced the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. This year's Entertainment Symposium will explore how these disruptions have led to an ongoing transformation in traditional business models, production methods, and labor markets, while also highlighting key areas of law. Over the course of the program, an array of distinguished executives, entrepreneurs, attorneys and academics will examine how the entertainment industry's major players have adapted (or failed to adapt) to this challenging and rapidly changing business environment and consider what upstarts will thrive – and what legacy players will survive – in the industry's next phase.

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending all three (3) sessions, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 6.25 total credits (4.25 hours of general credit, 1 hour of elimination of bias credit, and 1 hour of legal ethics credit).

     

    Wed May 31, 2023

    Day 1 Syllabus Preview

    Dean's Remarks

    Presenter:

    • Dean Russell Korobkin, Interim Dean and Richard C. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    After Covid: The Industry Resets

    Three and a half years after Covid’s arrival, the industry works to find its footing again.  This year’s opening session sets the stage with the Symposium’s annual status report exploring box office recovery, streaming, and digitally driven advertising. This presentation will explore how streaming maturity and higher interest rates are leading to an end of the “golden age of production,” previously fueled by capital and emphasis on growth over profits. It will consider the evolving role theatricals can play in support of streaming, along with a study of the increased divergence between box office success and best picture honorees. It will also explore the many varied definitions of new…and not so new…FAST services. And it will consider these as factors contributing to today’s extremely difficult labor environment.

    Presenter:

    • Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC

    Dearly Departed: A Review of the Legal and Industry Implications of the Entertainment Job Market

    With the widely publicized entertainment layoffs and changing job market, attorneys and executives are faced navigating issues including severance, high level employment agreements and compliance with labor laws. The navigation of these issues within the entertainment industry – from recruitment to termination – also requires a nuanced understanding of industry norms. This panel of experts will help deconstruct the legal and market realities of the dearly departed while also considering how bias can impact the process of hiring, firing and retaining a diverse pool of employees.

    Moderator:

    • Azi Amirteymoori, Owner/Employment Attorney/Senior HR Consultant, 403 Ops Consulting

    Panelists:

    • Connie L. Chen, Principal, Jackson Lewis P.C.
    • Joanna Sucherman, Owner, JLS Media
    • Amanda N. Luftman, Managing Partner, Boren, Osher & Luftman, LLP

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this session, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 0.75 hour of general credit and 1 hour of elimination of bias credit.

     

    Wed June 7, 2023

    Day 2 Syllabus Preview

    Representing Everyone, Everywhere, All at Once:  Entertainment Industry Conflicts and How to Navigate Them
    The John H. Mitchell Panel on Ethics and Entertainment

    Attorneys that practice in entertainment can be a relatively small and insular group, negotiating with the same people and companies deal after deal. Attorneys may represent multiple parties on the same side of a transaction including the writer, director, showrunner; and/or cast members on a particular film or television project. These types of repeated and intertwined representations often raise ethical issues. This panel will focus on providing guidance to attorneys in the entertainment industry on complying with their obligations pursuant to the California Rules of Professional Conduct, including advice when an attorney is faced with representing two or more clients on a deal, when clients’ interests are ostensibly aligned but become adverse, and the pitfalls of representing various clients in repeated transactions with the same party. It will offer advice on how to avoid stepping over the line and when it may be time to withdraw. Finally, it will look at what happens and explore what to do if faced with a malpractice suit or disciplinary proceedings in this area.

    Moderator:

    • Scott L. Cummings, Professor of Law and Robert Henigson Professor of Legal Ethics, UCLA School of Law

    Panelists:

    • Amy L. Bomse, Partner, Rogers Joseph O’Donnell
    • Jeffrey M. Davidson, Partner, Covington & Burling
    • Sally C. James, Partner, Greenberg Glusker

    New Frontiers: How Artificial Intelligence Presents New Opportunities (and Risks) for the Entertainment Industry

    Artificial Intelligence and machine learning has had a swift impact on society and more particularly, the entertainment industry. Increasingly powerful and sophisticated generative AI presents new opportunities for creators, talent, and studios but also numerous risks for these stakeholders. From copyright questions to labor rights, from virtual production spaces to posthumous deepfakes, it is a time of excitement and trepidation. This panel will discuss these issues from a variety of perspectives, staying abreast of the most recent technological and legal developments in this fast-moving space.

    Moderator:

    • Nathaniel Bach, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

    Panelists:

    • Travis Cloyd, CEO, Worldwide XR, Global Futurist, Thunderbird School of Global Management
    • Ted Schilowitz, Futurist-in-Residence, Paramount
    • P.J. Shapiro, Founding Partner, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this session, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1 hour of general credit and 1 hour of legal ethics credit.

     

    Fri June 9, 2023

    Day 3 Syllabus Preview

    Welcome and Opening Remarks

    Chairpersons Emeriti Recognition: Matthew C. Thompson & Lawrence Ulman

    Presenters:

    • Elsa Ramo, Co-Chair, UCLA Entertainment Symposium Advisory Committee; Managing Partner & Founder, Ramo Law PC
    • Craig Wagner, Co-Chair, UCLA Entertainment Symposium Advisory Committee; Executive Vice President, Business Affairs & General Counsel, Paradigm Talent Agency
    • Christa Zofcin Workman, Co-Chair, UCLA Entertainment Symposium Advisory Committee; Co-President & COO, River Road Entertainment

    The Price of a Name: Navigating the World of Fictionalized True Stories and Celebrity Endorsements

    Film and television are so often based on the stories of actual people and real-life events. A few recent examples include the films TILL and AIR and the limited series DOPESICK, PAM & TOMMY and THE DROPOUT. Studios and production companies frequently go out of their way to acquire an individual’s “life rights” or partner with celebrities to tell their stories. What is the price of a celebrity’s name, likeness and life rights?  Are life rights necessary to tell someone’s story?  This panel will explore financial and other issues surrounding the production of fictionalized true stories and content inspired by true events. The panel will also examine the world of celebrity endorsements, the inherent risks in talent lending their names to promote products or services, and how to avoid costly mistakes that can damage a celebrity’s reputation or brand in the market.

    Moderator:

    • Hillary Bibicoff, Of Counsel, Pierce Law Group LLP

    Panelists:

    • Lisa Callif, Partner, Donaldson Callif Perez, LLP
    • Ann Brigid Clark, Shareholder, Greenburg Traurig
    • Kevin Vick, Partner, Jassy Vick Carolan LLP

    Whose IP Is It Anyway? Source Material and Underlying Rights in Film and TV

    So many film and television shows today are based on underlying material. Whether a novel, blog, videogame or television format, literary and underlying rights deals are common in nearly every aspect of filmmaking and television production. This panel will examine issues surrounding source material agreements including granting and reserving rights, reversions when things don't go as planned, copyright termination and the management of a deceased author's estate that controls valuable copyright libraries.

    Moderator:

    • Matt Belloni, Founding Partner, Puck

    Panelists:

    • Michael Grizzi, Executive Vice President, Motion Picture Legal, Paramount Pictures
    • Michael Sherman, Partner, Reed Smith
    • Michelle Weiner, Head of Books Department, Creative Artists Agency

    On Popcorn and Purpose: When We Do More Than Entertain

    Presenter:

    • Douglas Lichtman, Professor of Law and Faculty Director of Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law, UCLA School of Law

    Keynote

    • Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Netflix
    • Ken Ziffren, Partner & Co-Founder, Ziffren Brittenham LLP

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this session, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 2.5 hours of general credit.

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending all three (3) sessions, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 6.25 total credits (4.25 hours of general credit, 1 hour of elimination of bias credit, and 1 hour of legal ethics credit).

     

    2023 Entertainment Symposium Sponsors

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    FRIENDS OF THE SYMPOSIUM

  • 2022 Symposium

    Fungible Hollywood: From Box Office to Bytes to Blockchain

    46th Annual Entertainment Symposium

    June 8 | June 15 | June 22

    Mary ParentKeynote Conversation with Mary Parent, Chairman of Worldwide Production, Legendary Entertainment

    The entertainment industry has not yet had time to settle into a durable new equilibrium for the digital/streaming age, and already, a raft of new technologies are poised to further upend how business is done in Hollywood. There is little question that these advancements will have a dramatic impact on our industry, but the scale and quality of that impact are being determined day-by-day in the marketplace. Does artificial intelligence offer the promise of unprecedented sophistication in business and creative decision making, or a perilous minefield of ethical, legal, and humanist concerns? Are non-fungible tokens the future of financing and monetizing content, or a fad that will fade when the market runs out of "greater fools?" These developments and others like them all have broad social implications beyond the world of entertainment. The 2022 Symposium will examine the ongoing collision among the technologies and business models of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and will consider: will the entertainment industry find a way to coopt and transform these advancements for its own benefit, or will it instead find itself coopted and transformed by the evolving world around it?

    June 8, 2022

    Week 1 Syllabus Preview

    Dean's Remarks

    Presenter:
    Dean Jennifer L. Mnookin, Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director, PULSE @ UCLA Law (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence), UCLA School of Law

    Streaming in a Time of War, Pestilence & Inflation

    Tom Wolzien opens the annual industry review with his usual business and legal status report, including the financials for advertising, video delivery, broadband, mobile, box office, and streaming providers during Covid’s second year.  Looking at the economy, Wolzien will explore the impact of high inflation on advertising and the historical box office.  Touching on the Netflix crash and the need for ad-based VOD (AVOD) as a second revenue stream for subscription (SVOD) players, his report will compare “watchability” of some AVOD programs to those on ad-based linear services.  Wolzien will discuss the merits and drawbacks of various business and legal strategies for streaming companies and will then pose the question whether the marketing by all SVOD players may be missing a key component, as he introduces the idea of Box Office Equivalency through an analysis of the 136 top streaming movies reported by Netflix last year. 

    Presenter:
    Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC and The Video Call Center, LLC

    Pearls and Pitfalls of NFTs in the Entertainment Industry

    With their emergence as a multi-billion-dollar business, NFTs were bound to collide with the entertainment industry and bring about new opportunities along with associated perils. A conversation with a leading NFT influencer followed by a panel discussion with some of the legal and business minds immersed in NFTs will explore the vast opportunities NFTs bring to the entertainment industry and the costly mistakes that await those lacking careful planning and knowledgeable advisors. The panel will look at how NFTs are created, marketed, and sold, as well as trends in the market and on the NFT exchanges.

    Moderator for Part 1 and Part 2:
    Tom K. Ara, Co-Lead, Sports, Media & Entertainment Group, DLA Piper

    Part 1
    Q&A Speaker:
    Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman, VaynerX and Chief Executive Officer, VaynerMedia

    Part 2
    Panelists:
    Joe Conyers III, Executive Vice President, Global Head of NFT, Crypto.com
    Hannah E. Taylor, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1.75 hours of general credit.

     

    June 15, 2022

    Week 2 Syllabus Preview

    The Return of Audio: How Podcasts Became the New Radio Star

    Since the word was first coined in 2004, podcasts have emerged as arguably the most creatively exciting and widely consumed form of entertainment media since video games. By 2021, 80 million Americans reported consuming podcasts on at least a weekly basis. They have provided a much-needed outlet for deeply researched and reported journalism and revived the once-dead medium of the audio drama. More recently, podcasts have also become the subject of intense competitive bidding for valued adaptation rights, serving as the foundations of critically and commercially successful series such as Dirty John, Dr. Death, and The Dropout. This panel of distinguished operators, strategists, and dealmakers will explore the impact that film and television opportunities are having on podcasting, as well as the impact that podcasting is having on film and television, the dealmaking climate in podcast production and distribution as well as in film/television development and production, and the role that this fast-growing segment of the industry will play in the media landscape for years to come.

    Moderator:
    Dollie S. Bishop, President of Production and Creative Development, The Black Effect Podcast Network

    Panelists:
    Jean Chi, Global Head of Business Affairs - Studio Content, Spotify
    Jen Sargent, Chief Executive Officer, Wondery
    Pat Shah, Head of Content Acquisition and Development, Audible

    John H. Mitchell Panel on Ethics and Entertainment
    AI, Avatars and Deep Fakes: Ethical and Legal Issues for the Entertainment Industry

    This panel will explore the ethical and legal dimensions of the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence in the development of entertainment content. Among many questions, this panel will explore: Under what circumstances is it appropriate to use AI to create content that impersonates real people and events? What limitation, if any, does current law place on this AI-generated content? Should new law(s) be developed to address AI-generated content? And, most immediately, what do entertainment lawyers and executives need to know about AI to satisfy competency obligations? The Panel will discuss these issues as well as practice pitfalls and contract considerations entertainment lawyers and executives need to consider as the technology likely outpaces legal developments.

    Moderator:
    Dale Cohen, Director, UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic and Special Counsel, FRONTLINE

    Panelists:
    Eriq Gardner, Founding Partner, Puck News
    Jane Han, Global Creative Lead, ex-Meta
    Amy R. Lucas, Partner, O'Melveny & Myers LLP
    Danielle S. Van Lier, Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Contracts, SAG-AFTRA

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 0.75 hour of general credit and 1 hour of legal ethics.

     

    June 22, 2022

    Week 3 Syllabus Preview

    Talent 360: The Rise of the Multimedia Star-Entrepreneur

    Hollywood has long been familiar with the concept of a hyphenate–talented individuals who work in multiple creative capacities, such as writer/directors and actor/producers. But as the industry has evolved over the last decade, so too have the ambitions of and opportunities for premiere talent. The stars of today move and work freely across once-distinct media—they take on roles as producers and studio executives beyond solely servicing their own personal projects, and they cultivate lucrative opportunities outside of their 'core' entertainment careers. This panel of distinguished representatives and executives will explore the promise and perils facing talent in this vibrant marketplace, the key business and legal issues affecting the interests of major talent, and the roles their representatives and business partners play in facilitating and maximizing the ambitions of the stars of today who strive to be the moguls of tomorrow.

    Moderator:
    Ken Basin, Global Head of Business Operations, Riot Entertainment

    Panelists:
    Camrin Agin, Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, New Line Cinema
    Matthew M. Johnson, Partner, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP
    Theresa Kang-Lowe, Chief Executive Officer, Blue Marble Pictures and Blue Marble Management

    Keynote Conversation

    Mary Parent, Chairman of Worldwide Production, Legendary Entertainment
    Ken Ziffren, Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1 hour of general credit.

    Continuing Education for Accountants

    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations.

     

    Speakers

     

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  • 2021 Symposium

    The Show Must Go On…line?
    Life after Hollywood’s Longest Year

    45th Annual Entertainment Symposium

    June 2 | June 9 | June 16 | June 23 

    Jason Blum

    Keynote Address: Jason Blum, Founder & CEO, Blumhouse Productions

    For Hollywood, as for many of us individually, 2020 was the longest shortest year. On the one hand, the global Covid-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented industry-wide shutdown of production activity, representing a rare lull in the "Peak TV"/"Streaming Wars" era.  On the other hand, this year of global economic and social upheaval has dramatically accelerated several long-term trends affecting the industry, especially around corporate consolidation and the collapse of traditional exhibition and compensation models.  The 2021 Symposium will look back on this year of unparalleled paralysis and progress, and look forward to what "the new normal" may look like in a post-pandemic industry.  At the same time, it will explore how many of the year's most prominent and urgent issues -- from free speech to income inequality to the country’s national reckoning with race – are being experienced by and reflected within the entertainment industry.  A timeless Hollywood adage is that, even in the face of adversity, "the show must go on"; but in 2020, the show went online, and the town will never be the same.

    June 2, 2021

    Dean's Remarks
    Presenter:
    Jennifer L. Mnookin, Dean, Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    2020 to 2021: Apocalypse to Streaming Odyssey
    US one day box office down to $4.00! Streaming subscribers hit record highs! Cable and satellite subscriber numbers crater! The Symposium begins with Tom Wolzien's Status Report to set the stage – it was an ugly year past, and we're looking to a year of recovery ahead. Many are asking, where's the growth? The more important question is, where's the potential growth? And where will the scars of the pandemic remain?

    We're going to explore huge headline percentages from small numbers – when one-million percent increases from 2020 will look great, but mean almost nothing. We'll anticipate the next levels of broadband from Biden's Big Deal rural initiative – will it rival the New Deal's rural electrification? We'll watch as Elon Musk's low-earth-orbit broadband satellite trains reflect across the evening sky, and we'll explore at what price countries with broadband upside will allow streaming growth. We'll experience the impact on free speech as international producers face new pressures. We'll struggle with cable networks as their digital initiatives try to offset the fees and ad dollars crushed by reduced subscribers, and ask, if there is to be a post covid world, will the combination of streaming and in-person theatrical distribution actually increase the total spending by consumers and by distributors on content? If so, for how long?

    Presenter:
    Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC and The Video Call Center, LLC

    From Intent to Impact: How Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Make (Necessary) Business Sense
    The entertainment industry is in a unique position to affect real and meaningful change in the area of DEI – both through the content it sells and by the organizations that make it available. New studies are highlighting the economic fallout from ignoring a more inclusive and equitable industry. The McKinsey & Company report included in the materials estimates the lost revenue opportunity in the film and TV industry alone to be roughly $10 billion annually; but like everything else in this business, successful execution is key. This panel features leaders within top organizations in our business who will share: (1) what DEI means to their organizations; (2) their approaches to addressing DEI on a macro industry level to a more micro level within their organizations; and (3) how success and impact is measured. As DEI is dramatically changing the entertainment industry, this panel is a must-attend for those ready to have an impact on diversity-related goals and their company's bottom line.

    Moderator:
    Catrice Monson, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Right Size Media

    Presenters:
    Bing Chen, President & Co-Founder, Gold House
    Karen Horne, Senior Vice President, Equity & Inclusion, WarnerMedia
    John Landgraf, Chairman, FX

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 0.75 hours of general credit and 1 hour of elimination of bias in the legal profession and society credit.

    June 9, 2021

    Dead or Alive: Is the Theatrical Motion Picture Business Still Viable Post-Covid?
    In the aftermath of the havoc wreaked on the theatrical motion picture business by a once-in-a-century pandemic, it's uncertain if people will return to movie theaters and, if so, when and in what numbers. In a post-Covid world exhibitors must make a compelling case for the theatrical experience. Time will tell if they consolidate or perhaps become subsidiaries of AT&T, The Walt Disney Company, Comcast or Netflix. The traditional windows between theatrical release and availability for in-home viewing have been compressed in a market where the major studios have product that needs to find an audience. With Universal, Disney and Time Warner all releasing titles day and date on streaming platforms, all eyes are on the relationship between exhibitors and distributors. How will this affect: the types of films getting greenlit, the economic model for film production and distribution, the survival of independents, and, finally, what does the lack of a theatrical release mean for talent participating in box office success? Will the theatrical movie business be limited to tent poles and art films? How can exhibitors adapt to this changing landscape in order to survive? This panel will look at crucial issues surrounding the existential crisis that the theatrical exhibition business is facing from the legal, studio, independent, and producer's point of views.

    Moderator:
    Elsa Ramo, Managing Partner, Ramo Law P.C.

    Panelists:
    Nikkole Denson-Randolph, Senior Vice President, Content Strategy & Inclusive Programming, AMC Theaters
    Jim Orr, President, Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Universal Pictures
    Tom Quinn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, NEON

    Backend Participations in the New Age: How Do We Create a New Normal That Works for Everyone?
    This past year offered a mix of survival and opportunity. As studios continue to experiment with release and distribution patterns, they must navigate how to attract and retain sought-after creative talent and investors, and how to fairly compensate them when the distributors only sell to themselves. This panel features points of view from all sides of the negotiation table: a transactional attorney, business affairs executives from an agency and a studio, and a profit participations auditor, who will explore whether market domination and meaningful backend participations can peacefully co-exist in the new distribution ecosystem.

    Moderator:
    Anita Wu, Managing Director, Profit Participations Services, Green Hasson Janks

    Panelists:
    Erik Hyman, Partner, Paul Hastings
    Dan Scharf, Global Head of Business Affairs, Amazon Studios
    Craig Wagner, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs and General Counsel, Paradigm Talent Agency

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1.5 hours of general credit.

    June 16, 2021

    Public Speech, Private Platforms: How Should Government Respond?
    Where television stations, radio broadcasts and newspapers might have been the primary information sources for a prior generation, today many of us gather our news and cultural insights from online interactions hosted by platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Parler. Thus, these platforms have found themselves embroiled in endless controversy. Many worry they filter too much information, or not enough. Others wonder if the protections offered by Section 230, which generally provides immunity for website platforms from third-party content, are mitigating the problem or only exacerbating it. This frank conversation will focus on the legal rules that govern information platforms and the strategies that might best promote thoughtful, honest and diverse engagement on topics of public importance.

    Moderator:
    Doug Lichtman, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    Panelists:
    Erich Andersen, General Counsel and Head of Corporate Affairs, ByteDance/TikTok
    Sean Edgett, Vice President and General Counsel, Twitter
    Jennifer Newstead, General Counsel, Facebook

    The World of Influencers – Big Business, Big Deals and More
    Influencer marketing continues its explosive growth and is expected to be valued at $13.8 billion in 2021 – up from $9.7 billion in 2020. Experts who represent major brands and influencer talent will discuss the challenging aspects of influencer deals and what has changed in the past year. Learn about the new SAG-AFTRA Influencer Agreement, fake followers and brand safety concerns, exclusivity, and other business and regulatory issues that are top of mind for these deal makers and their clients.

    Moderator:
    Keri S. Bruce, Partner, Reed Smith LLP

    Panelists:
    Ali Berman, Partner & Head of Digital Talent, United Talent Agency
    Jenna Gambaro, Commercial Endorsements Business Affairs Executive, CAA
    Stacy K. Marcus, Partner, Reed Smith LLP and Chief Negotiator of the Joint Policy Committee, the multi-employer collective bargaining unit that negotiates against SAG-AFTRA

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1.5 hours of general credit.

    June 23, 2021

    The John H. Mitchell Panel on Ethics and Entertainment Sponsored by the Patricia W. Mitchell Trust
    The Truth or Not the Truth: That Is the Question
    Join as we explore a lawyer's obligation to be truthful in his or her professional capacity. Especially now, the line between zealous advocacy and truth seems to be more difficult to discern than in years past. The line may be different when speaking before a court as opposed to the media. What are the ethical duties lawyers need to consider when they are sued for defamation by opposing parties for things said to the press. Is there a fine line between legal liability and ethical duties in these types of cases? One thing is certain: entertainment lawyers must be aware of the press more frequently than other litigators due to the nature of their practice. This panel features a Hollywood lawyer who has been said can make just about any problem go away, a lawyer who advises lawyers in legal ethics and frequently serves as an expert witness in legal malpractice proceedings, and a native Los Angeles federal district court judge.

    Moderator:
    Scott Cummings, Robert Henigson Professor of Legal Ethics, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    Panelists:
    Ellen A. Pansky, Founder, Pansky Markle Attorneys at Law
    Martin Singer, Partner, Lavely & Singer
    Hon. Christina A. Snyder, Senior United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

    Keynote Address
    Jason Blum    , Founder & CEO, Blumhouse Productions

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 0.75 hours of general credit and 1 hour of legal ethics credit.

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending all four (4) sessions, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 4.5 hours of general credit, 1 hour of legal ethics credit, and 1 hour of recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society credit.

    This program qualifies for New York CLE credit under the New York Approved Jurisdiction Policy. For more information, please visit: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/cle/jurisdictions.shtml

  • 2020 Symposium
    Bryan Lourd

    July 22 | July 29 | August 5 | August 12

    Keynote Speaker: Bryan Lourd / Managing Partner and Co-Chairman, Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

    July 22, 2020

    Recap of Night 1

    DEAN'S REMARKS

    Presenter:
    Jennifer L. Mnookin / Dean, Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director, PULSE @ UCLA Law (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence), UCLA School of Law

    +++++

    THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN - DIVINING THE MEDIA BUSINESS IN DYSTOPIAN DAYS
    Let's be honest. Nobody knows where things are going, but we can try to figure out where they stand today, what is impacting costs, revenue, and distribution, and how companies are beginning to cope. The question is whether the changes we are seeing today, for good and bad, are just sprouts from acorns planted in the past that will wither if the coronavirus goes away this year, or are these the seeds of major changes that will be locked in permanently if the pandemic continues through 2021? We'll do our best with the annual Status Report, traditional to this opening session, and then look at some of the cost, revenue, and distribution factors impacting the industry as a setup for the panels that follow.

    Presenter:
    Tom Wolzien / Chairman, Wolzien LLC and The Video Call Center, LLC

    +++++

    THE SAFETY DANCE: HOW THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IS WORKING THROUGH A COVID-19 PANDEMIC
    Join us in an overview of the current status of how COVID-19 is impacting the entertainment industry. Panelists will address their point of view from insurance, to talent concerns, to federal lending programs and how all of these considerations are being reconciled with the desire for productions to resume safely during a pandemic.

    Moderator:
    Jodi Peikoff / Partner, Peikoff Mahan

    Panelists:
    Pamela J. Martinson / Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
    Stephen Plum / Senior Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Paramount Pictures
    Daniel R'bibo / Senior Vice President, Gallagher

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1.5 hours of general credit.

    July 29, 2020

    BACKEND? WHAT BACKEND? ARE PROFIT PARTICIPATIONS AN OUTDATED CONCEPT IN THE NEW TELEVISION ERA?
    The $180 million arbitrator's decision in the Bones litigation sent shock waves through the entertainment industry. The finding that one studio failed to deal on an arm's length basis when licensing a television series to its affiliates, and the proliferation of vertical integration in the television industry in particular, has caused the studios to rethink the traditional profit sharing model. The digital platforms and at least one major studio have fundamentally changed the industry by introducing a replacement for the age old profit participation typically granted to content creators. This new "bonus" definition is based on longevity and, in some cases, the medium of exploitation, thereby eliminating the possibility of lawsuits for non-arm's length transactions while limiting any upside for participants on very successful shows. Our panel of experts will discuss the Bones case, the pros and cons of the new bonus model and the future of profit participations in the television industry.

    Moderator:
    Craig Wagner / Head of Business Affairs and General Counsel, Paradigm Talent Agency

    Panelists:
    John V. Berlinski / Partner, Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP
    Craig A. Emanuel / Partner, Paul Hastings LLP
    Karen Tatevosian / Executive Vice President and Head of U.S. Business Affairs, Sony Pictures Television Studios

    +++++

    The John H. Mitchell Panel on Ethics and Entertainment Sponsored by the Patricia W. Mitchell Trust

    THE NEWS, THE LAW AND LEGAL ETHICS
    The news business oft times seems like it is aflame: massive lawsuits filed by public figures and government officials; damaging hacks and revealing leaks about celebrities, politicians and public companies; social media fueling controversies about disagreements big and small. And programs and pundits spinning every event, often sprinkling in "alternative facts" and perspectives condemned as fake news. Our expert panel will discuss the lawyer's ethical responsibilities when advising journalists and media companies telling stories that raise difficult legal and fairness issues including, reporting based on hacks and leaks, NDA breaches, and surreptitious recordings. To facilitate open dialogue, the panelists will analyze a hypothetical fact pattern that raises many familiar issues.

    Moderator:
    Dale Cohen / Director, Documentary Film Legal Clinic, UCLA School of Law, and Special Counsel, FRONTLINE

    Panelists:
    Jonathan Anschell / Executive Vice President and General Counsel, ViacomCBS Media Networks
    Kelli L. Sager / Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
    Jeffrey Toobin / Chief Legal Analyst, CNN, and Staff Writer, The New Yorker

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 0.75 hour of general credit and 1 hour of legal ethics credit.

    August 5, 2020

    LABOR OF LOVE: A DISCUSSION OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN UNIONS, TALENT AND PRODUCERS
    In the ever changing media and content landscape, labor unions are dynamically evolving and responding to protect its members. Conversely, studios, networks and tech companies are working to adhere and comply with unions while balancing the economics of exploiting and producing content. With strikes and union rifts in the background, studios, companies and union members need to find a way to focus on the 'relation' aspect of 'labor relations' to ensure that despite both parties protecting their interests, the show must go on. This panel of 'labor relations' experts will cover the day to day challenges along with the current status of larger union issues that impact all interested parties from potentially just getting along.

    Moderator:
    Michael Maizner / Founder and Managing Partner, Maizner & Associates PLLC

    Panelists:
    Richard W. Kopenhefer / Partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
    Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre / Executive Director, Entertainment Contracts, SAG-AFTRA

    +++++

    SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RACIAL EQUITY: HEEDING THE CALL FOR JUSTICE
    The national discussion around racial inequality has been reignited by the tragic deaths of George Floyd and countless others at the hands of law enforcement. During this time, many industries are beginning to dive deep into the waters of social responsibility and evaluating the ways in which they can, and should, engage in the work to make the world a more equitable place for all. As gatekeepers of societal knowledge, it is important for the entertainment industry to evaluate its role in this conversation. This panel will explore the industry's response to this moment in history, and the ways in which creative content shapes and guides the discussion on racial justice. In particular, the panel will explore: (1) the changes that need to be made at the C-Suite level in order to effectuate lasting racial equity; (2) the necessity of amplifying diverse storytellers to push the conversation forward; and (3) the ways in which creative content can reshape how society thinks about racial justice.

    Moderator
    Lisa Gilford / Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

    Panelists:
    Nichelle Carr / Founder, WC1 Studios
    Nicole Duckett / General Counsel and Vice President, LA Clippers LLC
    Karen Grant-Selma, Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 0.75 hour of general credit and 1 hour of recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society credit.

    August 12, 2020

    THE SHIFTING POWER OF INFLUENCERS IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
    The meteoric rise of social media platforms as a marketing medium has spawned a vibrant industry of paid influencers, from major A-list celebrities to newly minted YouTube/Instagram/Tik Tok celebrities, some of whom are merely children. These influencers use their vast network of fans to communicate marketing messages on behalf of brands in a variety of ways. As the economic activity in much of the United States (as well as the rest of the world) has come to a grinding halt due to the unprecedented global public health crisis stemming from COVID-19, more and more people have been turning to social media for news, entertainment, and social activity, thereby further strengthening social media's dominance as a leading communication and marketing platform. While the increased consumer use of social media coupled with an acute drop in traditional marketing activity and marketing budget have in theory opened up opportunities for influencers, the realities of living through a global pandemic, economic uncertainties as well as greater awareness and public debate about social justice have shifted the way brands are working with influencers to get their messages across. This panel will address strategic and IP issues as well as legal/regulatory and PR risks facing influencers and brands that work with influencers in the post-COVID era. In particular, the panel will explore the following questions: (1) Who are today's influencers and why are they valuable to brands in reaching their customers? (2) How are influencer deals structured? (3) What are the key regulatory requirements related to influencer activity and how are brands and influencers addressing such issues?

    Moderator:
    Po Yi / Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

    Panelists:
    Oren Aks / Creative Director & Founder, Atomic Milk Media
    Ellie Heisler / Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP
    D'Angela Proctor / CEO, Wayfarer Entertainment

    +++++

    KEYNOTE ADDRESS

    Bryan Lourd / Managing Partner and Co-Chairman, Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

    Interviewed by: Ken Ziffren / Ziffren Brittenham, LLP

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this event, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 1.5 hours of general credit.

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending all four (4) sessions, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 4.5 hours of general credit, 1 hour of legal ethics credit, and 1 hour of recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society credit.

    This program qualifies for New York CLE credit under the New York Approved Jurisdiction Policy. More information about New York CLE credit.

  • 2019 Symposium

    "Hollywood Analytica"

    43rd Annual Entertainment Symposium, March 15-16, 2019, UCLA Macgowan Hall
    Keynote Address: Meg Whitman, CEO, Quibi, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Managing Partner WndrCo and Chairman and Founder, Quibi

    Technological change, and the entertainment industry's struggle to adapt to it, has been Hollywood's dominant storyline for years, and with good reason – the emergence of new technologies and of new business models built on those technologies, has helped generate an unprecedented volume of content and an unprecedented need for new business, legal, and creative paradigms to create and exploit that content. Yet even as Hollywood's uncertain digital future has become its very real digital present, the industry stands on the precipice of further sea changes to its basic structure (in the form of widespread corporate consolidation and vertical integration) and culture (with a #MeToo movement that is pivoting from raising awareness to enacting change). Data has made content creators and distributors savvier than ever about their products and their customers. The 2019 Symposium will turn its analytical eye onto the industry itself, offering introspection and insight on how the business continues to mature in response to the technological revolution, while preparing itself for the new revolutions at its doorstep.

    Friday, March 15, 2019

    Welcome

    PRESENTER:
    Dean Jennifer L. Mnookin, David G. Price and Dallas P. Price Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director, PULSE @ UCLA Law (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence), UCLA School of Law

    Is Media Just a Toaster?

    Back in the day, banks would give you a toaster if you'd give them money to set up a new account. With consolidation and vertical integration, will media become the "come-on" to get you to buy your latest phone, bits, or plan? Analyst/inventor/media exec Tom Wolzien opens the Symposium with the annual Status Report and explores the changing relationships between content and mobile distribution, including whether Warner Bros. content is diverted from external licenses to become AT&T's toaster to drive mobile sales. Similarly, instead of external licenses, how extensively is the content of Disney and NBCU used exclusively to create those companies' new streaming services. Internationally, four billion smartphones are video capable. How will this huge penetration increase content consumption, and will that content be from the US? Will these expanded markets prolong the "golden age" of production in the US, or does studio consolidation (Disney eats Fox) and vertical consolidation suggest that the "golden age" has peaked? That brings a basic question—at some point does the capital/debt that have been fueling this golden age in the US run out, and if so, what happens?

    PRESENTER:
    Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC and The Video Call Center, LLC

    Representation Is Not A Handshake Deal*

    Hollywood dealmaking was often a handshake and notes on a napkin. However, ethical requirements governing a lawyer's obligations are a bit more complicated. This all-star panel will provide insight into the recent changes to the ethical requirements implemented by the California Supreme Court and their effect on the entertainment industry. We will look at the current cases, including a discussion of the most recent issues arising in contingency fee arrangements with talent in light of the current litigation and changes to the California Rules of Professional Conduct.

    *This session qualifies for 1 hour of Legal Ethics credit.

    MODERATOR:
    September Rea, Attorney, Freedman + Taitelman, LLP

    PANELISTS:
    Patty Glaser, Partner, Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro LLP
    Diane L. Karpman, Partner, Karpman & Associates
    Tara Senior, Partner, Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano

    Getting To The Source

    With the proliferation of content as the entertainment industry evolves, rights are being sliced and diced like never before. Can purchasers be sure they are getting the rights for which they paid? What revenue streams can rights holders participate in and what rights can they retain, if any? Join our panel of experts who deal with these issues every day: a well-known film and television agent for an important agency, the Head of Business Affairs for a successful independent production company, the SVP and General Counsel for a major television studio and an experienced transactional attorney. The discussion will cover not only basics but also evolving issues regarding such things as format deals, issues in acquiring nonfiction works, remakes and sequels, and copyright termination rights.

    MODERATOR:
    Hillary Bibicoff, Transactional Entertainment Attorney, Holmes Weinberg, PC

    PANELISTS:
    Rand Holston, Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
    Sandra Ortiz, Head of Business Affairs, Kapital Entertainment
    Jody Zucker, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Warner Bros. Television

    Direct To Consumer – Existential Threat or Passing Fad

    The internet and OTT video services have changed the established order for creating and consuming media services. Merger mania has seen traditional media companies join forces with tech companies and telcos. Legacy media companies are busy bulking up on content. The tremendous proliferation of access points to view media has upended our industry. Tech companies like Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, Facebook and Google have created existential threats to legacy media companies in how they create and distribute content. Our panel will explore how these threats are being handled—whether by co-option or competition.

    MODERATOR:
    Ben Mogil, Chief Financial Officer and Principal, IoM Media Ventures

    PANELISTS:
    Leigh Brecheen, Partner, Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman, LLP
    Adam Glick, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Warner Bros. Television
    Chris Mansolillo, Head of Television Licensing, Prime Exclusives and Originals, Amazon

    Saturday, March 16, 2019

    Orange Justice: Emerging Legal and Business Trends in the Esports Industry

    The explosive global growth of Esports is being led by a number of industry players with complex relationships, opportunities and challenges. This panel of top Esports experts will explore the interplay among the key participants in the Esports industry including teams, leagues, athletes, streamers, video game publishers, sponsors and agencies. Panelists will share their views of legal and business trends from different vantage points including their respective approaches and perspectives regarding monetization, governance structure and intellectual property rights.

    MODERATOR:
    Ophir Lupu, Partner and Head of Video Games, United Talent Agency

    PANELISTS:
    Robby Forbes, Senior Director, Esports Leagues, Activision Blizzard
    Michael Kerman, Senior Director, OGN Esports
    Ari Segal, Chief Executive Officer, Immortals

    Spotlight on Privacy: How Data Is Reshaping the Entertainment Industry

    Personal data plays a key supporting role in enabling entertainment companies to develop more engaging experiences for consumers. But a high-stakes drama was set in motion when a California real estate developer supported a ballot initiative on privacy that ultimately led to the enactment of the nation's first general privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act. Other states are working on similar legislation, and Congress is considering federal privacy proposals.

    Hear from experts who have been actively engaged in data privacy issues, including the legislation in California and across the country and the businesses who are taking steps to comply with the rapidly changing framework for how personal data is managed.

    MODERATOR:
    Lindsey Tonsager, Partner, Covington & Burling LLP

    PANELISTS:
    Susan Cooper, Director and Associate General Counsel, Product and Privacy, Facebook
    Alastair Mactaggart, Chairman, Californians for Consumer Privacy
    Anna Tran Reyna, Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Digital Media, Fox Networks Group

    #MeToo: What's Next*

    For over a year, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have dominated the conversation in Hollywood and deeply challenged the industry's perception of itself. But as the Hollywood community begins to transition from the initial wave of scandals and revelations that rocked the industry and forced this period of personal reckoning, important questions remain about how to translate slogans and lapel pins into real (and much needed) change. This panel will explore how the ideals of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements can be implemented and actualized in pursuit of true gender equity and safety from sexual violence and harassment in the workplace. In particular, the panel will discuss concrete steps necessary for the entertainment industry to advance toward specific articulable goals, such as pay equality, safe workplace environments, inclusiveness of points of view, and equal opportunity for advancement to leadership positions.

    *This session qualifies for 1 hour of Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society credit.

    MODERATOR:
    Barbara Boyle, Associate Dean of Entrepreneurship and Special Initiatives, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

    PANELISTS:
    Kevin Iwashina, Agent, Endeavor Content
    Cathy Schulman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Welle Entertainment
    Sharon Waxman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TheWrap

    Keynote Address

    Meg Whitman, Chief Executive Officer, Quibi
    Jeffrey Katzenberg, Managing Partner of WndrCo and Chairman and Founder of Quibi

    The Moral Contract: Contractual Regulation of Personal Conduct in Entertainment Deals

    In Hollywood, the line between the personal and the professional has always been blurry at best. But not since the 1921 trial of Fatty Arbuckle ushered in a wave of major Hollywood scandals (and a counter-wave of newly-drafted morals clauses designed to combat them) has private personal conduct been viewed as so relevant to, or been so closely scrutinized in, the business arena. This panel will examine the contractual regulation of personal conduct in three key relationship contexts – between studios and on- and behind-camera talent; between brands and celebrity endorsers; and between entertainment companies and their own executives. How do these deals reflect the fraught and fast-changing cultural and industry environment? And how, if at all, can one reasonably and responsibly contract around the risk of scandal?

    MODERATOR:
    Stacy K. Marcus, Partner, Reed Smith LLP

    PANELISTS:
    Ivy Kagan Bierman, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP
    Carolyn Conrad, Partner, Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham LLP
    Mark Mazie, Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Legendary Television & Digital Studios

    Continuing Legal Education

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this symposium, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 6.25 hours of general MCLE credit,1 hour of legal ethics credit and 1 hour of recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    Continuing Education for Accountants

    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 9.5 specialized industry CE hours.

     

  • 2018 Symposium

    "Progress is Paramount – Why Hollywood Will Always Matter"

    The last year has seen the entertainment industry make historic progress to respond and adapt to an evolving cultural as well as technological environment, facing the challenges of the current era with a renewed commitment to leadership, innovation, and creating an environment that is safe, equal, and inclusive for all. The 2018 Symposium will explore how Hollywood is transforming itself to meet the new era around it and to continue its tradition of supporting artists and storytellers in their critical missions to inspire, educate, and yes, entertain. And it will celebrate that, even in times of disruption and upheaval, content is king, and Hollywood will always matter -- maybe more than ever.

    Friday, March 23, 2018

    Welcome

    PRESENTER:
    Susan Akens, Executive Director, Ziffren Center for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, UCLA School of Law

    #MeToo: Sexual Harassment in Hollywood

    Overview of pertinent federal and state laws, corporate and individual responsibility and liability, in the office setting and in the production setting, and issues such as settlement agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and responsibility of company human resources executives.

    MODERATOR:
    Elsa Ramo, Managing Partner, Ramo Law PC

    PANELISTS:
    Ronda D. Jamgotchian, Partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP 
    Matthias H. Wagener, Managing Partner, Wagener Law, A Professional Corporation

    Some Like It Hot - A Mock negotiation

    This panel will conduct a mock negotiation that walks through the setup of a feature project at a studio from the point of view of the packaging agent, studio business affairs, talent representation, and production company. While negotiation terms and tactics in the past have always been about 'precedent,' times are changing - with new laws surrounding quotes, awareness of gender salary gap, competitive buyers in the streaming and SVOD market, this panel will walk us through the 'new normal' of a studio set up.

    MODERATOR:
    Christine D'Souza Gelb, Partner, Endeavor Content

    PANELISTS:
    Erica Huggins, President, Imagine Entertainment
    Tara Kole, Partner, Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown
    Megan O'Brien, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Fox Searchlight Pictures

    The Future of the Television Business in the Digital Age: Can the Broadcast Nets and Cable Survive the Juggernaut of Internet TV?

    In the era of "Peak TV" for scripted programming, the business models of broadcast and cable television are under more pressure than ever from premium SVOD services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Google and soon, Apple. Can broadcast and cable compete in a world where talent is demanding ever increasing fees, budgets have skyrocketed as high as $15MM per hour, and viewers are demanding more flexibility in consuming content? Will traditional linear ad-supported television go the way of the Dodo Bird, or will it adapt to beat the upstarts at their own game by launching streaming and ad free services of their own? This trend has already begun with CBS All Access, F/X+ and AMC Premiere and looks a lot like the future of TV. The panel will examine these and other issues that are relevant in today's evolving television business.

    MODERATOR:
    Craig Wagner, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, and General Counsel, Paradigm Talent Agency

    PANELISTS:
    Beth Roberts, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment
    Dan Scharf, Head of Television Business Affairs, Amazon Studios
    Sandra Stern, President, Lionsgate Television Group

    Independence in Consolidation

    Inventor, analyst, and media exec Tom Wolzien elevates this year's Symposium with his annual status report of industry numbers—tech and financial, before focusing on the shrinking number of players in media's expanding world. With both vertical and horizontal integration in process, how do individual players with distinctive content fit into various platforms; what leverage do platform owners find with distinctive content, and is there any place at all for commodity content anymore? What is the impact of rising content costs on legacy companies, and could rising costs actually provide a strategic benefit to newer global platforms by damaging earnings of older players already under the dual pressures of subscriber declines and advertising fragmentation?

    PRESENTER:
    Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC and The Video Call Center, LLC

    Saturday, March 24, 2018

    Dean's Welcome

    PRESENTER:
    Jennifer L. Mnookin, Dean, David G. Price and Dallas P. Price Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director, PULSE @ UCLA Law (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence), UCLA School of Law

    Fireside Chat with FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly

    Michael O'Rielly has served as an FCC Commissioner since 2013, joining the Federal Communications Commission after having previously served in the Office of the Senate Republican Whip. He joins our Symposium first-thing Saturday morning for a fireside chat with UCLA Law Professor Doug Lichtman, where the two will explore the Commission's recent efforts with respect to broadband deployment, network neutrality, and a host of other issues.

    Presented in cooperation with the Federal Communications Bar

    PRESENTERS:
    Doug Lichtman, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
    Michael O'Rielly, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

    Consolidation Craze

    According to Thomson Reuters, 2017 was the third year in a row with over 50,000 M&A deals announced globally - a record. Experts expect this trend to continue in 2018. In the media space, the pending AT&T/Time Warner combination and the proposed sale of the film/TV assets of 21st Century Fox to Disney suggest more consolidation is on the horizon. What's driving this business re-mix? What are the unintended consequences of deals on the content creation community? Are there legitimate "public interest" issues raised by these types of transactions? What is the role for federal antitrust enforcement? This panel will discuss the pros and cons of M&A in the media space and some of the opportunities and challenges the industry faces during these turbulent times.

    MODERATOR:
    Jon Orszag, Senior Managing Director and Member of the Executive Committee, Compass Lexecon, LLC and Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law

    PANELISTS:
    Bill Baer, Partner, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
    Laura Martin, Managing Director, Entertainment & Internet, Needham & Company
    Roy A. Salter, Senior Advisor, FTI Consulting, Inc.

    Give My Regards to Broadway

    The 2016-17 season on Broadway grossed more than $1.4 billion, the highest ever, and this is excluding the substantial income from roadshow, foreign and even high school productions. Motion pictures are spawning Broadway shows; film and television stars are appearing on the Great White Way, and legitimate theater attendance is rising; yet most Hollywood entertainment lawyers know little about the deals, economics and practices of this important corner of the business. Our panel brings together an experienced theatrical lawyer, a New York agency dealmaker and an award-winning producer to guarantee that you will leave the theater knowing a lot more about this world than when you came in.

    MODERATOR:
    E. Barry Haldeman, Of Counsel, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell, LLP

    PANELISTS:
    Elliot H. Brown, Partner, Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, P.C.
    Sue Frost, Partner and Founding Member, Junkyard Dog Productions
    Maarten Kooij, Senior Vice President, New York Business Affairs, ICM Partners

    Keynote by Andrew Gumpert, Chief Operating Officer, Paramount Pictures Corporation

    Interviewed by Ken Ziffren, Co-Founder and Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP

    Reel Justice: Addiction and Redemption in Courtroom Films

    This presentation is based on the book Reel Justice: The Courtroom Goes to the Movies (Bergman and Asimow, 2d ed 2006), which describes and analyzes legal issues in over 200 films. The book also summarizes the actual events on which many films are based and highlights the often-powerful specific images and dialogues through which courtroom films convey messages to viewers about the law, lawyers and justice.

    Courtroom films are not merely a form of story-telling. Courtroom films reflect and often reinforce widely-held cultural attitudes about the legal system. This presentation will look at current data about substance abuse in the legal profession and avenues available to lawyers in need of treatment. The presentation will also present clips from films that revolve around addiction issues in the legal profession, both the depth of the problem and possibilities for redemption. The presentation will emphasize the life and legal career of Earl Rogers. In the first two decades of the 20th century, Los Angeles lawyer Earl Rogers was one of the most famous lawyers in America. The clips will put on display both the courtroom theatrics for which he was famous and his addiction to alcohol that resulted in his early death.

    PRESENTER:
    Paul Bergman, Professor of Law Emeritus, UCLA School of Law

    Continuing Legal Education

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this symposium, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 6.25 hours of general MCLE credit,1 hour of legal ethics credit and 1 hour of competence issues credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    Continuing Education for Accountants

    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 9.5 specialized industry CE hours.

  • 2017 Symposium

    "Entertainment Madness: Keeping All the Balls in the Air"

    Keynote by Stacey Snider, Chairman & CEO, Twentieth Century Fox Film

    Gone are the days when someone could introduce themselves as an entertainment executive or lawyer and the only clarifying question that followed would be, "Film, television, or music?" The marketplace has blurred the lines of division between these traditional silos, challenging traditional businesses while offering the promise of new opportunity in innovative areas such as mobile, social, and virtual reality. As customers continue to embrace a cross-platform, cross-media content experience, creators and companies have no choice but to do the same. But how are the powerhouses of the new entertainment economy redefining how business gets done and how money gets made? How can traditional power-players adapt their conventional business models to flourish in this brave new world? As this program will illustrate, for companies and individual professionals alike, success in the modern entertainment industry means keeping more balls in the air than ever before.

    Welcome

    PRESENTER:
    Jennifer L. Mnookin, Dean, David G. Price and Dallas P. Price Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director, PULSE @ UCLA Law (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence), UCLA School of Law

    You've Got the Whole World In Your Hands

    With more than 4 billion video smartphones worldwide and 2 billion high quality LTE subscribers, there is no stopping the smartphone as it moves to become our guide, computer, primary video screen, video originator, VR/AR display, all around communications device, and mental assistant for all. Those basing business on bigger screen distribution without considering the smartphone in their packaging and windows do so at their own peril, while those concentrating only on smartphones miss out on the rich production, the story-telling value, and dangerously, the underlying ethics developed for the bigger screens and longer forms. Wolzien, producer, inventor, network executive, and Wall Street analyst, again brings his unique opening act to the Symposium, providing a cross-disciplinary update of numbers, trends, and concepts for the rapidly evolving industry.

    PRESENTER:
    Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC and the Video Call Center, LLC

    Entropy: The New Content Ecosystem

    The ecosystem around content creation, distribution and consumption has changed dramatically. We are no longer at the beginning. New platforms, including Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Facebook, have become firmly established, prompting new patterns of consumption (binge, on demand). Moreover, new forms of content, from YouTube's digital shorts to Snapchat stories, now compete for consumers' attention. New types of content creators and distributors, from AwesomenessTV to Vice and Buzzfeed, have emerged to supply this new ecosystem. And yet, the pace of change continues to increase. What does this mean for both the new players and the traditional media companies? Is there a role for the traditional television studios? Will there be sustainable revenue models? Will we continue to see M&A transactions among technology platforms and content companies and/or between content companies? How will film and television artists be affected? Where will the combined industries go from here?

    MODERATOR:
    Bryan Wolf, Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP

    PANELISTS:
    Prem Akkaraju, Chief Executive Officer, Screening Room
    Brett Bouttier, President, AwesomenessTV
    Emiliano Calemzuk, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, RAZE
    Mark Terbeek, Partner, Greycroft Partners

    Film Packaging: What You Need to Know and Why

    The independent film space is heavily dependent on packages. A package is a fully or partially assembled combination of screenplay, lead cast, director, and producer that is ready for greenlight with little or no further development. Packages are generally assembled by producers or talent agencies and presented to financiers and distributors capable of underwriting the production cost and pre-buying the film for domestic or international exploitation. This panel looks at the current state of packaging and how the architecture of packages and their attraction to financiers and buyers is changing as media, consumer habits, and markets evolve. Do the elements of packages need to change to remain attractive to buyers? Do changes in distribution platforms, media consumption and consumer tastes alter the way we should think about assembling packages? How do changes in the value of international territories impact the composition of packages? Are there geo-political and other forces that should be considered in assembling or evaluating packages?

    MODERATOR:
    Elliott Kleinberg, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, Twentieth Century Fox

    PANELISTS:
    Glen Basner, Chief Executive Officer, FilmNation Entertainment
    Steve Bersch, President, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
    Liesl Copland, Partner, William Morris Endeavor
    Dan Timmons, Senior Vice President, Market Manager; Head of Entertainment Industries, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

    UCLA Anderson Spotlight on the Business of Entertainment

    Technology is disrupting the business models of all sectors of the media, entertainment and sport industries. The UCLA Anderson Spotlight features a conversation with industry leaders who are defining and shaping where the business is going. What are the new revenue streams for the studios? Which companies will be the giants of tomorrow? The leaders of today will share their perspectives on the future of the business.

    HOSTED BY:
    Sanjay Sood, Professor of Marketing, UCLA Anderson School of Management

    FEATURING:
    Peter Seymour, Former EVP and CFO, Disney ABC Television Group

    Saturday, March 18, 2017

    Impact of VR/AR on Production and Distribution of Content

    A survey and discussion concerning Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality and how the advent of these technologies affects the production and distribution of content, including theatrical motion pictures, television programming, sports, games, music, and other, including entertainment, educational and other non-entertainment. Who are the key players in hardware and software creation? Beyond content, what will be the impact of VR on revenue streams from content - How big a money maker is VR now and will it be in the future? Which companies in the VR world have the most exciting promise and will emerge on top, and why?

    MODERATOR:
    Kenneth Kleinberg, Partner, Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo LLP

    PANELISTS:
    Eric Baum, Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution and Assistant General Counsel, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.
    Joseph Chen, Executive Technical Producer, Here Be Dragons
    Ryan Horrigan, Chief Content Officer, Felix and Paul Studios
    Amit Shalev, Senior Director of VR Technology, IMAX Corporation

    Based on the (Book/Comic/Blog/etc.) by…

    In a crowded entertainment marketplace, film and television producers, studios, and networks have increasingly turned to preexisting intellectual property as a way to attract the interest of buyers, distributors, and audiences. And the strategy is apparently working: many of today's most prominent and successful film and television franchises arose from licensed IP (including Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Grey, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead, to name only a few), and four out of the last six Academy Awards for Best Picture went to films that were based on books and/or true life stories. How has the hot marketplace for intellectual property affected dealmaking for underlying rights? What are the major non-economic considerations that rightsholders and buyers must grapple with in their negotiations? What creative, marketing, and business considerations have driven the industry's appetite for adaptable intellectual property, and where will the industry turn next to feed that appetite? This panel of dealmakers and creative professionals will explore the entertainment industry's evolving relationship with underlying rights and with underlying rightsholders.

    MODERATOR:
    Ken Basin, Vice President, U.S. Business Affairs, Sony Pictures Television

    PANELISTS:
    Victoria Cook, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz
    Howard Meyers, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Focus Features
    Chris Parnell, Executive Vice President, Drama Development, Programming and Production, Sony Pictures Television
    Howard Sanders, Partner and Co-Head of Book Department, United Talent Agency

    Broken Windows?

    Sequential distribution of a film used to be relatively simple. Open it in a theater or multiplex, then starting 90 days later, it followed the traditional windows of DVD, Premium Pay, Network Television (if lucky) or basic cable and eventually syndication on local TV stations. All linear. Those days are over and such things as Day and Date, Premium VOD, Over the Top and all kinds of digital transmission, now dominate the discussion. The decision of the major studios to concentrate on tentpole movies has created new paradigms and profoundly affected deals for financiers, Wall Street, talent and others.

    MODERATOR:
    Ken Ziffren, Co-Founder and Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP, Adjunct Professor, UCLA School of Law, Senior Advisor, Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Motion Picture and TV Production, Founder, Ziffren Center for Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law at UCLA School of Law

    PANELISTS:
    Thomas Gewecke, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Warner Bros. Entertainment
    Benjamin E. Mogil, Managing Director Equity Research, Media and Entertainment, Stifel Nicolaus
    Jason Ropell, Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures, Amazon Studios

    Keynote by Stacey Snider, Chairman & CEO, Twentieth Century Fox Film

    Interviewed by Ken Ziffren, Ziffren Brittenham LLP

    Bias in the Justice System: What Do We Learn from the Movies?

    To Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus Finch is one of film's greatest heroes, but his explicit plea for southern white jurors to ignore their biases was a disastrous failure. This presentation will focus on clips from other films that suggest alternative strategies that might diminish the power of biases on people's actions.

    PRESENTER:
    Paul Bergman, Professor of Law Emeritus, UCLA School of Law

    Continuing Legal Education

    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this symposium, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 7.25 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    Continuing Education for Accountants

    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 9.5 specialized industry CE hours.

  • 2016 Symposium

    "Our 40th Year"

    Fortieth Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, March 11, 2016

    Welcome

    Presenter: Dean Jennifer L. Mnookin, David G. Price and Dallas P. Price Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director, PULSE @ UCLA Law (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence), UCLA School of Law

    Evolving Data, Evolving Business: 40 Years of Radical Change in Media

    This year’s high-speed opening act will explore data and technology trends in media across the 40 years of the Entertainment Symposium and what those trends may mean for the future of content and business. Now in its 11th year, the Status Report will provide not only current numbers, but in this anniversary year will look at how trends and prognostications have played out since the Symposium began. Key decisions and developments during the four decades will be examined that fundamentally changed production and distribution, and the basics of the business. These will be applied to current trends and economics as the industry settles into the reality that consumers want, and will have, any content at any time or place and on any device. Latest technologies and production economics will be explored from mobile to 8K to drones to automated content creation.

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC and The Video Call Center, LLC

    Chinawood

    There was $1 billion of financing from China to Hollywood in 2015, with perhaps more than twice that coming in 2016. This panel will discuss the future of Chinese investment in Hollywood, including the motivations of the investors, the structure of the deals, and the implications for film companies and financiers.

    Moderator: Schuyler M. Moore, Partner, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

    Panelists: Eric Rong, President, TIK FILMS | Jay Sun, Chairman and President, Pegasus Media Group | Simon Sun, Executive Vice President, Le Vision Pictures, Inc.

    Recent Trends of Bankruptcy in the Entertainment Industry

    Relativity Media’s recent Chapter 11 filing has demonstrated how one bankruptcy case can have a ripple effect throughout an entire industry, as vendors and participants go unpaid and unreleased films are stuck in limbo. As seen in Relativity’s case and others like it, a variety of powers may be exercised in bankruptcy that may impair or otherwise affect the different parties’ rights in intellectual property licenses and other contracts. This panel of experts will address these and other issues that arise in bankruptcy cases involving entertainment companies, writers, and artists.

    Moderator: Kenneth N. Klee, Partner, Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP and Professor of Law Emeritus, UCLA School of Law

    Panelists: Marsha A. Houston, Partner, Reed Smith LLP | Lance Jurich, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP | Richard Wynne, Partner, Jones Day

    Practical Tips from Leading Studio Labor Negotiators

    Leading negotiators from three major studios will provide practical tips on dealing with guild issues. The discussion will include a review and interpretation of various provisions in the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and WGA guild agreements with respect to New Media, Secondary Digital Channels, Reality Television, Social Media and Promotions. Whether you represent talent or companies, this discussion will help you navigate the complicated guild issues that often arise.

    Moderator: Ivy Kagan Bierman, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP

    Panelists: Nicole Ann-Jeanette Gustafson, Executive Vice President, Industrial Relations & Production Safety, Paramount Pictures | Marc Sandman, Senior Vice President of Labor Relations, Disney|ABC Television Group | Russell Wetanson, Vice President, Labor Relations Counsel, Fox

    Emerging Streaming Services: Reaching Beyond Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu

    The general conversation around consumer “cord cutting” has largely focused on three main streaming services-Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Hulu. Each of these services has built its brand by offering users a compelling mix of high-end second-run programming and traditionally-structured and produced, premium long-form original programming. But while you may be patting yourself on the back for finally figuring out how to stream “Orange is the New Black” from the Netflix app on your smart TV, it’s more likely that your kids are engrossed in a short-form series you’ve never heard of, featuring a social media star you can’t recognize, on a platform you never knew existed (and it ain’t YouTube). The last few years have seen the emergence of a massive new marketplace, specializing in short form original content, delivered through compelling app-based user experiences on mobile phone and tablet devices. Just because you may have never heard of Go 90, Fullscreen, SeeSo, or Watchable, doesn’t mean your 10-year-old hasn’t. So who are these new players in the original content marketplace? This panel of distinguished creative, business and legal minds, across a variety of buyers and sellers in this new digital ecosystem, will explore what lessons they have taken from their traditional media forebears (or, in some cases corporate partners), and how they have redefined the business to meet their own needs. And they’ll help us tackle one major question: when it comes to delivering content to users via the Internet, there is little question that there are more than enough megabytes to go around…but are there enough dollars too?

    Moderator: Ken Basin, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School

    Panelists: Rozanna Tesler Fried, Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Fullscreen | Ben Gigli, Director of Development and Production, ABC Digital | Peter Morris, Vice President, Business Affairs & Strategy, and General Counsel, Funny Or Die

    Litigation Update: Year End Review

    Litigation always hands us surprises and challenges. 2015 was no different. This panel will focus on just a few of the most interesting and intriguing litigated matters: (1) the music industry has seen some of the most significant industry-changing litigation in the past decade. This past year has seen class actions in California state court against Sirius XM and Pandora for common law copyright infringement and misappropriation of pre-1972 recordings, and federal court action against Spotify for copyright infringement for failing to license songs it distributes through interactive streaming and limited downloads; (2) recent developments in profit participation cases, with a focus on class actions and securities claims; and (3) the latest developments in the fair use doctrine.

    Moderator: Bonnie E. Eskenazi, Partner, Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP

    Panelists: Scott A. Edelman, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP | Harvey Geller, Of Counsel, Gradstein & Marzano, P.C. | Richard Kendall, Partner, Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP

    Copyright 2016: The Year in Anticipation

    UCLA Law Professor Doug Lichtman returns this year but with a forward-looking twist. Rather than looking back at the major cases and events from the year gone by, Professor Lichtman will pull out his crystal ball and talk about the cases, policy changes, and product launches that are likely to matter in the months ahead. Topics will include pending litigation in copyright and entertainment, as well as a smattering of related patent law, communications law, and free speech topics.

    Presenter: Doug Lichtman, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    Keynote Address

    Ken Ziffren, Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP, Founder, Ziffren Center for Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law, and Adjunct Faculty, UCLA School of Law

    Anne Sweeney, Member of the Board, Netflix, a Dean's Fellow, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and Formerly Co-Chair, Disney Media Works, and President, Disney/ABC Television Group

    On this 40th Anniversary of the UCLA Entertainment Symposium, Ken Ziffren and Anne Sweeney chat about where we've gone, where we are and where we're going.

    Reel Justice: Legal Ethics in Courtroom Films or Ethics in a Digital Environment

    While law-related films primarily aim to entertain mass audiences, the exemplary or lamentable behavior of the lawyers and judges depicted in the films often provide dramatic or comical illustrations of the legal profession’s formal rules of conduct. This presentation uses clips from law-related films as the basis of an hour-long discussion of legal ethics.

    Presenter: Paul Bergman, Professor of Law Emeritus, UCLA School of Law

    Continuing Legal Education
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this symposium, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 8.0 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of Legal Ethics credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    Continuing Education for Accountants
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 10.5 CE hours

  • 2015 Symposium

    "Hollywood Over-The-Top"

    Thirty-Ninth Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

    Welcome

    Presenter:
    David R. Ginsburg | Executive Director of the Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property Law Program and Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law 

    Over-The-Top: Trend, Bubble, Both?

    The focus of this year's opening session is on-demand delivery of professional video content and the impact on linear distribution models. As content is uncoupled from classic distribution approaches -- broadcast, cable, satellite -- and is made available through on demand approaches, how do companies adapt to the changing value chain? What are the risks to traditional multi-window revenue models? Is consumer-controlled on-demand (DVR) destroying more value than OTT licensing can create, and can the economic model be reversed if operators disable ad skipping? Or is all this focus on OTT a bubble? Has the dumping of full series and even whole libraries into Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others, resulted in a content bubble that, once viewers chew through, will result in the complaint " a million shows... but nothing on." Tom Wolzien will begin his presentation with the annual "Status Report" update of industry numbers.

    Presenter: 
    Tom Wolzien | Chairman, Wolzien LLC

    Talent over-the-top

    The world of original digital content production has opened doors for a new generation of gifted young celebrities, while at the same time luring established talent with the promise of creative freedom and an opportunity to be a part of the future of the entertainment industry. Yet talent representatives and clients alike often have little sense of what to expect as they dive into this "brave new world." This panel of experienced negotiators will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how actors, writers, directors, and producers really earn their livings in the new digital economy. What are the promises and pitfalls of talent deals in the digital world? What are key deal points? How does one evaluate and negotiate contingent compensation from digital productions? And how do the deals for "premium" and lower-budget digital productions compare to each other and to the deals for traditional television and motion picture production? This panel of digital experts will offer a detailed and substantive introduction to the "bottom-up" and "top-down" worlds of original content production online -- and how to protect talent's place within them. This is a key panel for representatives and talent. 

    Moderators: 
    Ken Basin | Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School and Vice President, U.S. Business Affairs, Sony Pictures Television
    E. Barry Haldeman | Of Counsel, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP

    Panelists:
    Philip Daniels | Partner, Ginsburg Daniels, LLP
    David Ho | Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Fullscreen
    Chris Jacquemin | Agent, Digital Media, William Morris Endeavor 

    Brand Challenges and Opportunities in Fractured Media

    With recent changes in the industry (from the impact of DVR to the emergence of OTT solutions), these panelists will discuss how brands are responding to recent changes in consumer behavior. They will give us insight into the new spending habits and trends advertisers are using to maximize impressions in today's entertainment environment and discuss the legal implications and risks that these new types of deals create.

    Moderator: 
    Michael S. Sherman | Partner, Reed Smith LLP

    Panelists: 
    Tom Larsen | President and General Manager, ZICO Beverages LLC
    Danny Stepper | Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Madvine Relativity
    Cat Stone | Chief Executive Officer and Partner, Stone Management

    TV M&A: Forget Binge Viewing - How About Binge Buying!

    ITV buys a controlling interest in Leftfield Entertainment and Gurney Productions. 21st Century Fox and Apollo Group roll-up Shine Group, Endemol and CORE Media Group. Discovery Communications and Liberty Global form a joint venture to acquire All3Media. Warner Bros. buys Eyeworks. Entertainment One Limited buys The Mark Gordon Company. Tinopolis Group buys Magical Elves. FremantleMedia buys 495 Productions. And MGM buys Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's media empire. Just to name a few. Why the consolidation and why now? Is consolidation good for buyers, good for sellers, good for distributors, good for talent, or good for consumers? Are we in a bubble and if so, when will it burst? Is there more consolidation to come and if so, when and where? This panel will seek to answer these questions by discussing recent TV M&A activity, while attempting to predict future trends.

    Moderator:
    Matthew C. Thompson | Partner and Co-Head Of Entertainment Group, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP 

    Panelists: 
    Thomas Dey | President and Chief Executive Officer, About Corporate Finance
    Brian Edwards | Chief Operating Officer, United Artists Media Group
    Andrew W. Walter | Managing Director, Evolution Media Capital

    SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015

    Diversity and Disconnect in Hollywood

    Diversity in Hollywood will also be put into statistical focus by findings detailed in the groundbreaking 2014 Hollywood Diversity Report: Making Sense of the Disconnect, believed to be the largest and most comprehensive look to date at diversity in the entertainment industry, part of a series of analyses that will be done for the UCLA Ralph Bunche Center's Hollywood Advancement Project. The origins and practices of CBS Entertainment Diversity, its Diversity Institute programs, the circumstances that gave rise to formalizing the effort to diversify network casting and employment, and how and why the department has developed over its history will then be analyzed, including the vertically-integrated manner in which the Program is supported from the top down within the network corporate structure.

    Moderator: 
    Jasleen Kohli | Director, Critical Race Studies Program, UCLA School of Law

    Panelists:
    Darnell Hunt, Ph.D. | Director, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and Professor of Sociology, UCLA
    Rick Najera | Director, Writer and Executive Producer
    Fern Orenstein | Senior Vice President, Casting, CBS Entertainment
    Tiffany Smith-Anoa'i | Senior Vice President, Diversity and Communications, CBS Entertainment

    Licensing and Distribution for the New Television

    As new players emerge and traditional powers evolve, one thing is clear about the television industry - The over-the-top (OTT) revolution is now. Web-based upstarts like Amazon and Netflix have firmly established themselves as forces to be reckoned with, while "old media" stalwarts like HBO and CBS have made bold moves into direct-to-consumer digital distribution. This panel of dealmakers and strategists, representing the full span of the digital content supply chain, will offer new perspectives on how digital distribution is changing the television industry, for now and for good. How do content owners manage their rights across territories, media, and time in a technologically interconnected world? What can the upstarts learn from the established powers and vice versa? How can these players take full advantage of new distribution opportunities without sacrificing the old ones? In an era where business models are no longer safe, these experts will provide an insider's view of a rapidly changing world.

    Moderator: 
    Andrew Wallenstein | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Variety

    Panelists:
    Jeff Frost | Executive Vice President, U.S. Business Affairs, Sony Pictures Television
    Rob Gelick | Senior Vice President and General Manager, Digital Platforms, CBS Interactive Entertainment
    Jerry Longarzo | Partner, KlevanLongarzo LLP and Chief Operating Officer, Alcon Television Group
    Laura Martin | Senior Analyst, Entertainment and Internet, Needham & Company, LLC

    Not Just One of the Crowd: Building Your Brand in Television

    With viewers enjoying a greater variety of viewing options, across a wider array of platforms than ever before, it has never been more important for studios and networks to develop a unique brand identity that connects with viewers. Technology has offered producers and content owners unique opportunities to directly reach their customers. To fully take advantage of these opportunities, the players must make smart choices every day, starting first and foremost with what content they program, but also extending to questions regarding what talent they nurture, what partners they work with, what distribution channels they choose, and what identity they want to present to the world. This panel of top-level content programmers, strategists, and creative executives will describe how they and their organizations have worked to nurture and develop brands that connect with viewers, and how to combine business, legal, creative, and marketing imperatives for maximum success. 

    Moderator: 
    Tina Perry | Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, OWN

    Panelists: 
    Peter Gal | Head of Television Development, DreamWorks Animation
    Holly Leff-Pressman | Executive Vice President, Nielsen Content
    Chuck Saftler | President, Program Strategy and Chief Operating Officer, FX and FXX Networks
    Tara Sorensen | Head of Kids Programming, Amazon Studios

    The Year in Copyright Law and Entertainment Litigation

    The panelists review the most salient developments of 2014 in the law of copyright and in general entertainment litigation, with a view toward the policy, practical analysis, and implications faced by counsel, client, and theoretician.

    Moderator: 
    David R. Ginsburg | Executive Director of the Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property Law Program and Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law

    Panelists: 
    Doug Lichtman | Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
    Robert Rotstein | Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

    Keynote Address

    Featuring: Harvey Levin, Executive Producer of TMZ and TMZ.com

    Harvey Levin will discuss his concept of "Inter-vision"—the creation of entertainment and news content on a basis and in a format independent of the devices on which it is eventually watched by an audience. This vision has guided him and his colleagues at TMZ and his other venues. The foregoing influenced the development of his television presence from the roots of his prior legal and broadcast experience, to the TMZ.com website, to programming on the TMZ show and beyond. He will address the content criteria for TMZ from his perspectives as a lawyer and a journalist, as well as the anticipation of his public audience.

    MCLE: UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending this symposium, you may earn Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit in the amount of up to 7.75 hours of general credit and 1 hour of Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society credit. UCLA School of Law certifies that this activity conforms to the standards for approved education activities prescribed by the rules and regulations of the State Bar of California governing Minimum Continuing Legal Education. 

    CE: The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy regulations. This program may qualify for 10.5 hours of specialized industry CE credits.

  • 2014 Symposium

    “Big Screen, Small Screen, Big Business”

    Thirty-Eighth Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, March 7, 2014

    Welcome

    Presenter: David R. Ginsburg, Executive Director of the Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property Law Program and Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law

    Status of the Industry

    Big Screens…Small Screens…Everywhere Screens AND CAMERAS. Ten legal questions for the TV everywhere and Camera everywhere world from a non-lawyer media producer, analyst, and exec. As content creators and distributors look to capitalize on the “everywhere” potential of screens, they are also looking at the “everywhere” potential of the cameras that go along with most of those screens. And as they do, questions of what constitutes permitted use may make music rights issues look small in comparison. Think a video “selfie” with a big SuperBowl play in the background that suddenly morphs into play by play video coverage by the “selfie” turned commentator…all streamed live on the web. The presentation will begin with the industry “status report” traditional to this opening act.

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC

    For the text of Mr. Wolzien's presentation, please click here.

    Video Games: The Blockbuster Industry of the 21st Century

    Video games have come to occupy an increasingly prominent place in the global entertainment landscape – a reality that became more obvious than ever in September 2013, when Grand Theft Auto V debuted to over $1 billion in retail sales during its first three days on the market. Yet many entertainment professionals have little or no insight into the workings of this multi-billion dollar industry. This panel – the first in the UCLA Entertainment Symposium’s 38-year history dedicated to video games – will present a distinguished group of experts with rich experience working for and inside some of the biggest players in the interactive entertainment world. The group will provide a primer on the basic business and deal structures on which the video game industry is built, as well as the key legal issues the industry faces in its day-to-day operations, before exploring how the leaders of the interactive world are expanding their reach into traditional entertainment media, licensing and merchandising, and eventual world domination.

    Moderator: Patrick Sweeney, Chief Legal Officer, Digital Capital AG, and Partner, Interactive Entertainment Law Group

    Panelists: Seth Krauss, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Take-Two Interactive | Jerod Partin, Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs, Activision | Steve Ross, Head of Business Affairs, Nokia Global Partner and Application Development group | Stephen Smith, Managing Partner, Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP

    Monetizing the Bottom Line: Banking on Merchandise Licensing in Television and Features

    Merchandising is big business on both the big and small screens. Variety’s recent headlines include ‘Godzilla’ Ready to Roar at Retail, and ’Big Bang’ booming as Licensing Property. Merchandise from certain films such as Star Wars permeates our society. How does one anticipate or create the next hot property, and then how does one protect and maintain such a property for the long term? What does a typical deal look like? What key pitfalls does one need to look out for? Our panelists all specialize in merchandising, licensing and brand management. They will give us insight into this booming business, including the legal and business strategies employed in launching and maintaining a successful merchandising campaign.

    Moderator: Danny Simon, President and CEO, The Licensing Group Ltd.

    Panelists: Helen Jorda, Senior Vice President and Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Reel FX | Peter Leeb, Vice President of Global Brand Management and Strategy, Fox Consumer Products | Rami Yanni, Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Saban Brands LLC

    Multi-Channel Networks& Other New Premium Video Players - Their Impact on (& Opportunity For) Hollywood

    This panel discusses the ever-evolving state of the premium online video eco-system and the increasingly impactful role played by (i) multi-channel networks (MCNs) (e.g., Machinima), both in terms of content & talent development and video distribution, and (ii) Over-the-Top (OTT) Premium Video Services (e.g., Netflix, Amazon, Google, YouTube). Panel participants will represent major players within this video eco-system, including premium video services, MCNs, the studios, and artists/agents. These industry experts will first give alay a lay of the land about current MCNs and their differentiated approaches. The discussion will then steer toward the impact of MCNs and other new online services on content development and established business models in the motion picture, television and made for digital businesses. With disruption comes opportunity, and the panel also will address new forms of content creation, distribution and monetization in the multi-platform world.

    Moderator: Peter Csathy, Chief Executive Officer, Manatt Digital Media Ventures

    Panelists: Allen DeBevoise, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Machinima, Inc. | Keyvan Peymani, Managing Director, Digital Strategy Division, ICM Partners​ | Anna Tran Reyna, Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, Digital Media, Fox Networks​ | Paul Snow, Manager, TV and Film Content Partnerships, YouTube

    Saturday, March 8, 2014

    Music in Film, Television and Videogames

    Music can evoke a wide range of emotions while advancing the story of a production (e.g., fear wells up from the Jaws theme while the Pirates of the Caribbean theme conveys bold confidence). Consequently, the score composer, songwriters and other providers of music play a critical role in influencing the quality and impact of a film, television program or videogame. This panel will address the role of composers and songwriters in the production process, as well as the importance of licensed music from established libraries in creating the music for various projects. The panel consists of counsel representing prominent music talent, the head of music business and legal affairs for a major motion picture studio, and the president of one of the most important music licensing companies in the business. They will discuss the decision-making process in connection with placing music in a production, key deal points, and legal issues. There will also be a taped interview with Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer, recently nominated for a Golden Globe for “Twelve Years a Slave,” in which he discusses the creative process of film scoring.

    Moderator: Candace Carlo, Partner, Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo LLP

    Panelists: Russell Emanuel, President, Extreme Music | Lisa B. Margolis, Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Music Division, Warner Bros. | Douglas Mark, Partner, Mark Music & Media Law, P.C.

    The Year in Copyright Law and Entertainment Litigation

    Professor Neil W. Netanel of the UCLA School of Law and partner Robert H. Rotstein, Esq. of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP will review the most salient developments of 2013 and the new year in the law of copyright and in general entertainment litigation, with a view toward the policy, practical analysis, and implications faced by counsel, client, and theoretician.

    Moderator: David R. Ginsburg, Executive Director of the Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property Law Program and Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law

    Speakers: Professor Neil W. Netanel, Pete Kameron Endowed Chair in Law, UCLA School of Law | Robert H. Rotstein, Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

    Financing Content in a Disintermediated World

    This panel will discuss what’s hot and what’s not in the world of financing audio-visual content (including film, TV, and videogames), including trends based on (a) foreign capital, (b) high net-worth equity financing, (c) crowd funding, both donative (e.g., Kickstarter) and equity models, (d) financing and production by companies with direct links to the public (e.g., Netflix, Amazon, Pay TV, Walmart, and theater chains), (e) state tax credits, (f) Section 181, (g) gap, mezzanine, and bridge financing, (h) slate financing (e.g., Ratpac-Dune), and (i) equity from advertisers (e.g., Hasbro).

    Moderator: Schuyler M. Moore, Partner, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

    Panelists: Joshua B. Grode, Partner, Liner LLP | Brett Ratner, Director/Producer/Chairman, Rat Entertainment | Marni Wieshofer, Managing Director, MESA

    Keynote address

    Featuring: Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman, The Weinstein Company

    Interviewed By: Kenneth Ziffren, Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP

    Big Problem, Big Solutions: Substance Abuse Today

    The panelists will share their own personal addiction stories as well as their particular expertise. Topics will include: Prevention, identification, awareness and education in the work place; understanding the difference between abuse and dependence; harm reduction and alternative approaches; finding the right treatment and treatment-team for each individual; and tips on how to properly intervene while maintaining professional boundaries.

    Moderator/Panelist: Claudia Christian, Actress and Author

    Panelists: Brian Cuban, Author and Motivational Speaker | Elisa Hallerman, Drug and Alcohol Counselor and Owner, Recovery Management Agency | Dr. Adi Jaffe, Executive Director, Alternatives Behavioral Health, LLC

    Continuing Legal Education
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for 7.5 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of Prevention, Detection and Treatment of Substance Abuse credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    Continuing Education for Accountants
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 10.0 CE hours.

  • 2013 Symposium

    "Deals on the Edge: Featuring a Dialog with Matt Groening and David Silverman"

    Thirty-Seventh Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, March 8, 2013

    Welcome

    Presenter: Rachel F. Moran, Dean and Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    When Evolution May Not Seem Like Progress

    As the U.S. industry matures and the fragmentation of both viewers and outlets increase, creators have more chances for finding distribution of some type, but perhaps not with the revenue potential of the past. Even as emerging and expanding foreign markets offer new opportunities, lesser established properties in the U.S. may find themselves evicted from the distribution channels they previously occupied. And larger content companies may see more opportunity internationally where, unlike the U.S., the penetration of multi-channel distribution services continues to grow from a low base.

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Chairman, Wolzien LLC

    The Infinite Channel Universe: Planning for Success of Original Content in the Vast Digital Landscape

    Not long ago, original programming was ordered by a short list of television broadcasters. With the expansion of digital internet and wireless distribution, there is unlimited barrier free access to viewers. Original content providers and distributors have rushed to provide an immense amount of programming to digital viewing audiences.

    This panel will examine the new world, from the technology itself and financing sources and startup companies to deal structures, distribution economics and marketing challenges and opportunities, with a focus on planning for long run success.

    Moderator: Donald W. Steele, Partner, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller, LLP

    Panelists: Peter Micelli, Co-Head of Television Packaging, Creative Artists Agency | Patrick A. Russo, Senior Managing Director, Valuation and Financial Advisory Services, FTI Consulting | Dan Weinstein, Chief Content Officer, Collective Digital Studio | Thom Zadra, Head of Video Business Development, Yahoo!

    Protecting Content in Overseas Markets

    Outside the U.S., the regulatory environment for the protection of content has seen significant development in recent years. Recent and forthcoming European developments provide insight into the interpretation of the current framework of European Directives. However, pressure is mounting from those who wish to see copyright change. Meanwhile, China and India are two extremely important rights markets, and they have both seen significant legal development in the recent past. This panel of experts from key territories will explore the themes developing outside the U.S. and look at the challenges and opportunities presented to content owners.

    Moderator: Ted Shapiro, Partner, Wiggin LLP

    Panelists: Simon Baggs, Partner, Wiggin LLP | George Q. Fu, Managing Partner, Watson & Band | Dr. Jan Bernd Nordemann, Partner, Boehmert & Boehmert | Jagdish Sagar, Advocate, Delhi High Court

    Cable Forecast

    A panel comprised of executives from a variety of the networks that make up the cable television landscape will discuss the state of the business, future trends, and what’s next in distribution, carriage, programming, production, technology and revenue. Each panelist will bring their own unique perspective and discuss how the state of cable television and their networks affects the rest of the entertainment business, in the U.S. and around the world.

    Moderator: Brian Weinstein, Head of Corporate Finance, Creative Artists Agency

    Panelists: Melinda Benedek, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs and Production, Showtime Networks | Chad E. Gutstein, Chief Operating Officer, Ovation | Adina Savin, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Disney ABC Networks Group | Michael Schwimmer, Chief Executive Officer, NUVOTV

    Saturday, March 9, 2013

    Global-Eyes: Film Financing and Production Opportunities Beyond Our Borders

    A distinguished panel presents an in-depth look at non-U.S. soft money and international production/co-production opportunities, examines the benefits and hazards of filmmaking in newly developing markets, and ends with a case study of the co-production world in the People’s Republic of China.

    Moderator: Peter J. Dekom, Principal, Peter J. Dekom, a Law Corporation

    Panelists: Leonard Glickman, Partner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP | David Linde, Chief Executive Officer, Lava Bear Films | Sanford Panitch, President, Fox International Productions

    “Breaking Badly”: Negotiating TV Deals in the “New Normal”

    Veteran CAA agent Joe Cohen, with the help of Chuck Larsen (a consulting specializing in analyzing how to maximize revenue for participants in today's TV marketplace), negotiates with Warner Bros. Television Business Affairs Executive Dan Limerick, addressing some of the issues arising in writer/producer deals, with a focus on what revenue streams may not be getting their fair allocation in MAG definitions.

    Moderator: Craig A. Emanuel, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP

    Panelists: Joe Cohen, Co-Head of Television Department, Creative Artists Agency | Chuck Larsen, President, October Moon Television | Dan Limerick, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Warner Bros. Television

    Animated

    The state of feature and television animation, from cels to digital and beyond. Four industry leaders discuss the development and production, growth and success of 2D and CGI animated television series and feature films, current and future deals, the international marketplace, licensing, and the expanding creative landscape.

    Moderator: Jason Grode, Grodehouse Management and Production

    Panelists: Eric Coleman, Senior Vice President, Original Series, Walt Disney Television Animation | Jennifer Howell, Senior Vice President, 20th Century Fox Television | Chris Meledandri, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Illumination Entertainment | Sam Register, Executive Vice President, Creative Affairs, Warner Bros. Animation

    A Dialogue with Matt Groening and David Silverman

    Featuring: Matt Groening, Creator and Executive Producer, The Simpsons and Futurama | David Silverman, Producer/Director/Animator

    Why Green Made the Feds See Red: FCPA Considerations in the Entertainment Industry

    This panel will consider the very real-world impact of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act on the production, distribution and exploitation of motion pictures, television programs, video games and other entertainment content around the world. The panel will feature practical guidance from a leading major studio FCPA lawyer and expert White Collar defense outside counsel.

    Moderator: Michael S. Sherman, Partner, Reed Smith LLP

    Panelists: Mark Krause, Senior Compliance and Litigation Counsel, Warner Bros. Entertainment | James L. Sanders, Partner, Reed Smith LLP

    CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for 7.5 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of "Legal Ethics" credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 9.5 CE hours.

  • 2012 Symposium

    “Killer Deals – What Works, What’s New, What’s Coming?”

    36th Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, March 9, 2012

    Welcome

    Presenter: Rachel F. Moran, Dean and Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    Rights, Devices, and the Consumer: Killer Deals or Deal Killers?

    More devices give content companies the chance to carve up the rights pie into finer and finer pieces, yet consumers may expect to watch whatever they buy or rent on any device. Are separate iPad rights compatible with the Ultraviolet approach to watch on multiple devices? Is the all-device approach started by Amazon’s Kindle in electronic books conditioning consumer expectations for video? What does the Sling Box do to TV Everywhere? And when rights to the same material are chopped up so the same content can arrive by different pathways, does it open the door to the arbitrage of payments to participants?

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Wolzien LLC

    Social Media Platforms: What’s the Deal?

    The success of marketing a film or television series increasingly hinges on the ability of marketers to use digital platforms effectively to reach and connect with audiences — first to create buzz in advance of release or broadcast, and thereafter, to build a fan base and expand awareness. Increasingly, this effort requires skillful involvement of social media platforms.

    The social media panel will feature representatives from Facebook, YouTube and selected media companies, discussing their perspectives on the critical role that social platforms play in the distribution and marketing of entertainment content, and the importance of formal large scale deals between media companies and these platforms versus engagement with them in a more informal promotional manner.

    Moderator: James D. Nguyen, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

    Panelists: Malik Ducard, YouTube | Karin Gilford, ABC Television Network | Matt Jacobson, Facebook

    Rights and Money: Getting the Most of Both

    More and more rights deals are based on underlying properties with multiple volumes, real people and pre-existing uses to serve as possible franchises for film and television companies. Authors, traditional publishers, merchandisers and e-publishers are engaged in their own difficult rights splitting negotiations. Changing technologies are causing a re-examination of how rights are divided among the players. Add film and television producers on top of that and the landscape has become much more challenging and exacting. We will explore the state of the art underlying rights deals for film and television, whether the property is, for example, a book series, several volumes of a comic, a pre-existing character originally created as a toy or even a real person. The basic questions we will seek to answer are, “Who gets what? For how long? And for how much?”

    Moderator: Keith G. Fleer, Keith G. Fleer, A Professional Corporation

    Panelists: Stephanie Beeman, ABC Studios | Mike Eisner, Hasbro Studios | Julie Kane-Ritsch, The Gotham Group | Stephen Plum, Twentieth Century Fox

    Killer Drugs

    Substance abuse in Hollywood can kill lives and careers if not treated. This panel of insiders provides insight into the personal toll of alcohol and drug abuse, the psychology and promise of treatment and recovery and the management of production, legal and career issues which arise from such abuse.

    Moderator: Donald W. Steele, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller, LLP

    Panelists: Blair Berk, Tarlow & Berk, P.C. | Tom Hansen, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller, LLP | Mackenzie Phillips, Actress and Author | Dr. Betty Wyman, Rehab Specialist

    Saturday, March 10, 2012

    Termination: The Final Deal Killer

    A panel discussion of copyright reversion issues, including work-made-for-hire issues related thereto.

    Moderator: Scott A. Edelman, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

    Panelists: Jay L. Cooper, Greenberg Traurig LLP | Bonnie E. Eskenazi, Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP | Marc Toberoff, Toberoff & Associates, P.C.

    Distribution Revolution: How It Affects Every Deal You Do

    Distribution is the life blood of the film and television industry. Suddenly the digital revolution and other technological innovations have upended long established business practices, assumptions about the future of the industry and have even threatened the very existence of companies.

    This panel will give the audience an up to the minute picture of the current state of distribution from the point of view of the major and mini major studios, independent producers, talent, international sales and on line purveyors of film and TV product. Included in the discussion will be changes in distribution channels, shrinking “windows” and the effect on theatrical exhibition and exhibitors, and the latest developments in on-line, cable, satellite and other electronically delivered program content and cloud storage. Learn what it means to financiers, creators and distributors and what you need to know in order to protect your clients. You cannot miss this panel.

    Moderators: E. Barry Haldeman, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP | Kenneth Kleinberg, Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Klein LLP

    Panelists: Bruce David Eisen, DISH Network | Rick Finkelstein, Universal Pictures | Stuart Ford, IM Global | Tom Ortenberg, Open Road Films | Tim Warner, Cinemark Theatres

    David vs. Goliath: Negotiating Deals Against a Studio in Today's Climate

    Shelly Sroloff and Paul Neinstein, leading business affairs agent and studio exec, face off in a mock negotiation addressing the issues that arise today in trying to represent high end “talent” in a climate where first dollar gross seems to have disappeared and the studio is holding all of the cards. How do these “break-even” pools work, and in success, can the talent really make more money than if they had received first dollar gross?

    Moderator: Craig A. Emanuel, Loeb & Loeb LLP

    Panelists: Paul Neinstein, Paramount Pictures | Shelly Sroloff, Creative Artists Agency

    Keynote Speaker: Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation

    Interviewed By: Kenneth Ziffren, Ziffren Brittenham, LLP

    Reality TV: What Is It? How Does It Work? Where Is It Going?

    From Candid Camera to Punk’d, from An American Family to Keeping Up With The Kardashians, from The Real World to Big Brother, from Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour to American Idol, reality television has been around since the beginning of television. However, reality television has seen a dramatic increase in the last 15 years. Reality television falls into a number of subcategories including:

    (i) Competition shows such as Survivor, The Apprentice, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Next Top Model, and Project Runway;

    (ii) Documentary shows such as The Real World, Big Brother, The Bachelor, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Real Housewives of ____, and Deadliest Catch; and

    (iii) Self-Improvement/makeover shows such as Extreme Makeover, The Biggest Loser, and What Not To Wear.

    The Reality Television Panel will discuss the current state of reality television including legal, structural and other issues relating to the development, financing, production and distribution of reality television. The panel will also discuss the future of reality television.

    Moderator: Laurence M. Marks, Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP

    Panelists: Jeffrey Frost, Sony Pictures Television | Michael E. Kohn, Dick Clark Productions, Inc. | Hayden Meyer, APA Talent and Literary Agency | Jordan K. Yospe, Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP

    CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for 7.5 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of "Detection/Prevention of Substance Abuse or Mental Illness" credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 10.0 CE hours.

  • 2011 Symposium

    Technotainment - RU Prepared 4 It?

    35th Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, March 11, 2011

    Welcome

    Presenter: Rachel F. Moran, Dean and Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

    DVR Upheaval - Starting Point For The On Demand Media Universe

    Now in 40% of TV homes, consumption habits on the digital video recorder provide insights into the viewer of tomorrow as web and cable video on demand join the DVR on the TV screen, the computer, the pad and the phone. Linear prime time viewing of some networks is already being superseded by on-demand views of shows from the same network during prime. On demand consumption will only increase as more content becomes available via Netflix, cable’s “TV Everywhere”, and web services like HuluPlus. The merging of the motion picture and television libraries to provide extraordinary on-demand choice, and the merging of the TV, computer, pad, and phone to provide screening opportunities couple to provide new packaging, marketing, and promotional challenges to the linear incumbents, while requiring new approaches to windows, platforms, copy protection and revenue models for on-demand producers and deal makers alike. The presentation will explore today’s DVR realities on the VOD future using proprietary research from the second-by-second show and network data collected through more than two million TiVo digital video recorders and the broader implications of this data on consumer choices and the media industry as a whole.

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Wolzien LLC

    “This Panel Brought To You By…” How Technology Is Changing The Experience & Economics Of Entertainment

    It has been years since reality television began to reinvent the relationship between creative content, consumers, and sponsors. But changes in technology continue to drive innovation in branding, licensing, and merchandising, and to redefine the way viewers experience — and the ways content producers and distributors monetize — entertainment. Days of Our Lives aggressively integrates products into its plotlines and dialogue, only to have the scenes go viral on YouTube and Twitter, drawing a tidal wave of condemnation from the Internet-surfing public (and major free publicity for show and sponsors alike). How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson's fictional websites appear on the real Internet, while his screen wisdom is captured and released in paper-and-glue books.

    This panel will bring together difference-makers representing the interests of networks, studios, content creators, and brand advertisers/sponsors.

    Moderator: Jordan K. Yospe, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

    Panelists: Eric Anderson, Sears Holdings | Eric Baum, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. | Bernard Gugar, Harpo Studios, Inc.

    TV Alternatives: Gadgets & Gizmos Aplenty

    Find it hard to keep up on the latest technologies available for receiving entertainment content? Don't even know what all the techy-sound names mean? Look no further. This multi-media tour-de-force will demonstrate evolving technologies for distribution of entertainment content to consumers.

    Presenter: James D. Nguyen, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP

    Social Networking: The Entertainment Industry Goes Viral

    Gone are the days when a simple trailer, a movie poster and few behind the scenes photos or videos were sufficient to market a movie. Fierce competition, the economic downturn and the reduction of marketing budgets have also affected how marketing campaigns are formulated. Nowadays, the success of marketing a film or television series increasingly hinges on the ability of marketers to use the internet effectively to reach and connect with audiences -- first to create a buzz in advance of release or broadcast, and thereafter to build a fan base and expand awareness. More and more, this effort requires skillful involvement of social media platforms. Going viral is now the name of the game in Hollywood and you better get on board or you'll be left behind.

    The social networking panel will discuss how their respective companies are using social media as an essential part of their digital marketing efforts for their releases and products. In addition, the panel will also discuss the various legal pitfalls to be avoided as well as other key issues facing the entertainment industry relating to such social networking use.

    Moderator: Paul Ollinger, Facebook

    Panelists: Paras Maniar, EQAL | Phillip Morelock, Disney Interactive Media Group | Kathyleen A. O’Brien, Reed Smith | Mark Pogachefsky, MPRM Communications

    Saturday, March 12, 2011

    A Year At The Speed Of Light: Copyright & Content Protection Year In Review​

    A recap of a year in the digital copyright era. The presentation will touch upon developments in copyright law and the continuing evolution of piracy during the past year​.

    Presenter: Scott Martin, Paramount Pictures

    CSI Washington: What Are The Antitrust Cops And The FCC Going To Be Investigating In 2011?

    The panel will review recent developments at the DOJ, FTC and FCC. The panelists will discuss the implications of the DOJ’s review of the Comcast/NBCU merger, the new DOJ-FTC merger guidelines, as well as recent areas of antitrust enforcement including "most favored nations" clauses and employee "no poaching" agreements. The FCC’s proposed net neutrality rules will also be explored.

    Moderator: Daniel G. Swanson, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

    Panelists: Jerry Kang, UCLA School of Law | Richard Parker, O'Melveny & Myers LLP | Chris Walther, Activision Blizzard

    De-Mystifying The Economic Implications Of Electronic Delivery And The Recession On Film Performance

    The Salter Group will provide a detailed analysis of the changing economics underlying the film industry as a result of digital distribution, consumer behavior and recession. The panelists will discuss the impact of these changes on the industry and share their views regarding future developments.

    Moderator: Roy A. Salter, The Salter Group

    Panelists: Andrew Marcus, Relativity Media LLC. | Marc DiLorenzo, Fox Filmed Entertainment | Jessica Schell, Universal Pictures | Jim Underwood, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.

    Keynote Speaker - Digital Innovation and Shared Responsibility

    Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

    The Quest For Digital Dollars

    Jeff Zucker famously warned media companies in 2008 not to trade “analog dollars for digital pennies.” Almost three years later, the online video market is exploding. 84% of the US Internet audience is watching online video every month. YouTube is serving 2 billion videos per day worldwide. Hulu will generate $240 million in revenue in 2010. Netflix streaming is available on over 60 million devices connected to TV sets, including every Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3.
    The “digital dollars” panel will present an opportunity for those shaping the digital video market to discuss matters impacting this medium of exploitation.

    Moderator: Andrew Wallenstein, PaidContent.org

    Panelists: Erin McPherson, Yahoo! | Ted Sarandos, Netflix | Albert Cheng, Disney/ABC Television Group

    CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for 7.5 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of "Detection/Prevention of Substance Abuse or Mental Illness" credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 10.0 CE hours.

  • 2010 Symposium

    "Entertainment (R)Evolution: Maximizing Opportunities"

    Thirty-Fourth Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, February 26, 2010

    Welcome

    Presenter: Stephen Yeazell, Interim Dean, UCLA School of Law

    Incremental Evolution: Finding The Sweet Spot Between Advertising And The Cash Consumer (Purchase, Rental, or Subscription)

    During the last half century, most media revenues have come indirectly, through advertising, rather than directly from consumer purchases. Traditional revenue models are pressured by fractionalization of the audience, piracy, and new business models like Redbox and use of the internet to bypass traditional distributors. Web-based subscription models are beginning to provide consumers with new choices in ways to pay for their media consumption. This overview will explore decision points and pressure points for content creators and distributors as they seek new approaches and overcome weakening advertising and new cannibalistic approaches to distribution. At the same time, it will ask the following questions: can 300 million US consumers replace $250 billion in annual advertising out of their own pockets? (hint: that's about $2100 per family), and will new technologies (like 3D) cause them to do so?

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Wolzien LLC

    30%: Well Spent

    In many cases, clients retain a team of individuals to represent them, including personal managers, agents, lawyers, and business managers. Each individual contributes advice in their area of expertise. This panel will examine how this team of non-legal representatives interact with lawyers and with each other in servicing clients as a team.

    Moderator: Michael Schenkman, Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman, LLP

    Panelists: Dan Aloni, Creative Artists Agency | Howard Altman, Grant, Tani, Barash & Altman | Michael Rotenberg, 3 Arts Entertainment

    The New Marketing Paradigm: Same Goals, New Tools

    This panel will explore the present and changing landscape of film marketing on a global basis. As internet marketing becomes more prevalent and diverse, how will the marketing of films evolve? The panel will explore, among other things, social networking as a marketing tool, the micro-targeting abilities of internet advertising, the changing allocations of costs for different media in marketing budgets, and the effect of day and date releasing in both the domestic and international markets. The panel will also examine various components of non-traditional marketing plans of several recent films as a study of the here and now of cutting edge, cost efficient marketing.

    Moderators: Keith G. Fleer, Keith G. Fleer, A Professional Corporation | Michael A. Helfant, Troika Pictures, LLC

    Panelists: Brian Fitzgerald, Evolve Media | Russell Schwartz, Pandemic Marketing | David A. Weitzner, David Weitzner Associates

    Independents' Day? – Opportunities and Challenges for Indie Film in a Dramatically Changing World

    Is it all doom and gloom for the independent world, or are there unique opportunities that exist for producing and distributing independent films? Who is buying; what are the deals; what is the role and availability of foreign pre-sales; what kind of films do distributors want? This panel will discuss the current state of the independent film world including the key things that every independent producer and his/her representative needs to know in this ever evolving marketplace.

    Moderators: E. Barry Haldeman, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP | Howard Meyers, Focus Features

    Panelists: Glen Basner, Filmnation Entertainment | Steve Gilula, Fox Searchlight Pictures | Michael London, Groundswell Productions | Graham Taylor, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

    First-Dollar Gross: Going, Gone, or Reincarnated?

    This panel will investigate the shifting balance-of-power between motion picture talent and studios big and small. The central question is whether and to what extent talent can still receive first-dollar gross deals. To that end, we will explore the alternatives that have sprung up in the current economic climate to replace first-dollar gross deals, whether they are in any way the economic equivalent of "true" first-dollar gross and how talent representatives have fared for their clients with different players in the entertainment industry.

    Moderator: Leigh Brecheen, Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman, LLP

    Panelists: Melanie Cook, Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca, Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie, Stiffelman, Cook, Johnson, Lande & Wolf LLP | Daniel Ferleger, Paramount Pictures | Mark Gill, The Film Department | Tom Mcguire, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

    Saturday, February 27, 2010

    The Digital Technology (R)Evolution: Maximizing Opportunities and Revenue for Digital Distribution of Filmed Entertainment

    The rapid evolution of digital technologies for distributing filmed entertainment has dominated the industry's focus in recent years. Despite the technological wizardry now available, entertainment industry constituents have experienced challenges to gain consumer adoption of, and to find viable business models for, digital delivery of content. In this interactive panel, hear from industry leaders about how to maximize business opportunities for exploiting filmed entertainment on digital platforms. The panelists will discuss current and future trends in digital distribution technologies for filmed entertainment, business models for digital delivery and which have been most effective, key negotiation points for deal-making, challenges which need to be overcome to maximize opportunities for content owners and distribution partners.

    Moderator: Blair Westlake, Microsoft Corporation

    Presenters: Malik Ducard, Paramount Pictures | Jordan Levin, Generate | James D. Nguyen, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP | Clarissa Weirick, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

    Revolution or Evolution: What is The Vision of The Music Industry?

    For over a decade, the music industry has faced constant challenges from all sides - disruptive technology, competition for the entertainment dollar, the collapse of conventional retail, the consolidation and subsequent homogenization of radio as well as outright attacks from the media, technologist, creators, consumers and politicians, amongst others. What has the industry learned from its journey down the proverbial "coal shaft"? How is it refocusing and reorganizing? How are the business models changing, and what is the relevance to you. Is there still a viable music industry, or is it in full metamorphous....what will be similar, what will change dramatically and what are the real agents of change? The opinions of those who we hope have a clue.

    Moderator: John T. Frankenheimer, Loeb & Loeb LLP

    Presenters: Eric Garland, Bigchampagne | Bruce Kirkland, Tsunami Entertainment | Jonathan Mayers, Superfly Productions | David Ring, Universal Music Group | Ty Roberts, Gracenote | Ralph Simon, Mobilium International Advisory Group

    Piracy: Can We Compete With Free?

    Ten years ago, we saw the start of a revolution of internet distribution of copyrighted musical sound recordings. Initially, the motion picture/television industry thought itself immune from such attack with complicated encryption methods, larger files sizes of content and more complicated requirements for both watching and listening to their products. But with broadband internet speeds, encryption cracking software, high quality digital compression techniques and now set-top boxes readily available in the marketplace to connect televisions to the internet, we now find that "virtually everything" is available on the internet. Sales of DVDs are down, productions are down, middle class industry incomes are down or on a case by case basis, non-existent! Have we learned from history, or are we doomed to repeat the past? Our panel will look at the problem and discuss what is being done today and tomorrow to diminish the problem and find a workable business model to produce income from new distribution technologies.

    Moderator: Michael H. Lauer, Law Office of Michael H. Lauer

    Panelists: Anthony Falzone, Stanford Fair Use Project | Kathy Garmezy, Directors Guild Of America | Daniel M. Mandil, Motion Picture Association Of America | Mitch Singer, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.

    Keynote Speakers Morgan Freeman, Academy Award® Winning Actor, Producer and Entrepreneur; Lori Mccreary, Revelations Entertainment, Producer and Entrepreneur. Interviewed by: Schuyler M. Moore, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

    Not Your Gutenberg Printing Press - Content Empowered By Technology - The Promise Of Digital To Transform Book Publishing

    How the new e-publishers and online booksellers, aided by the evolution from paper to e-readers, apps and beyond, are reimagining and reshaping the publishing industry; content wars - who owns or controls digital rights to older books, what did and do the publishing agreements say, and do "free" books and SCRIBD facilitate piracy?; price wars - the disparity between digital and traditional paper book sales and between discount big-box stores and online retailers - predictions and possibilities; the google book settlement controversy and its short and long term effects on authors, publishers, libraries, and the copyright law.

    Moderator: Susan A. Grode, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

    Panelists: Jane Friedman, Open Road Integrated Media | Jack Jensen, Chronicle Books | Kate Spelman, Cobalt LLP | Steve Tapia, Microsoft Corporation

    The Current State of Film Finance

    A status update and overview of the current state of film financing. Topics will include a description of the current state of the capital markets and what we can anticipate for 2010; discussion regarding film slate performance metrics; a retrospective/discussion focusing on successful vs. unsuccessful deal terms and other factors underlying slate performance; review of present and anticipated trends in media windows; and library valuations as impacted by current market developments and technological changes.

    Moderator: Roy Salter, The Salter Group

    Panelists: Eric Briggs, The Salter Group | Bryan Lacour, Union Bank | Stefan Litt, Sony Pictures Entertainment

    CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for 7.5 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of "Detection/Prevention of Substance Abuse or Mental Illness" credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 10.0 CE hours.

     

  • 2009 Symposium

    "HOLLYWORLD: The Challenges and Opportunities of Globalization"

    33rd Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium

    Friday, March 6, 2009

    Cross Currents of Globalization

    Distribution of US produced content has been a decidedly one-way street from Hollywood to the US and then to the rest of the world, but as global content platforms move to acquire all rights for all markets, some business models will need to evolve and others may break.

    Presenter: Tom Wolzien, Founder, Wolzien, LLC

    The Global View

    This panel will provide an overview of where we are and where we are going on a worldwide basis as a result of global confluences, including (a) financing, revenue, and currency trends and (b) the current economic chaos.

    Moderator: Schuyler M. Moore, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

    Panelists: 
    Ashok Amritraj, Chairman and CEO, Hyde Park Entertainment 
    Patrick Wachsberger, President and CEO, Summit Entertainment

    Effect of Globalization on the Movie Business

    How film companies in Hollywood and their decisions are affected by globalization, including the following developments: (i) the growth of international audiences and foreign source revenues; the mandate to retain international distribution rights in order to capture international film rentals; will the necessity of pre-selling rebound with the demise of hedge funds and non-studio sources of financing in light of the global financial meltdown; the effect of globalization on creative/artistic decisions concerning choice of subject matter and talent for a particular film; marketing and releasing strategies (e.g., world-wide, near simultaneous releases and global promotions); (ii) vast increase in Hollywood studios involvement in local language productions; growth of international cinema facilitating local language productions with higher budgets; (iii) Hollywood activities in emerging markets of the world (India/Russia/Korea and other Asian countries/Mexico and Latin America); (iv) growth of international distributors, groups and other arrangements not dependent on involvement of US domestic distributor; (v) how different is Hollywood today as contrasted with 10 or more years ago, and how will it be in the future, as a result of globalization? How does globalization impact the choice of films being made under the control of Hollywood and/or the creative elements in those films?

    Moderator: Kenneth Kleinberg, Kleinberg Lopez Lange Cuddy & Klein LLP

    Panelists: 
    Steven N. Bersch, President, Sony Pictures worldwide acquisition group 
    Richard Fox, Executive Vice President, International, Warner Bros. Entertainment 
    Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer, Tribeca Enterprises, LLC
    Hal Sadoff    , Head of International and Independent Film, International Creative Management, Inc.

    Effect of Globalization on the TV Business

    How US TV deals and the business are affected by issues such as: (i) increasing growth and sophistication of format trade between US and other countries; (ii) co-productions between US and international production companies; (iii) Cross-border ventures (NBC buying Carnival TV in UK; Shine TV in UK buying Reveille); (iv) Market for global sales of US TV product - dramas, comedies and movies and mini-series and features to TV stations; (v) growth of ancillary markets based on US TV product a la High School Musical; and (vi) discussion of sample deals.

    Moderator: Rick Rosen, Partner, Endeavor

    Panelists: 
    Lee Bartlett, Managing Director, ITV Global Content 
    Howard Kurtzman, Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, 20th Century Fox Television
    Mark Pedowitz, President, ABC Studios 
    Jane Tranter, Executive Vice President Programming and Production, BBC Worldwide America

    Traveling Through The Gaming World Without Getting Your Passport Revoked

    Games and social networking companies create alternative worlds, and enable players and visitors to escape this one. The panel will explore a number of topics exploring how the alternative universes intersect with the real world, including: issues to consider in building a product or service for worldwide distribution; the acquisition and regulation of "property;" what issues arise for the policing entity (and who is that entity?); the rise of mobile gaming and what issues that raises; how developers are attracted to build new applications and disincentivized to introduce negative elements; and what new revenue streams are being created in the gaming world and what issues do those business models raise.

    Moderator: Ruth E. Fisher, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

    Panelists: 
    Debra Baker, Senior Vice President, Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
    Bruce L. Hack, Vice-Chairman of the Board and Chief Corporate Officer, Activision Blizzard 
    Sara Cohen Medifar, Director of Business and Legal Affairs, MySpace.com 
    Lee Rawles, Senior Counsel, Electronic Arts IncSaturday, March 7, 2009

    Territorial Incentives - The State of Play

    In the current financial climate, the role of territorial production incentives and subsidies is increasing in importance as the monies available from banks and hedge funds decline. What is the current state of play regarding production incentives throughout the United States and worldwide for filmmakers and how is this likely to evolve? And, with the increasing numbers of countries (e.g., Italy, France) and states introducing incentives which are now accessible to non-resident filmmakers, what other key factors are likely to influence the production location decision?

    Moderator: Charles Moore, Wiggin LLP

    Presenters: 
    Joseph Chianese, Vice President of Business Development and Production Planning, Entertainment Partners 
    Jonathan Olsberg, Chairman, Olsberg|SPI Limited

    World of Difference

    How different are the legal protections afforded copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity and other similar rights in different parts of the world? What is the impact of those differences on the need to carefully manage intellectual property rights?

    Moderator: Marty Katz, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

    Panelists: 
    Steve Bardwil, Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs, Walt Disney Studios
    Jared Jussim, Executive Vice President, Intellectual Property, Sony Pictures Entertainment 
    Caroline Kean, Wiggin LLP 
    Winston Maxwell, Hogan & Hartson

    Finance - Plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose - Will International Finance or Something Else Replace Wall Street Film Investment

    Major players have departed from the space including Dresdner Bank, Deutsche Bank, GE Capital, Merrill Lynch, Natexis, Bank of Ireland, Societe Generale - who will replace them? Most large slate deals have underperformed (e.g., Melrose) and some have generated lawsuits (e.g., Melrose I) - have we seen the end of these deals (e.g., Paramount Pandora)? Will single picture financings take their place? Large international tax deals are dead or dying (e.g., Germany, UK) - what will take their place? Are there financiers in Russia, India, China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East or some yet undetermined location seeking to replace US hedge funds and private equity investors?

    Moderator: Michael Sherman, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP

    Panelists: 
    Emanuel Nunez, Agent, Motion Picture Department, Creative Artists Agency
    Steve Scharf, O'Melveny & Myers LLP 
    David Shaheen, Managing Director and Group Head of Entertainment Industries Group, JPMorgan 
    Eli Baker, Prinicpal, Grosvenor Park

    Keynote Speaker: Harry E. Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. with Peter Bart, Editor-in-Chief, Variety

    Talent Deals Across Borders

    A Hollywood without borders: this panel will address issues which arise when U.S. talent (writers, directors, actors and producers) work on international films, and when foreign talent work on U.S. films. We will discuss the potential advantages and pitfalls-from compensation and creative rights negotiations to tax and labor concerns-which our panel of experts faces in structuring deals here and abroad.

    Moderator: June Horton, Senior Vice President, Head of Motion Picture and Sports Business Affairs, William Morris Agency

    Panelists: 
    Alan M. Brunswick, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP 
    Nigel Alan Clay, Independent Tax Consultant, Clay & Associates LLP 
    Bruce Hendricks, President of Physical Production, Walt Disney Pictures 
    Linda Lichter, Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman, Inc. 
    Paul Neinstein, Executive Vice President, Theatrical Business Affairs, Paramount Pictures

    The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Ethical Responsibility

    The US film and entertainment industry is a global business. Producers, companies, agents and lawyers need to understand that previous "business as usual" practices in foreign countries may now subject them to criminal liability. Recent actions by US and foreign enforcement authorities underscore the increased governmental scrutiny to assure compliance with US and foreign anti-bribery laws. Discussion will focus on examples of what one can and cannot do in today's climate.

    Moderator: Jonathan S. Feld, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

    CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
    UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for 7.5 hours of general MCLE credit and 1 hour of "Detection/Prevention of Substance Abuse or Mental Illness" credit. This event may meet the requirements for continuing legal education credits in other states. Please check with the bar association in the state in which you are seeking credits to see if this event is eligible.

    CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS
    The provider of this program follows the CE guidelines specified in the California Board of Accountancy Regulations. The program may qualify for 10.0 CE hours.

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Hear about how the Master of Legal Studies degree can make an impact in your career. The online and hybrid format, scholarships, and application tips will all be discussed. Early application deadline is on March 3, 2025

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