Understanding the Business of Media Entertainment

Gregory Bernstein has worked in the entertainment business for more than 35 years from both the business and creative sides - as an entertainment attorney, studio business affairs executive, WGA union senior executive, and award-winning screenwriter. After graduating from the UCLA Law School in 1980, Bernstein practiced entertainment law for two years at O’Melveny & Myers, an international law firm. He then worked for six years as vice-president of business affairs at Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures, negotiating more than a hundred acting, directing, producing, writing, rights, financing and distribution agreements. Following his studio executive years, Bernstein enrolled in the film directing program at the American Film Institute where he earned an MFA degree. Since leaving AFI, he has received writing credit on four films: Official Secrets, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival; the film stars Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, and Rhys Ifans; The Conspirator, which was released in 2011 and directed by Robert Redford, and for which Bernstein was awarded the Humanitas Prize; Trial and Error, which starred Charlize Theron, Jeff Daniels, and Michael Richards; and Call Me Claus, which starred Whoopi Goldberg. He has also sold scripts to Disney and DreamWorks. In 2003, Bernstein took a sabbatical from writing and entered the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he received a master's degree in public administration. Upon returning to Los Angeles, he served as the assistant executive director of the Writers Guild of America, West from 2004 until 2006. Since 2012, along with screenwriting, he has also taught film at Arizona State University.

"Whether you’re already in the business, or on the outside and looking in trying to make sense of the dizzying elements, this is an easy to read and comprehensive book from an expert who masterfully illuminates the fundamentals. As a screenwriter himself, Greg has now completed the task of weaving together the story of production as a business with the enabling elements that come before and after the cameras roll."—Jeffrey Ulin, Author, The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World

• IntroductionSection 1 – Law and EntertainmentChapter 1: Copyright LawChapter 2: Music CopyrightChapter 3: Copyright and PiracyChapter 4: International CopyrightChapter 5: First Amendment LawSection 2 – Entertainment Companies: Growth and PowerChapter 6: The FCC and Government Regulation of the MediaChapter 7: Media Growth and OwnershipChapter 8: Unions, Agents and ManagersSection 3 – What Studios DoChapter 9: DevelopmentChapter 10: DistributionSection 4 – Money and ContractsChapter 11: Gross and Net ProceedsChapter 12: Entertainment ContractsChapter 13: Independent Film Development, Financing, Contracts and DistributionSection 5 - VoicesChapter 14: Making It Into the BusinessIndex