Keeping Your Legal Rights Safe During Filming

One problem that can occur during the shooting of a film is the threat of a lawsuit. It can happen at any point in time during your shoot and will effectively shut down your filming. You will have a big problem trying to get your film released once you have finished the film. It is better to try and avoid these problems before you get started to save yourself the headache of trying to get untangled in the legal problems later.

When you are working on your script make sure that the characters are strictly fictional. If you are planning to base your film on a real person you will have to get their permission before you begin. Also, make certain that there are no people in the area where you are shooting your film that have the same name as the characters in your film. If you do use a real person as inspiration you can make enough changes so that the two are different enough to not be based on that person.

If you do happen to find someone living in the area that shares the same name as your character you can do a couple of things. You can change where you are shooting the film, or you can change the name of the character. If you are convinced that the location you have chosen is the best one for your film, then change the name of the character. The choice of what you do about the name problem is up to you, but to avoid problems later it is best to make the changes before your filming begins.

You should also be sure that you add the disclaimer in the beginning of your film. Make sure that it states that any similarity to a person who is alive or dead is purely a coincidence and that the characters are fictional. This will help you if someone makes claims later that you based your film on their life.

If the fictional characters in your film are the result of someone else’s work, you must make sure that you have their permission to use the characters. The more famous the character the more important it is to get this permission. If you do not obtain permission before you begin filming you will most likely be sued. When you obtain permission make certain that the details of the character and your use are well documented in a contract that is signed by both parties.

If you take these simple steps before you begin working you will be avoiding many headaches later on. You want your film to be released and a lawsuit can hold things up for a very long time. All of the work that you have put into the film will be wasted as your film sits and waits for the chance to be released.

Learn to write, shoot, edit, score, and produce your own feature films at Asia's Premier Film School, the International Academy of Film and Television.