The economy may be in crisis, but a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. This panel will explore whether or not entertainment industry deals are being executed in the current environment and how they operate compared to deals in recent years. New opportunities exist for dealmakers and this panel will examine creative ways to foster profitable partnerships when the chips are down. What happens when the recent private-equity backed deals start to unravel? Does partnering with a major corporation such as Walmart or Target succeed at boosting a band's record sales among Middle Americas, and does it affect the band's artistic credibility? Can current efforts to lower concert ticket prices and proposed anti-scalping legislation make concert attendance feasible for Americans with the lowest disposable income in years? This panel will explore the issues facing dealmakers in the entertainment industry in the current economic crisis and discuss ways to turn the recession's limited resources into unique growth strategies.
Today's online start-ups are striking a balance between accessing content, serving their users and protecting themselves from liability. With little overhead, internet companies can provide their services for less than the brick and mortar establishments of yesterday. But in a realm where anyone can establish an internet presence in a matter of minutes and readily obtain access to user generated, user posted and other "free"
In this spirited annual discussion, we pull back the curtain and look into the future of the entertainment industry. Will the music industry continue its trend and completely abandon the old business models? Will large film companies look to independent online content for new material? The panel will discuss not only what strategies have failed in the past year but also, hopeful new forward-thinking business models and opportunities. We will look at methods to monetize existing content and how the industry may look over the coming year, and in years to come. The future of the entertainment industry may look very different from the industry of the past, but with creativity and perseverance, it will be bright!
Is Big Brother really that bad? Online platforms can be used to collect vast amounts of information about who's listening, watching or interacting. We can learn about their tastes, their buying behavior, their Internet browsing behavior and their opinions, and that's just scratching the surface. Research shows that consumers respond well to technology that delivers products that meet their needs and desires - including entertainment. Google bots are already scanning your Gmail to suggest advertisements based on your email content, but there seems to be a fine line between what's helpful and creepy. Consumers remain wary about the intrusion of technology on their privacy while using the internet. There are important precautions one can take to prevent unwanted disclosure of private information online. This panel will discuss the various privacy rules and regulations that apply to how companies collect and treat information about consumers and what additional regulations we may see in the near future.
Negotiating deals is a large part of the entertainment business and attorneys representing their clients are bound by the New York Rules of Professional Conduct. In navigating the tricky paths of negotiation, what information are attorneys bound to keep confidential? How forthright must an attorney be with opposing counsel? And when does puffery cross the ethical line? This panel will explore these issues through a step-by-step mock negotiation that will examine the good side and the dark side of doing deals in the entertainment industry.
Coming up with a brilliant idea for a film is the easy part, but what happens after you get the great idea? What do the contracts and development processes look like in this economy? How can a great film be made on a small budget in a short amount of time? Even after the camera has stopped rolling, filmmakers need to be prepared to handle the business end of a film and continue to be creative. Is it best to go to film festivals? First-time filmmakers need to consider alternate methods of distribution and inking an independent distribution deal often means raising a large part of the funding on your own. Panelists will discuss and disassemble the development, financing, production and distribution of an independent film in light of the recession.
