As new and developing technologies create a huge demand for original content, North Carolina has cemented its status as a hub of activity for television and movie makers – and these producers and production companies have made their names with national and global entertainment and media companies. Although the state’s production tax credit has shifted, a revamped grant program, coupled with a wealth of talent, supportive business infrastructure, scenic locales and favorable climate make North Carolina a perennially attractive destination for film and TV productions.
Poyner Spruill’s entertainment law attorneys draw on more than 40 years of combined experience representing producers, directors, production companies, film funds, studios, film investors, and others in their film, television and other multi-media projects. Our team has represented some of North Carolina’s most prominent industry players and is proud that a number of its clients’ projects have enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success around the world. In recent years, our team has built a wealth of experience working on popular soft-format and reality television productions.
We are from, and know, North Carolina – including everything there is to know about the entertainment and film business in the state – and we offer sophisticated counsel that is much more cost effective than law firms operating out of New York, Hollywood and Atlanta. Our attorneys have cultivated a strong network of entertainment industry contacts, both in-state and nationally, and we regularly negotiate and close deals with major studios and networks.
As a large, full-service firm, Poyner Spruill can address nearly any issue that our clients may have, whether they are purely entertainment related or also involve other disciplines. We represent local and national producers on matters including:
- Drafting and negotiating talent deals (including those for onscreen performers, directors, producers, and writers)
- Drafting and negotiating production agreements with broadcast and cable networks, streaming services, as well as their partners
- Distribution agreements
- Business entity formation and structure (e.g., LLCs, partnerships, joint ventures)
- Investment agreements
- Intellectual property (e.g., copyrights, trademarks, music rights and clearances)
- Financing structures, financing agreements and securities offering documents (PPMs)
- Litigation and dispute resolution
- Regulatory work, including securities offerings
- Rights acquisition, including option and purchase agreements
- Tax (including applicable state tax credits and production rebates)
- Employment law, including worker classification issues and minor actor regulations
We build strong, enduring relationships and look after our clients’ interests beyond the stage and screen to wherever else their ambitions take them. We are honored that many of our clients have relied on us for more than 10 years.
