As a young attorney, I kind of feel this weird sense of duty to bring law practice into the 21st Century. It's actually a bit more difficult than it sounds; not only do you have a rift between the "young" attorneys and "older" attorneys. It's not really an age thing, it's more of a way of practicing. As a young attorney, I want to be flexible with billing (hence our flat-fee based model at New Leaf), I want to really interact and build a relationship with my clients, and I want to promote what they're doing because I'm genuinely excited about it! However, this has not been the traditional way of legal practice, which is traditionally tight-lipped.
Thus, in the spirit of creating a new legal landscape; one that is tied to its fellow entrepreneurs and artists, I would like to share a list of my favorite sites for entertainment-related (business) content.
A Snippet of the Bestest Websites & Blogs for Artists:
lawyers4musicians.com
In a nutshell, this website totally rules. Not only is it a great resource for artists to learn about their rights, options and the law, it's also a great place for entertainment lawyers to stay up-to-date on the latest rule-world developments in this area of law. It's a perfect mix of cases, news and events.
The Hollywood Reporter's Law Blog
The Hollywood Reporter can be a very overwhelming website, especially for folks that focus more on the creative side of the industry and keep up on the business side because they have to (and that's ok!!). But Matt Belloni artfully manages a blog through the site that focuses on interesting legal happenin's in the industry. While it may seem at first only a resource for "boring lawyers" and copyright nerds like me, its content is interspersed with valuable lessons any musician, filmmaker or artist should find valuable. For example, today's blog highlights a film that is about to debut at Sundance this year - and it's FULL of unlicensed corporate logos and mascots, an issue that, as Matt points out, would make any entertainment lawyer faint. However, this is an issue that is often overlooked by many filmmakers because they have 50,000 other things to be (rightfully) concerned about. You scan this blog, and you'll be even more the wiser to the legalities you should make sure your lawyer takes care of.
arstechnica.com
Ars Technica is the go-to resource for all geeky entertainment industry peeps - whether you're a web developer, marketing/viral guy, game developers (!!), you need to hit this site on a daily basis. Though it's content is VERY rich, it's easy navigation system makes scanning through it and finding relevant, valuable information a cinch. I highly recommend the "Gaming" section for developers, industry professionals and consumers alike.
Best Twitter Content:
Gaming news: @arstechnica (for obvious reasons), @goodgaming
Entertainment law: @musiclaw09, @entlawupdate
Entertainment/Industry news: @hypebot (who also has an amazing website for musicians), @fightpiracy
A couple of other invaluable resources for Artists:
- Your local film bureau or Chamber of Commerce
In Massachusetts specifically, the Film Bureau is an amazing resource for understanding laws right regard to filmmaking, tax credits, and a myriad of other issues. There are similar organizations for other areas of entertainment as well.
- Your local arts lawyers organization
The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts has a presence in most jurisdictions, especially ones where the area is thick with entertainment and art. I actually worked at the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts and am now a member attorney. Most of these attorneys will take artist cases pro-bono if you qualify.
How, this clearly isn't an exhaustive list; these just happen to be some of the sites I like, for various reasons. I would invite everyone to contribute their favorites as well. The bottom line at the end of the day, though, is that it is more important than ever that entertainment industry folks understand the latest news and legal developments in their industry. Not only is it (slightly?) interesting, it is most likely relevant to something you're working on, and simply being aware can save you loads of time and money on the back end. Enjoy!
www.newleaflegal.com
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Beyoncé to Promote Nintendo's "Style Savvy" Game
In the latest development of what appears to be the gaming industry's attempt to lure in more female gamers (as creepy as that sounds), Nintendo has paid top dollars to Beyoncé to be the new spokeswoman for "Style Savvy." "Style Savvy" is a fashion-focused game that lets players build and run their own fashion boutiques; an opportunity that, according to Beyoncé, is not only fun and stimulating for young minds, but also educational.
My initial impression upon reading this will blip was "well, it seems Nintendo did a bit better than Playstation." I'd take a crack at Style Savvy for shits and giggles, although I'm not sure Beyoncé would be my motivating factor. On the other hand, you would have to strap me into a chair and staple my eyes open and FORCE me to play Hanna Montana. But I digress; clearly I am not the aim of these ad campaigns. The way I see it, the target are young girls interested in fashion, or women interested (or in) fashion that will use the game as a time killer during commutes.
So what are these women saying about the game? Well, the few comments on the article weren't exactly rousing. One commenter pointed out the (fatal?) issue of initial investment in a DS, which run $129. I certainly wouldn't invest in one for the sake of a casual game or two (although, people do pay $299 for Kindles for the exact same commuting purpose...). On top of that, you're competing with investments in actual fashion (i.e. the pair of shoes the same commentor pointed out she would rather purchase). So... maybe the game isn't such a slam dunk for "adults." But what about kids?
The game reviewed well for tweens/teens interested in fashion, and noted the entrepreneurial value of building a virtual store and helping a variety of customers with different needs. Also, given it's over 10,000 lockable garments, the game could provide a depth that both casual and more loyal gamers can appreciate.
Overall, I'd say hiring Beyoncé was a good move for Nintendo, as long as expectations are realistic and Nintendo is looking to recruit female (casual) gamers for the long-tail. Will this add send women out in droves to buy a DS just for this game? Probably not. But, it may motivate young women that already HAVE a DS. Likewise, if this campaign continues on a Nintendo or industry-wide scale, the industry will likely garner a larger portion of female gamers over time. If that is the aim - which is likely given the magnitude of female-focused games out there now - this crazy plan may work.
My initial impression upon reading this will blip was "well, it seems Nintendo did a bit better than Playstation." I'd take a crack at Style Savvy for shits and giggles, although I'm not sure Beyoncé would be my motivating factor. On the other hand, you would have to strap me into a chair and staple my eyes open and FORCE me to play Hanna Montana. But I digress; clearly I am not the aim of these ad campaigns. The way I see it, the target are young girls interested in fashion, or women interested (or in) fashion that will use the game as a time killer during commutes.
So what are these women saying about the game? Well, the few comments on the article weren't exactly rousing. One commenter pointed out the (fatal?) issue of initial investment in a DS, which run $129. I certainly wouldn't invest in one for the sake of a casual game or two (although, people do pay $299 for Kindles for the exact same commuting purpose...). On top of that, you're competing with investments in actual fashion (i.e. the pair of shoes the same commentor pointed out she would rather purchase). So... maybe the game isn't such a slam dunk for "adults." But what about kids?
The game reviewed well for tweens/teens interested in fashion, and noted the entrepreneurial value of building a virtual store and helping a variety of customers with different needs. Also, given it's over 10,000 lockable garments, the game could provide a depth that both casual and more loyal gamers can appreciate.
Overall, I'd say hiring Beyoncé was a good move for Nintendo, as long as expectations are realistic and Nintendo is looking to recruit female (casual) gamers for the long-tail. Will this add send women out in droves to buy a DS just for this game? Probably not. But, it may motivate young women that already HAVE a DS. Likewise, if this campaign continues on a Nintendo or industry-wide scale, the industry will likely garner a larger portion of female gamers over time. If that is the aim - which is likely given the magnitude of female-focused games out there now - this crazy plan may work.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Gaming Industry is Doing Well. I mean Badly. I mean... Crap.
I absolutely LOVE reading my daily Google alerts on the "video game industry." Its like reading a paper written by someone with multiple personality disorder. Or an identity crisis. One headline reads "EA forcasts another tough year for gaming..." while the next reads "video games are starting 2010 strong." This a hilarious daily occurrence for me.
What does this mean for gaming? Personally, I think folks are just freaking out that the bubble is going to burst, a la internet companies of the 90's. I can understand that trepidation; video games aren't cheap to make, and spend years in development surrounded by uncertainty as to whether that investment will ever be recouped (much less whether there will be a profit). However, I don't think the industry is even CLOSE to experiencing the cataclysmic shift that occurred in the music and film industry... because geeks are smarter than you and me. I mean that lovingly!
People are still craving video games, and a recession is the time for them to shine! People are not going out and spending money; they want to invest in something that will have lasting entertainment over days and months, and not merely hours. So you know what? Maybe 2010 won't be as great as 2007-2009 for video games. But the industry needs to keep in mind that it's doing substantial better than most other entertainment industries AND in a recession. As long as games continue to be innovative and push the envelope, there's no reason to panic. Be cautious? Yes. But you don't need to push the red button yet.
What does this mean for gaming? Personally, I think folks are just freaking out that the bubble is going to burst, a la internet companies of the 90's. I can understand that trepidation; video games aren't cheap to make, and spend years in development surrounded by uncertainty as to whether that investment will ever be recouped (much less whether there will be a profit). However, I don't think the industry is even CLOSE to experiencing the cataclysmic shift that occurred in the music and film industry... because geeks are smarter than you and me. I mean that lovingly!
People are still craving video games, and a recession is the time for them to shine! People are not going out and spending money; they want to invest in something that will have lasting entertainment over days and months, and not merely hours. So you know what? Maybe 2010 won't be as great as 2007-2009 for video games. But the industry needs to keep in mind that it's doing substantial better than most other entertainment industries AND in a recession. As long as games continue to be innovative and push the envelope, there's no reason to panic. Be cautious? Yes. But you don't need to push the red button yet.
Friday, January 8, 2010
PSP Insults Female Gamers By Issuing Hanna Montana Bundle
According to PSPWorld.com, more than half of all PSP owners - "52%, to be exact" - are female. In fact, according to Nielson, PSPWorld states, 45% of overall gamers are female.
First of all - yay for us!! Aaaannd second... I told you so. Third... where the HELL are all these women hiding?? Almost every gamer I meet is a guy, and they are always fascinated to meet a female gamer. I feel like an endangered species or something! Perhaps they don't leave their houses enough (both the guys and the girls). Perhaps I am also making the false assumption that these gamers are grown women like myself; as an adult, I like to think that most gamers are adult, too. If you jump into any Halo game on Live, you'll see that's clearly not true. However, this is an undeniable trend that gamers are getting older. But I digress - this is another blog topic for another time. Back to the PSP.
As I was saying, the majority of the PSP Market is female. Thus, in response to this, in an apparent attempt to please/capture this market, PSP issued a lilac-color PSP as part of a Hanna Montana Entertainment Pack.
Um... wait... WHAT THE FUCK?! Hanna Montana? Jesus Christ, that's like slapping any female gamer over the age of 12 in the face. Ouch. That hurt, PSP. "Why you do this to me, Demi?" I'll admit, the lilac-color PSP - I could buy into that. In fact, I would actually buy that. I don't have a PSP; I have a white DS. But I'll admit, when the pink ones came out... I was tempted. I have this weird underlying desire to bring something slightly feminine to gaming... however, not the term slightly. Hanna Montana is not slightly feminine. Not to sound all dirty-hippie-feminism on your asses, but she's "a whore in sheep's clothing," as Coheed and Cambria so eloquently put it. And now she has bastardized the color purple for her own evil, evil purposes. Bad, PSP, bad.
Of course, I approach this slightly - SLIGHTLY - in jest. If the PSP is attempting to capture younger female gamers, there is certainly no smarter way to do that (from a marketing perspective) than to brand your product with Hanna Montana. She's freaking made of money. And, realistically, most female gamers will not shun the PSP because they launched a tween-focused product. My beer is more selfish - where's the PSP for adult female gamers? You could have WAY more fun with that than with the tweens product - take that for what you will.
Listen, at the end of the day, the industry is skewing toward adult gamers. Adult gamers with their own jobs and income... not allowances. Once the initial investment in a console is made, $60 bucks for a game isn't that bad. At least, I don't think so. Plus, the industry has set a smart standard price for new releases, unlike other entertainment industries. So, PSP... get me a stand-alone lilac-colored handheld for my birthday (which is in April). Pretty please?
First of all - yay for us!! Aaaannd second... I told you so. Third... where the HELL are all these women hiding?? Almost every gamer I meet is a guy, and they are always fascinated to meet a female gamer. I feel like an endangered species or something! Perhaps they don't leave their houses enough (both the guys and the girls). Perhaps I am also making the false assumption that these gamers are grown women like myself; as an adult, I like to think that most gamers are adult, too. If you jump into any Halo game on Live, you'll see that's clearly not true. However, this is an undeniable trend that gamers are getting older. But I digress - this is another blog topic for another time. Back to the PSP.
As I was saying, the majority of the PSP Market is female. Thus, in response to this, in an apparent attempt to please/capture this market, PSP issued a lilac-color PSP as part of a Hanna Montana Entertainment Pack.
Um... wait... WHAT THE FUCK?! Hanna Montana? Jesus Christ, that's like slapping any female gamer over the age of 12 in the face. Ouch. That hurt, PSP. "Why you do this to me, Demi?" I'll admit, the lilac-color PSP - I could buy into that. In fact, I would actually buy that. I don't have a PSP; I have a white DS. But I'll admit, when the pink ones came out... I was tempted. I have this weird underlying desire to bring something slightly feminine to gaming... however, not the term slightly. Hanna Montana is not slightly feminine. Not to sound all dirty-hippie-feminism on your asses, but she's "a whore in sheep's clothing," as Coheed and Cambria so eloquently put it. And now she has bastardized the color purple for her own evil, evil purposes. Bad, PSP, bad.
Of course, I approach this slightly - SLIGHTLY - in jest. If the PSP is attempting to capture younger female gamers, there is certainly no smarter way to do that (from a marketing perspective) than to brand your product with Hanna Montana. She's freaking made of money. And, realistically, most female gamers will not shun the PSP because they launched a tween-focused product. My beer is more selfish - where's the PSP for adult female gamers? You could have WAY more fun with that than with the tweens product - take that for what you will.
Listen, at the end of the day, the industry is skewing toward adult gamers. Adult gamers with their own jobs and income... not allowances. Once the initial investment in a console is made, $60 bucks for a game isn't that bad. At least, I don't think so. Plus, the industry has set a smart standard price for new releases, unlike other entertainment industries. So, PSP... get me a stand-alone lilac-colored handheld for my birthday (which is in April). Pretty please?
New Year, New News - Aren't You Excited?!
First, let me start by wishing all of you a Happy New Year! Personally, I'm not a big believer in the "new year, new you" mentality; I rarely reflect on the last 365 days, and I don't make New Year's Resolution that I'll inevitably end up breaking away. Perhaps I should start. To me, the New Year is just a confusing time where I constantly write/type the wrong year for several weeks. Then we all get into the swing of things and say "yeah, it's 2010, so what?"
However, I noticed a huge flux in facebook status updates (the be-all, end-all of public sentiment, of course) generally stating something to the effect of: "thank GOD 2009 is over. What a shit year." That actually got me thinking and I realized... why yes, 2009 was kind of shit. The economy basically gave up and committed suicide in January (along with several celebrities throughout the year... oooh... too soon?), a sadly alarming number of my friends don't have jobs, and Tiger Woods - Tiger WOODS - cheated on his wife. What is the world coming to??
Seriously, though - 2009 wasn't the best year for mankind, and I think most of us can agree this year would be hard-pressed to be worse. I hope I didn't just jinx us...
Alright, enough about the New Year. With regard to the blog, you can expect more snarky commentary or the music and gaming industries, and plenty of news. I will try and be more diligent and scheduled with my blog postings.... law practice tends to get in the way of that sometimes. Stupid job...
However, I noticed a huge flux in facebook status updates (the be-all, end-all of public sentiment, of course) generally stating something to the effect of: "thank GOD 2009 is over. What a shit year." That actually got me thinking and I realized... why yes, 2009 was kind of shit. The economy basically gave up and committed suicide in January (along with several celebrities throughout the year... oooh... too soon?), a sadly alarming number of my friends don't have jobs, and Tiger Woods - Tiger WOODS - cheated on his wife. What is the world coming to??
Seriously, though - 2009 wasn't the best year for mankind, and I think most of us can agree this year would be hard-pressed to be worse. I hope I didn't just jinx us...
Alright, enough about the New Year. With regard to the blog, you can expect more snarky commentary or the music and gaming industries, and plenty of news. I will try and be more diligent and scheduled with my blog postings.... law practice tends to get in the way of that sometimes. Stupid job...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
