Before you decide to purchase the rights to a person’s life story, it is worth considering what you are buying. When you buy the rights to portray someone in film or television, you are buying a bundle of rights. These rights include protection from suits based on defamation, invasion of privacy and the right to publicity. You may also be buying the cooperation of the subject and his family or heirs. Perhaps you want access to diaries and letters that are not otherwise available to you.
If the subject of the life story is deceased, much of the rationale for buying these rights disappears, since defamation and invasion of privacy actions protect personal rights that do not descend to the estate. In other words, people can spread lies and falsehoods about the dead, reveal their innermost secrets, and their heirs cannot sue for defamation or invasion of privacy on behalf of the deceased person. A writer could publish a revisionist history of George Washington, portraying our first President as a child molester and a thief, and his heirs would have no remedy. So when a subject is deceased, a producer has less need for a depiction release. The right of publicity may or may not descend to one’s heirs, depending on state law.
It is also important to consider whether the subject of your film is a private individual or a public official or public figure. Public officials and figures have opened more of their lives to public scrutiny, and consequently more of their lives can be portrayed without invading their privacy. Moreover, public officials and figures must meet a much higher burden of proof in order to establish defamation or invasion of privacy. They must prove that a defamer intentionally spread a falsehood or acted with reckless disregard of the truth.
One should also consider the possibility of fictionalizing a true story. If you change the names of the individuals involved, change the location and make other alterations so that the real-life people are not recognizable to the public, you could avoid the necessity of a depiction release.
Keep in mind, however, that the story’s appeal may be predicated on the fact that it is a true story. In such a case, fictionalization is not a good alternative. Suppose you wanted to do the Jessica McClure story, describing how a Texas community rallied to the rescue of a young girl who fell down a well-hole. Here you would want to bill the movie as The Jessica McClure Story. That is why viewers would tune in.
Terms of the Agreement
In negotiating for life-story rights, there are a number of important issues that need to be resolved. At the outset, the parties must determine the extent of the rights granted. Does the grant include remakes, sequels, television series, merchandising, novelization, live-stage rights and radio rights? Are the rights worldwide? Buyers will usually want as broad a grant as possible. The seller may insist on retaining certain rights.
The buyer must also consider other releases that may be needed. What about the subject’s spouse, children, friends and relatives? Will these people consent to be portrayed? Will the subject ask his friends and relatives to cooperate? Can these secondary characters be fictionalized? If the producer is planning an ensemble piece about a basketball team, it makes no sense to sign up players one by one, hoping to get them all. A smart producer will gather the team in a room and purchase all of the rights or none.
Another issue is whether the rights can be assigned to a studio or production company. If the buyer is a producer, she will often need to assign such rights to a studio or network later as part of a financing/distribution agreement.
The purchase of life-story rights can be structured as either an option/purchase deal or as an outright sale, often with a reversion clause. A reversion clause provides that in the event the rights are not exploited within a certain number of years (i.e., the movie is not made), then all rights would revert to the subject. This provision protects the subject if he has sold rights to his life story to a producer who never uses them, and some time later another producer is interested in making such a film.
The agreement should recite the consideration exchanged. Consideration is a legal term of art. Consideration is that which is given in exchange for a benefit received. It is a necessary element for the existence of a contract. A contract is only binding with consideration. It is what distinguishes a contract from a gift, which may be revocable.
Consideration is usually money, but it can be anything of value. As a general principle, courts do not review the adequacy of consideration. In other words, should you be foolish enough to agree to sell your brand-new car, worth $15,000, for only $5,000, don’t expect a judge to rescue you from the results of your poor judgment. Unless there was some sort of fraud or duress involved, the contract will be enforced, although it may be unfair to one party.
To ensure that a contract is binding, agreements often recite: “For ten dollars and other valuable consideration.” This clause establishes that there has been an exchange of value, even if it is nominal consideration. Make sure the consideration is actually paid. It is wise to pay by check so that you will have the cancelled check as proof of payment.
Mutually exchanged promises can be adequate consideration. For example, a producer’s efforts to develop a project could be deemed adequate consideration for an option. But to be sure their contracts are enforceable; producers may want to pay some money for the option. There are some exceptional circumstances when courts will throw out a contract if the terms of the contract are unconscionable.
There are other ways to compensate a subject of a life story besides a flat fixed fee. You could give the subject points (percentage of net profits), consulting fees and/or bonuses to be paid when the film is exploited in ancillary markets.
An important part of any depiction agreement is the “Warranties and Representations” clause. A warranty is a promise. The buyer will want the seller to promise never to sue for an invasion of his rights of publicity and privacy, or for defamation, even if the buyer takes some creative liberties in telling the story. The warranties must cover all conceivable situations. No one wants to buy a lawsuit.
There will also be a provision that gives the buyer the right to embellish, fictionalize, dramatize and adapt the life story in any way he chooses. This is a frequent sticking point in negotiations. The subject is delighted to be asked to have her story told on the silver screen, but when you present her with a depiction release, she becomes concerned. She asks, “This document says you can change my story any way you like and I can’t sue for defamation. How do I know you won’t portray me as a monster?”
A producer may reply: “Trust me, trust me.” Sometimes that will work. But the subject may respond: “I have no intention of trusting any of you charming Hollywood types. I want script approval. Write your script, and if I like it, I’ll sign the release.”
Can a producer give a subject script approval? No sane producer would. No producer is going to expend a lot of time and money developing a script only to find that the subject has changed her mind or is unreasonably withholding approval.
If the subject refuses to give the producer carte blanche, are any compromises possible? Yes. The subject could have approval over the treatment or selection of the writer. Perhaps the subject will figure that if she approves only a classy writer, her portrayal will be acceptable.
Alternatively, the producer could offer to make the subject a creative or technical consultant to the production. “You’ll be right there by the director’s side,” says the producer, “giving him advice and suggestions to ensure that everything is authentic.” The producer may not mention that the director doesn’t want the subject on the set and is not required to accept her suggestions.
Another possible compromise could limit the subject matter and period portrayed. Perhaps the subject is primarily concerned that an embarrassing incident in her life not be re-enacted in Panavision. The release could say that certain incidents (e.g., a divorce) are not included in the release. Or the release could cover limited periods of the subject’s life (e.g., only those incidents that occurred before 1947).
Finally, the subject might have the right to determine screen notice. She could decide if the film will be billed as a true story or a dramatized account. Alternatively, she could decide whether real names are used for the characters.
Excerpt from Dealmaking in the Film and Television Industry, 3rd Edition, by Mark Litwak.
