Behind the scenes… of the scenes – media law in NI

Behind every great TV, film and digital production, there is an unseen world of legal contracts, negotiations, processes and agreements. To those not involved in the sector, there’s no real need to go that far behind the scenes! But for production companies, the ‘legal bit’ needs to be watertight in order to protect themselves, their finances, their employees and the work itself.

There’s no denying Northern Ireland has become one of the world’s fastest growing media landscapes over the last decade. Productions like Game of Thrones and Good Vibrations put this part of the world well and truly on the media map. Since then, the creative sector continues to shine – with our broadcast, film, digital and games industries brimming over with talent.

In recent years, Millar McCall Wylie’s media team is proud to have provided legal services on productions including, among others, Game of Thrones, Line of Duty, Blue Lights, How to Train Your Dragon, The School for Good and Evil, The Northman, Derry Girls and the recently released Kneecap – which is in the running for a nomination at this year’s Oscars. In fact, we’ve acted as legal advisors on over 1,750 productions from independent filmmakers, major studios, networks and content providers – working with local producers and talent as well as international clients such as Universal, HBO and Netflix.

We are also extremely proud to have an excellent working relationship with NI Screen, who drive the future of the sector here as it continues to thrive and evolve with world class talent.

But what does our work involve?  Well, we provide legal support at any or all stages of a media project.

Some production companies connect with us from the outset, meaning we can help with aspects like setting out ownership rights, finalising funding agreements, managing writer agreements, cast and crew contracts, payment processes and so on. We find it is useful for many production companies to have a clear plan in areas like this and manage expectations from an early stage, generally helping a project run more smoothly and with greater clarity as it progresses.

Often, funding arrangements can be complex.  We can help clients navigate the various aspects and timeframe of these, particularly negotiating financing agreements with numerous investors and funders. A wider project management role is something we find clients really appreciate – having a ‘legal eye’ on a job often makes a lot of sense and we help bring the project to a financial close, allowing the producer to get on with the job of making the project.

Other clients we support based on their requirements at a specific time during a project. For example, we may provide legal advice around the co-development or co-production arrangements, writing agreements, options, or distribution of a film or TV programme.

Our team has decades of combined experience in the media sector and a genuine passion for the work within it. In the coming weeks, we’re glad to be supporting two major media events. One is the RTS Awards taking place in Belfast on 14th November, where we have sponsored the Children’s / Animation category. This area of production is one in which Northern Ireland companies excel and we look forward to recognising the talented people behind the shortlist – Zodiak Kids & Family Productions UK, Alt Animation & Distillery Films, 9 Story Media Group and Sixteen South & Letko.

We are also pleased to once again support the Belfast Media Festival  (13th-15th November) – a brilliant gathering of industry professionals and talent at The Mac Belfast. We will be hosting a session led by broadcaster William Crawley called ‘How I got a job in telly’ which will feature a panel discussion with Adam Patterson (writer/director Blue Lights), Alison Miller (Bafta winning documentary maker) and Rory Carson (journalist and presenter). This should be an insightful conversation and we look forward to seeing many of our associates, partners and clients there while also making new connections.

The media team is a busy part of Millar McCall Wylie. Working alongside Damian , Louise and Molly  I am constantly inspired by the creative people in the sector and the ongoing ambition, innovation and on-screen magic they continue to produce.

We are always keen to hear from and work with production companies at any stage of their career and we hope to add many more projects and clients to our roll of credits in the year ahead.