Creativity meets the contract: Inside the legal desk at Nordisk Film Productions
Pina Vetter
på
Kundehistorier
Several hundred contracts on one film. Meet Pernille, the lawyer at Nordisk Film Productions, and see how Connie keeps the paperwork under control.
A director is shooting a scene. Suddenly a great idea pops up: what if a clip from another film played on a screen in the background? It's a brilliant idea. But it's also a legal question.
And somebody has to ask: can we actually do that? At Nordisk Film Productions, that somebody is Pernille, the Senior Legal Counsel. Daniel, co-founder of Connie, went to Nordisk Film Productions to talk with her about what it really takes to keep a film production legally sound, and why Connie is part of the answer.
Meet Nordisk Film Productions
Nordisk Film Productions is the production company within Nordisk Film, one of the world's oldest continuously operating film companies. Ole Olsen founded it in 1906 in Valby, just outside of Copenhagen. Still based at the same location, Nordisk Film is home to the world's oldest still-standing film studio building.
Over the years, its productions have not only amazed and entertained their viewers but also won national and international prizes. Babette's Feast and In a Better World, for example, both won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And the Olsen Gang, the film series about three small-time criminals with big ideas, has impacted generations. All of it is a core part of the Nordisk Film legacy.
Today, Nordisk Film Productions develops and produces feature films and series. And behind every one of them is a very large pile of paper.
The person who says "yes, if..."
Pernille is the Senior Legal Counsel at Nordisk Film Productions. Her tasks involve not only a lot of paperwork, but also combining the two worlds of legal work and film production.
So what happens when those two sides disagree? Pernille says the waves rarely go high, at least on her side of the table. A lawyer isn't as emotionally invested in the idea. And she has a simple rule: never show up with only a "no". Always bring a solution.
That's also the hardest part of her job. Saying "you can't do that" is easy. Figuring out what they can do is the work.
Where Connie comes in
Nordisk Film Productions can sign several hundred contracts on a single film. Employment contracts for actors, extras agreements, timesheets, licenses. Every one has to be signed, stored and easy to find again.
For Pernille, the main reason for choosing Connie was simple. Less wasted time.
Connie has been used for everything from actor contracts to extras agreements and weekly timesheets. Once those are signed, the finance team can pay out salaries and invoices without chasing anyone. Everything stays in one closed environment, instead of drifting around in inboxes.
And the GDPR part? Pernille calls it a little bonus that she's very happy about. And we'll take it.
Advice for filmmakers starting from scratch
Not everyone has a legal department. Many filmmakers start with a camera, a few friends and a big idea. So we asked Pernille what she'd tell them.
Her answer was short: put it in writing.
"A small rights holder can actually stop an entire film. If a contract worth 5,000 kroner ends up meaning we can't show the film, that would be a catastrophe."
So make sure you have written agreements covering all actors, rights holders, crew members and anyone else involved. A handshake or spoken word will not hold up in case of a dispute.
Watch the full story
See Daniel and Pernille at Nordisk Film Productions in the video below, and find out what the solution to our challenge with the background film during the shoot was.
Ready to make paperwork the easy part of your next production? Start a free trial now, find more information about Connie here, or book a demo session to learn more.
And if you're a filmmaker looking for a place to start, our guide on collecting signatures on set walks you through it.
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