What is Johnson Evans & Headrick, P.C.?

Johnson Evans & Headrick, P.C. manages 5 data types including contact submissions.

What is an option agreement in film and TV?

An option agreement gives a producer the exclusive right to purchase or license underlying rights — such as a book, screenplay, or life story — for a set period of time, usually for a fraction of the purchase price. It lets producers develop a project before committing to the full rights acquisition. Properly structured options protect both the rights holder (with option fees, extension terms, and reversion rights) and the producer (with the exclusive window and credit terms). We draft option-purchase agreements that survive the development gauntlet.

Do I need errors and omissions (E&O) insurance for my film or TV project?

Yes, in virtually every case. Distributors, broadcasters, and streaming platforms require E&O insurance before they will license or distribute a project. E&O covers claims arising from alleged copyright infringement, defamation, invasion of privacy, and similar issues. Obtaining E&O requires a clean chain of title and, often, a legal review of clearance issues — which is the clearance work we prepare before distribution.

What rights do I need to adapt a book into a film or TV series?

You need the underlying adaptation rights from the copyright holder — typically the author or publisher — usually acquired through an option-purchase agreement. Depending on the material, you may also need to clear any third-party content embedded in the book (photographs, song lyrics, real-world brands) and address life rights issues if the work is based on real people. We map the full rights landscape before development so the adaptation is financeable and releasable.

How does a distribution agreement work for independent films?

A distribution agreement grants a distributor the right to release and market your film across specific territories and platforms — theatrical, streaming, home video, and more. Key terms include the distribution fee (typically 15–35%), the expense cap, the recoupment waterfall, and the term and territory of the license. Poorly negotiated distribution deals are one of the most common ways independent filmmakers lose control of their work and revenue. We negotiate from the recoupment structure outward.

What are "net profits" in a film deal, and are they real?

"Net profits" in Hollywood are notoriously difficult to collect because studios define them only after deducting distribution fees, overhead charges, and recoupable expenses — leaving little or nothing even on profitable films. If you have negotiating leverage, seek "adjusted gross" participation or a fixed backend tied to specific revenue benchmarks rather than net profits as defined by the studio. We advise on backend structures at the deal stage, not after the accounting arrives.

Film & Television Production

Clean deal structures from development through distribution.

Film and television production is a chain of rights, contracts, and clearances — each link load-bearing. A gap in chain of title, an unsigned contributor release, an uncleared third-party asset, or a distribution deal with the wrong recoupment structure can halt a project at exactly the moment it should be released. We represent production companies, independent studios, and production entities across the full lifecycle — option agreements that secure the underlying rights, chain-of-title work that makes the project financeable and releasable, co-production and distribution deals that protect long-term value, financing structures that align investor and producer incentives, and the IP disputes that arise when any link in the chain is contested. Our job is to build the legal infrastructure so the creative work can reach the screen.

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Dev → Distribution

Production Legal Across the Full Lifecycle

01 · Orientation

A production is only as clean as the paper underneath it.

Chain of Title

Chain of title is the documentary proof that every necessary right has been properly acquired and transferred. Distributors, financiers, and E&O insurers require it before release. We build and verify the chain from the underlying work through every contributor, ensuring no gap halts distribution.

End-to-End

Option Agreements

An option grants a producer the exclusive right to acquire underlying rights (a book, screenplay, life story) for a set term at a fixed price. We structure option-purchase agreements that protect both the rights holder and the producer — with extension, reversion, and credit terms drafted to survive the development gauntlet.

Option · Purchase

Distribution

Distribution deals determine who controls release and how revenue flows back. Key terms — distribution fee (typically 15–35%), expense cap, recoupment waterfall, term, territory, and media — decide whether a profitable film actually pays its producers. We negotiate from the recoupment structure outward.

Fee · Recoupment

E&O Insurance

Distributors, broadcasters, and streamers require errors-and-omissions insurance before licensing a project. E&O covers infringement, defamation, and privacy claims — and requires a clean chain of title and legal clearance review. We prepare the clearance work that makes E&O obtainable.

Required

02 · Scope of Practice

What we handle.

Option & Underlying Rights

Structuring and negotiating option-purchase agreements for books, screenplays, articles, life stories, and other underlying works — with extension, reversion, credit, and purchase-price terms that survive the development process.

Chain of Title

Building, verifying, and repairing chain of title — contributor agreements, assignment and work-for-hire paperwork, releases, and the documentary record that makes a project financeable, releasable, and insurable.

Co-Production Arrangements

Structuring co-production deals between production entities — controlling creative control, financial contribution, credit, revenue splits, and decision rights, and aligning the parties so the production can proceed without governance disputes.

Distribution Deals

Negotiating distribution agreements across theatrical, streaming, home video, and international territories — controlling the distribution fee, expense cap, recoupment waterfall, term, territory, and media to protect the producer's long-term return.

Financing Structures

Structuring film and television financing — equity, debt, tax credits and incentives, gap and slate financing, and investor agreements — that align investor and producer incentives and preserve producer control through the production cycle.

Production Clearances & IP

Clearance work for third-party content embedded in a production — music, clips, photographs, brands, and life rights — and the IP disputes that arise when chain of title or clearance is contested after release.

03 · How We Work

How we approach the work.

Partner-led from intake. Counsel that moves as fast as the matter requires — and prepares for the resolution that may never require a courtroom.

Rights & Structure

We map the rights landscape at development — underlying rights, option terms, contributor agreements, and the chain-of-title plan — so the project is financeable and releasable from the start.

Production Legal

During production, we handle the deal paper — cast and crew agreements, location releases, vendor contracts, and the clearances that make chain of title clean and E&O obtainable.

Distribution & Financing

We structure and negotiate the distribution and financing deals — controlling the recoupment structure, investor terms, and territory splits that determine whether a profitable project actually pays its producers.

Disputes & Enforcement

When rights are contested — chain of title, credit, distribution accounting, or clearance — we litigate effectively in federal court, arbitration, or through negotiated resolution.

04 · Representative Results

A representative track record.

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Distribution Deal

Theatrical + SVOD

Negotiated a multi-territory distribution agreement for an independent feature — controlling the distribution fee, expense cap, and recoupment waterfall to preserve producer return across theatrical and SVOD windows.

Independent Feature · 2024

Chain of Title

Repaired

Rebuilt chain of title for a documentary production missing contributor releases — obtained retroactive releases and cleared third-party content so the project became financeable and E&O-insurable.

Documentary · 2023

Option-Purchase

Option → Sale

Structured an option-purchase agreement for a book adaptation — with extension and reversion terms that protected the rights holder while allowing the producer to develop the project over a multi-year option window.

Adaptation · 2025

05 · Lead Counsel

Shareholder · Nashville

Michael A. Johnson

"A production is only as clean as the paper underneath it. Chain of title, option terms, distribution recoupment — these are not formalities. They are the decisions that determine whether a project reaches the screen and whether its producers get paid."

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06 · Common Questions

Before you call.

Chain of title is the documentary proof that all necessary rights to a film or TV project have been properly acquired and transferred. Distributors, financiers, and E&O insurers require clean chain of title before a project can be released. A gap — a missing contributor release, an unsigned assignment, an uncleared third-party asset — can halt a distribution deal entirely. We build and verify the chain at development so it is clean when it matters.