Less than two hours before it was set to premiere in Beirut, Lebanese officials banned the new “Wonder Woman” film, because its lead actress, Gal Gadot, is Israeli. In recent years Lebanon, which has been at war with Israel for decades, has censored films it deems incendiary or offensive, including films that critique religion or involve homosexuality or Israel.

Despite a successful early screening of the film on Tuesday, a six-member committee of Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy pulled the plug on the film hours before its official premiere. Other Arab nations, including Egypt, Morocco, Oman, and Bahrain are still expected to screen “Wonder Woman” in the coming weeks.

Lebanon and Israel most recently fought a war in 2006, and have not had a diplomatic relationship for decades–Lebanese citizens are not allowed to visit Israel, and vice versa. Over the past few months, at least, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which Gadot served in for two years, has bombed arms shipments in Syria it says are destined for Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon. The U.S. and Israel both consider Hezbollah, largely funded by Iran, a terrorist organization.

Previously released films starring Gadot–including the last two “Fast & Furious” installments, and “Knight & Day”–hit box offices in Lebanon and did quite well. The Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel led a vocal push to ban “Wonder Woman,” however, and in the end, was successful.

Elie Fares, a popular Lebanese blogger, suggested that the ban might not be the result of Gadot’s nationality, but more that “the movie features strong independent female characters which our patriarchy cannot propagate?” He added:

What’s next, though? Banning every single movie that dares to be associated in any way with Israel? Banning every actor or actress who’s set foot in Israel? Deciding not to show any feature film that has any entity that remotely agrees with anything Israel does? Why don’t we just ban ourselves from everything commercial in the world and be done with it?

Lebanese authorities have a history of banning–or heavily editing–films they deem offensive. The 2016 Egyptian film “The Preacher,” a commentary on religion and power, was only released in Lebanon after it was edited to the satisfaction of the authorities. Last year, the Lebanese film “Beach House” was banned, because it features friends discussing their conflicting Arab identities together. In 1994, Lebanon, along with other Arab countries, banned “Schindler’s List,” a film about the Holocaust.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Lebanon Bans Screenings of New “Wonder Woman” Film appeared first on Law Street.

I am so immensely tired of the 2016 election cycle so far. It’s been a fascinating election, with so many things to cover and horrible gaffes to make fun of, but I constantly think to myself: “How is not even Super Tuesday yet?” Luckily, we have a beautiful, gratuitously violent, and weirdly relevant distraction on the way, in the form of the new trailer for the third installment in the “Purge” franchise: “The Purge: Election Year.”

I remember seeing “The Purge” trailers for the first installment in 2013, and at first I was less than enthralled. The premise is interesting, but one that has probably popped up in hundreds of amateur horror novels: imagine if we lived in a version of America where, for 12 hours once a year, all laws vanished. People could do whatever they want–whether that means looting, general debauchery, or in this case, murder. There are some restrictions–certain types of weapons like bazookas and rocket launchers can’t be used–but other than that, it’s a murder-y free-for-all. The first movie, “The Purge” was pretty successful, and there were some references to the role that income inequality plays in those who are murdered during the purge, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it stellar social commentary.

But then, last year, “The Purge: Anarchy” came out, and that’s when things started to get interesting, because it went past many of the normal horror movie tropes. The second movie focused more on the fact that the purge is basically a way to kill people of low socio-economic classes en  masse. It features Frank Grillo as the ominously named “Sergeant,” a renegade cop who protects a bunch of people who end up caught up in the purge. It’s still a silly, totally gross horror movie with lots of creepy people in masks, but it’s a silly, totally gross horror movie with lots of creepy people in masks that starts to create a compelling totalitarian universe for its viewers.

And now we have the newest movie coming out this summer: “The Purge: Election Year.” Frank Grillo comes back as the “Sergeant,” in a nice attempt at continuity. But instead of a renegade cop looking to avenge the son he lost during an earlier purge, he’s the head bodyguard for Senator Charlene Rowan. (Rowan is played by Elizabeth Mitchell, a.k.a. Juliet from “Lost,” which really just makes me even more pathetically excited about this entire thing.) In “Election Year,” Rowan is attempting to run for President in the hopes of putting an end to the purge, so of course, everything goes horribly wrong and people try to kill her during that year’s purge. Like “Anarchy,” it appears that the third installment will focus a bit more on the macro level sociopolitical concept of a purge than the original movie.

At the end of the day, “The Purge” franchise is as frivolous as it is bloody, but there’s something refreshingly ballsy about creating “The Purge: Election Year” during an…election year. As the country battles over who to vote for, a post-apocalyptic parallel in which politics are literally life and death is strangely compelling. Come July, when this movie actually comes out, I’m sure we’ll be experiencing just as much election fatigue, and I’m not sure about you, but I’m thinking this will be a fun distraction.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post “The Purge: Election Year” is the Ridiculous Distraction We all Need from 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

“The Birth of a Nation,” Nate Parker’s biopic of Nat Turner that examines the slave rebellion Turner led in 1831, had a week that was nothing short of epic at Sundance. Not only did the film snap up the grand jury prize and receive the audience vote for best film at Sundance, Parker sold his project to Fox Searchlight for a record-breaking $17.5 million. Parker was offered an even larger sum for the film from Netflix, but ultimately turned it down because he dislikes the passive nature of Netflix viewing and hopes to engage audiences more actively through traditional cinema. Parker’s decision to go with Fox Searchlight is no doubt financially savvy but it requires him to sacrifice control over his film. Take a look at what happens to an independent film after it is purchased from a film festival lineup:

Why Fox Went Shopping at Sundance

When the Sundance Film Festival began in 1978, indie film-making was an open and amorphous genre that welcomed directors and casts from all walks of life. The one thing the films at the festival had in common was that they were built outside of the traditional studio “system.” Sundance was built on an outsider identity, and, as Joe Reid points out, that created a brand for Sundance that is simultaneously gratifying and limiting. Directors who present their films at Sundance may be operating outside of conventional studios, but by bringing their films to the festival, they hope to gain access to the resources that only a large studio can provide.

As the festival became more popular, studios became increasingly interested in plucking films from the theaters of Park City. “Birth of a Nation” is not Fox Searchlight’s first purchase at Sundance, nor will it be the last. Only a handful of Sundance films have reached the commercial and critical success of movies produced and released by large studios, but companies like Fox Searchlight are hoping to recreate the enormous success of that elite group of movies. In addition, several film critics have debated whether Fox Searchlight picked up “Birth of a Nation” in response to this year’s #OscarsSoWhite trend, aiming to correct the lack of diversity in the prestigious film awards for next year.

What This Deal Means for Nate Parker

After selling “Birth of a Nation” to Fox Searchlight, Parker is not removed from his role as director, writer, and lead actor but he will have to relinquish some control to the buyer. According to Lawyers for the Creative Arts, when a film is purchased by a studio, a deal is struck over the control, financing, liability, and tax involved in producing the film on a larger scale. Sundance directors are usually allowed to retain control over the film, protecting their intellectual property, but they may not take such an active role on the business side of the venture. Parker will likely not have to make adaptations to the script or the length of the film but Fox Searchlight will now take control of distribution and marketing of the film. The studio will control when the film is released to general audiences, how the film is advertised in the media, and how the cast and director should promote the film in the run-up to its large-scale release. In short, Fox Searchlight will decide how and when non-Sundance viewers will see Nate Parker’s creation.

The Fox Searchlight deal has already made Parker a household name and the release of the film to the general public should only cement that image. However, Sundance founder Robert Redford has publicly cautioned Sundance directors not to get swept up in the large studio system. In a 2002 interview with the Harvard Business Review, Redford said that

For beginning filmmakers at Sundance, the devil’s bargain is very tempting, and it’s easy for them to strike it the wrong way. If they go straight for the stardom, glamour, and money, they run the risk of sacrificing their artistic integrity. So at the beginning of the festival, I spend a few minutes talking to all the filmmakers. I remind them that Sundance is for them—and ‘them’ means the films. I outline the bargain very clearly for them: ‘What will you do when a studio offers you a tidy sum in return for control over your next project?’ I remind them that they have to decide how to negotiate this question, and I ask them if they are strong enough to stand up for their art.

The fame and connection to a traditional studio that Parker’s Sundance deal brings may be the type of devil’s bargain that Redford cautions against but Sundance organizer Geoffrey Gilmore has argued that the commercial success of Sundance films is not a negative for young directors–on the contrary, it sets them up for profitable, sustainable careers.

Why Does Film Marketing Matter?

Parker’s film has been hailed by the Sundance crowd as a triumph but it could be a commercial flop if Fox Searchlight does not market it appropriately. Parker created the film hoping to create conversation and incite action but if Fox Searchlight emphasizes certain aspects of the film over others, it could lose that message.

“Birth of a Nation” has been labeled a risk for the studio because of its violent content, which will most likely necessitate an R rating. Fox Searchlight is still riding high on the success of “12 Years a Slave,” which also portrayed the brutality of slavery realistically and received an R rating. However, even the most professional marketing teams can do a poor job promoting a film if they don’t target the correct audience, as evidenced by numerous commercial flops in the past several years from Hollywood’s biggest studios. The film’s trailer alone can influence the success of the film, and as there is currently no official trailer for “Birth of Nation,” Fox Searchlight will have to take on that responsibility. The studio will have to decide what scenes it should publicize, where it should place its advertisements, and which actors should go on press tour during the film’s release.

The rise of social media has drastically altered the film promotion landscape and Fox Searchlight will have to adjust its marketing strategy accordingly. All the positive feedback that “Birth of a Nation” has generated this month is going to die down as moviegoers shift their attention from Sundance to the Oscars, and the studio will have to recapture that positive attention if it wants the movie to perform successfully once it is released.

Conclusion

The Sundance Film Festival has gradually transformed from a space for outsider film to a hunting ground for major studio representatives. “Birth of a Nation” is just one of the films picked up by major studios and online content providers at this year’s festival but the Fox Searchlight’s major investment in the film puts an incredible pressure on it to perform well. Nate Parker’s film performed well in the festival environment but it will be subjected to a much broader audience once it is released to mainstream cinema, where its success will hinge largely on the marketing campaign that Fox Searchlight will lead in the coming months. If Fox Searchlight can drum up significant interest in the film, it could be the frontrunner for next year’s awards season but if Fox Searchlight bungles the marketing campaign, “Birth of a Nation” may sink into obscurity. It is a common tale that a critically acclaimed film performs poorly at the box office, not because audiences weren’t interested in its content, but because audiences did not even realize it was there. Independent filmmakers who sell their movies to major studios may be cashing out but they are also taking on a significant risk by allowing an exterior party to take control of the business aspect of the project.

Resources

The New York Times: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Sweeps Top Awards at the Sundance Film Festival

Deadline: Bart & Fleming: The Big Sundance Deals

BBC Culture: Is Sundance a Victim of its Own Success?

The Atlantic: The Power of the Sundance Brand

Hollywood Foreign Press Association: The Brisk Business of Sundance 2016: Let It Snow, Show Me The Money

New York Daily News: ‘Birth of a Nation’: Why Sundance Fave is a Big Deal Amid the #OscarsSoWhite Controversy 

Forbes: Nate Parker’s ‘Birth Of A Nation’ Cannot Be Allowed To Be An All-Purpose Solution To #OscarsSoWhite

Harvard Business Review: Turning an Industry Inside Out: A Conversation with Robert Redford

The Nation: Long Live Indie Film

Lawyers for Creative Arts: Legal Issues in Film Production

Variety: Sundance: The Math Behind Fox Searchlight’s Record-Shattering ‘Birth of a Nation’ Deal

The Telegraph: 2015’s Biggest Box Office Flops

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse: The Effectiveness of Film Trailers: Evidence from the College Student Market

California Polytechnic State University: Current Trends in the Marketing and Promotion of Movies Using Social Media

WIRED: How The Birth of a Nation Became Sundance’s Biggest Sale Ever

Jillian Sequeira

Jillian Sequeira was a member of the College of William and Mary Class of 2016, with a double major in Government and Italian. When she’s not blogging, she’s photographing graffiti around the world and worshiping at the altar of Elon Musk and all things Tesla. Contact Jillian at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com

The post Beyond Sundance: What’s Next for “The Birth of a Nation?” appeared first on Law Street.

Who are the heroes of modern American cinema? Marvel’s record-breaking profits and Jurassic World’s massive success this summer were built on ensemble casts performing stylized action sequences with larger than life special effects. The traditional superhero narrative is alive and well in America–underdogs getting bit by spiders, struck by lightning, and using their freakish talents to fight crime. Yet, as integral as superheroes are to popular culture, there has been a parallel movement in film and television that reflects an entirely different underdog narrative: biopics of infamous criminals. These anti-heroes don’t have super strength or mutated genes, they are simply violent and ambitious. Watching them climb the ranks of the organized crime ladder should be disturbing, but instead we find ourselves cheering for the gangsters, projecting our own struggles onto them, and taking their own victories as our own.

According to Thomas Leitch, “the crime film is the most enduringly popular of all Hollywood genres, the only kind of film that has never once been out of fashion since the dawn of the sound era.” Organized crime has inspired directors since the 1930s, when early gangster films presented fictionalized accounts of the rise and fall of Prohibition era criminals. These films did not expressly seek to glorify crime but they represented a shift in American cinema, in which crime became directly connected with wealth and glamour. In the years that followed, American audiences were presented with a host of films that asked the audience to sympathize with the criminal rather than law enforcement.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, directors moved away from fictionalized accounts and began cracking history books to find the heroes of their scripts. A host of real criminals were turned into heroes in modern American cinema–Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, to name a few. Writers and directors reached across time periods and geographical borders to assemble epic films that narrate an alternative version of the American dream. Audiences became increasingly disinterested in the fictionalized version of a gangster, loosely interpreted on an amalgamation of different characters. They wanted a true biopic, from birth to death (or incarceration, whichever comes first). “The Godfather” led to “Goodfellas,” “The Departed” led to “Black Mass,” “Boyz in the Hood” led to “Straight Outta Compton”—American moviegoers want a historical account tied to a real individual. This month, the film “Legend” (starring Tom Hardy and Emily Browning) will introduce American audiences to the true story of Ronnie and Reggie Kray, the twin leaders of the Firm, an infamous gang that dominated London in the 1960s. “Legend” is based on the biographical writings of John Pearson, who prior to writing on the Krays, wrote a biography of Ian Fleming. The connection between Pearson’s two biographies should not be overlooked–both examine living, breathing men behind myths.

The gangster film is a consistent moneymaker for Hollywood, promising glamour, action and intrigue for its audience. Yet the rise of the true crime story, the biopic of an individual, represents a pivot away from the escapist nature of crime films. Audiences still want to cheer for the anti-hero, still want to witness the massive robberies and shoot-outs and are still fascinated by men counting stacks of hundred dollar bills from illicit activity, but there is a different note entering this films. Viewers want to know the details behind these figures’ rise to power–their homes, their families, their weaknesses. Half the fun of the biopic is playing armchair psychologist after leaving the theater, puzzling over which events from the protagonist’s childhood made them turn to a life of crime. Hollywood still glorifies organized crime, yet the move away from fictionalized dramas towards well-researched biopics represents a new era of gangster cinema. Viewers are less interested in the destination than the journey–they don’t want to know what criminals do once they reach the top of their game, they just want to know how they got there.

Jillian Sequeira

Jillian Sequeira was a member of the College of William and Mary Class of 2016, with a double major in Government and Italian. When she’s not blogging, she’s photographing graffiti around the world and worshiping at the altar of Elon Musk and all things Tesla. Contact Jillian at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com

The post Gangster’s Paradise: The Rise of the Crime Biopic appeared first on Law Street.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly referred to as ISIS, has been making some interesting moves lately. Namely it’s gotten into the movie business.

Last night, ISIS released a video “warning” the United States about what would happen if we send troops to Iraq to combat its growing influence. The graphic video is below, should you be inclined to watch it.

For those of you who choose to skip over the video, here’s a brief summary. The beginning features a lot of gratuitous explosions, eventually it shows American soldiers struggling, then we get treated to some fuzzy shots of the White House. Eventually, the “title” of the movie flashes on the screen: “Flames of War: The Fight Has Just Begun” and then the words “Coming Soon.”

This is, of course, just a few weeks after ISIS released videos depicting the slaughters of American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Terrorism is a very difficult thing to define — there are still academic arguments over how exactly to delineate terrorist groups from other actors. But at its most basic form, terrorism does have to include some kind of “terror” — that’s the whole point. It often targets non-combatants, such as civilians. It’s often, but not always, aimed at democracies where the members of the democracy have the ability to appeal to their government. ISIS did not kill James Foley because it wanted him to die, it killed James Foley in an attempt to incite “terror” in the American public. That’s all the intent it needed right there. Again, this is not meant to serve by any means as any sort of dispositive definition, but more as context for my next statement: the video released last night by ISIS was downright brilliant.

The whole point of terror is to scare, intimidate, and coerce. And with that trailer, ISIS was able to do just that, at minimal cost. It didn’t break any laws, it didn’t kill anyone, it didn’t have to go on a violent campaign. ISIS literally had a couple guys with decent computer skills sit there and do that, and then leaked it to the internet. While one could argue that it wasn’t a terroristic act in the strictest sense, it was certainly a facet of a larger campaign. ISIS has figured out how to reach as many people in its goal audience as possible. It’s literally creating clickbait for social media. Not to be glib about the fact that ISIS is one of the largest terrorist threats to the U.S. right now, but it’s literally employing Buzzfeed-like tactics to scare the American populace. And, the scariest part is that it seems to be working.

ISIS hasn’t just mastered social media when it comes to releasing creepy videos, it’s also using it in other ways. It’s created message boards and chat rooms for recruiting purposes, including in the United States. Given that a handful of western-born fighters are known to be among ISIS’ ranks, the kind of access it has is scary. It’s also dipped into other tactics that seem to be more out of a business/PR handbook than a terrorist group’s goals, including an online store that sells clothing and memorabilia.

ISIS knows what it has to work with, and its tactics are scarily modern. The group sort of flies in the face of what I think many people think of when they think of “terrorist.” Many in the U.S. see terrorists as radical, backward people. And don’t get me wrong, ISIS is beyond radicalized. But much more concerning than its radicalization is that it’s alarming modern. As the United States continues to develop its plan to work against ISIS, we need to keep that in mind.

—

Anneliese Mahoney (@AMahoney8672) is Lead Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [Nile Livesey via Flickr]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Coming Soon to Theaters Near You: ISIS appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here for detailed ranking information for each of the Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law.

Featured image courtesy of [Widener University School of Law via Flickr]

Chelsey D. Goff

Chelsey D. Goff was formerly Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State Native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law 2014 appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of [Coolcaesar via Wikipedia]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #4 UCLA School of Law appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of [Pbgr via Wikipedia]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #5 USC Gould School of Law appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of [William Ward via Flickr]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #6 Fordham Law School appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of [Jonathan71 via WikiMedia]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #7 New York University School of Law appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of: [Alertjean via WikiMedia]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #8 Villanova Law School appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of: [15Everett via WikiMedia]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #9 Vanderbilt University Law School appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Anneliese Mahoney, Brittany Alzfan, Erika Bethmann, Matt DeWilde, and Natasha Paulmeno.

Click here to read more coverage on Law Street’s Law School Specialty Rankings 2014.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Featured image courtesy of [Jonathan Yu via Flickr]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Entertainment Law: #10 Stanford Law School appeared first on Law Street.

Mayor Bloomberg has caught a lot of heat in the past few months with his efforts regarding the large soda ban, which ultimately failed. However, he has risen from the ashes as techie superhero.

In addition to introducing free Wi-Fi hotspots around New York City, the mayor of this great city announced his plan to keep the Big Apple ahead of the curve and establish its supremacy as an innovative tech hub.

With the infamous drummer of the roots, Questlove, by his side, Mayor Bloomberg announced his plans for the Made in NY Media Center, a space where “storytellers, creative professionals and entrepreneurs across multiple disciplines…can gather and create,” pretty much whatever they want as long as it bolsters NY’s image as an innovative techie paradise.

New York has been called the “business capital of the world“, the “fashion capital of the world“, and now Mayor Bloomberg hopes it will become the “global media capital of the digital age.” Made in NY will be creating over 3,000 jobs and will be an innovative hub where ideas come to life. See for yourself.

With Questlove as Made in NY’s first “Artist in Residence”, Made in NY looks like it will begin to thrive down on 30 John Street in DUMBO. NYC is currently the second-most funded tech hub next to Silicon Valley, however NYC is a place where the possibilities are endless. With techie start-ups for new media, mobile gaming and other forward-thinking companies popping up out of the woodworks to make a name for themselves in NY, this city is becoming the place to go to turn an idea into a reality.

Made in NY promotes the film and television industries that provided much needed revenue to New York City for years, bringing in over $400 million in tax revenue. It is definitely an exciting time to be in NYC and it should be interesting to watch as the Made in NY Media Center grows and evolves.

—

Rob Anthony is a founding member of Law Street Media. He is a New Yorker, born and raised, and a graduate of New York Law School. In the words of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, “We need to be bold and adventurous in our thinking in order to survive.” Contact Rob at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [Scott Beale via Flickr]

Robbin Antony

Rob Antony is a founding member of Law Street Media. He is a New Yorker, born and raised, and a graduate of New York Law School. Contact Rob at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post “Made In NY” – A Techie’s Paradise appeared first on Law Street.