Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs

Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs

TodayRequisition ID: 1168

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Salary Range:$250,000.00 To $350,000.00 Annually

Business and Legal Affairs

Blumhouse Productions is seeking a seasoned business and legal affairs executive to lead legal and business affairs for a slate of independently financed feature films produced for under $10 million. Reporting to the EVP & Head of Business and Legal Affairs, this role will serve as the lead attorney and strategic partner for the initiative, working closely with the SVP of Development and Acquisitions managing a full slate of projects. This role will oversee the full deal lifecycle of each project from development through distribution. The ideal candidate thrives in a lean, fast-moving creative environment, has deep expertise structuring deals for independent film, and is skilled at managing a broad network of outside production counsel and production vendors.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate, draft, and structure key agreements across film development, production, acquisition and distribution, including above-the-line talent (directors, producers, and cast), co-financing, gap financing, distribution, production services, and lending and assignment agreements, together with related corporate set-up documents — all tailored to the sub-$10M budget environment.
• Draft and negotiate third-party acquisition, co-production, co-financing, and distribution agreements, including inter-creditor agreements, copyright mortgages, and other security agreements.
• Structure individual projects to optimize eligibility for domestic and international tax credits, incentives, and other financing mechanisms, working closely with finance and internal and outside advisors to ensure compliance and maximize benefit.
•  Provide legal analysis on rights status, copyright, and chain-of-title; draft and negotiate rights acquisition agreements for literary and other third-party intellectual property; and prepare consulting agreements, releases, quitclaims, and assignments.
• Manage and supervise outside legal counsel and production vendors, serving as the primary point of contact and ensuring high-quality, cost-effective service delivery across the slate.
• Advise on the full range of production legal matters, including script and film clearances, labor relations and collective bargaining agreements, guild and union compliance, engagement of minors, immigration, customs, environmental regulations, and titles and credits.
• Provide strategic guidance on talent agreements and production matters as they affect marketing, promotions, publicity, distribution, and ancillary rights exploitation.
• Collaborate with internal teams — including creative, physical production, marketing, finance, and distribution — and build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including talent representatives, indie distributors, financiers, and co-production partners, to identify and resolve legal and business issues throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop deal templates, forms, policies, and procedures to minimize risk and drive efficiency across the slate; serve as a resource to attorneys in the department and help train more junior members of the team.

Requirements

• 10+ years of significant experience in film business and legal affairs, preferably with a mix of law firm and in-house experience.
• JD degree and admission to the California State Bar (or willingness and qualification to register as In-House Counsel).
• Significant development and production counsel experience related to live-action motion pictures, with a demonstrated track record negotiating and closing deals at the independent level, including low-budget talent agreements, SAG-AFTRA low-budget agreements, and indie distribution, foreign sales and financing deals.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, devise practical solutions, and present complex issues to senior executives; breadth of knowledge about the motion picture industry that enables functioning as a true strategic partner on business affairs and new initiatives.
• Exceptional organizational, prioritization, and time management skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to execute efficiently across multiple high-priority projects in a fast-paced production environment.
• A collegial and collaborative lawyer with strong interpersonal skills, a commitment to a positive working environment, and a natural inclination to act as a resource to colleagues with less experience.
• Passion for independent and genre film consistent with the Blumhouse creative ethos.
• A flexible mind with a willingness to tackle matters outside areas of expertise.