Lights, Camera, Legals! How Sehgal Law Uses Rally to Provide Accessible Legal Services to Indie Filmmakers

When the pandemic hit and the world shut down, independent filmmakers in California couldn't get licenses to shoot anywhere. Cinematographers and directors lost their jobs but, as creatives everywhere know, the show must go on! Filmmakers created content from home or wherever they were allowed. Some even went "guerilla-style", filming under the radar. Where there's a will, there's a way!

In film school, students learn the nuances of camera technique, lighting rigs, and script development. What they don't learn is how to protect their legal interests. Navigating the protection of intellectual property made through collaborative projects like films can be particularly complex as each individual can own rights to 100% of the work. So, independent and student filmmakers rely on experienced lawyers like Reena Sehgal and her team at Sehgal Law PC to help them form agreements and gain an understanding of how IP and other legal business matters work.

In normal conditions, up-and-coming filmmakers make their art on a shoestring. In a pandemic, budgets are even tighter. The Sehgal Law PC team works on major films like Tesla with Ethan Hawke (2020) and The Misfits with Pierce Brosnan (2021) but the goal of the firm has always been to help those working to get off the ground and launch their careers. Reena recognized that there weren't any accessible options on the market for those who can't afford traditional legal services and, while they could turn to DIY tools like LegalZoom or RocketLawyer, "they're not actually providing legal services, they just give you documents," notes Reena.

Reena and her firm sought out to build a solution that would enable the team to offer affordable legal services using technology and automation. They realized that with the right tools, they could make some of their services accessible and scalable while still helping to grow their already successful business.

Using Rally, Reena and her team are now able to offer affordable packages for indie filmmakers with a digitally streamlined client experience and document automation. The most basic package includes all the agreements filmmakers need to protect themselves like Performer Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements, and Collaborator Agreements. More advanced packages include things like LLC Registration and a bucket of attorney hours that can go towards document reviews, drafting, and negotiations. With Rally, clients can book meetings directly from the personalized portal and they can be confident that they will be properly protected by experienced attorneys.

Reena’s goal for the new packaged offerings is to make life much easier for these up-and-comers. We couldn’t be prouder that Rally was chosen as Sehgal Law PC’s technology partner and can’t wait to see their clients’ work on the silver screen!