Jason Zelin

Jason has extensive experience in many facets of the entertainment industry, from both legal and business perspectives. In addition to working at private law firms, Jason has worked inside the entertainment industry in several capacities for Warner Bros. Television, Lorimar Entertainment, The Completion Bond Company, Village Roadshow Pictures, Miramax Films and others.

Practice Areas
Jason has negotiated talent deals, network licensing agreements, literary acquisitions as well as scripted and unscripted television development and production. Working outside film studios, he bonded more than $100 million in budgeted new films, and served as a primary liaison with studios. When working as part of film studios, Jason also gained experience supervising all legal and business aspects of multi-national productions, and as COO of a production company he developed film projects at Paramount and Dreamworks with such notables as Ridley and Tony Scott, Will Smith, and Janet Yang.

Jason has particular experience with the financing of film production. He has regularly negotiated the terms of “negative pickup” deals and distribution agreements; arranged film guarantees; and handled negotiations for the bank financing and bonding of films, as well as the creation of insurance-backed film funds. As a result of his extensive experience, Jason is able to provide valuable insight into many aspects of the entertainment industry garnered from his many decades “in the trenches.”

Education
B.A., Tufts University, 1972 cum laude
J.D., UCLA Law School, 1976

Professional Legal Career
Warner Bros. Television – Director of Business and Legal Affairs,
Lorimar Entertainment – Vice President of Acquisitions,
The Completion Bond Co. – Vice President,
Village Roadshow Pictures – Executive Vice President of Business Affairs,
Miramax Films – Executive Vice President of Film Acquisitions
Miracle Entertainment – President and Chief Operating Officer
Hook.TV – Chief Operating Officer
Discovery Network – Executive Producer, “The Aquanauts”
Producer for the film “Killing Pablo
Executive Producer for the film “Walk on the Moon”
Steptoe & Johnson, Head of Entertainment, Of Counsel
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, Special Counsel
ADR Services, Mediation and Arbitration Panel
IFTA (International Film and Television Association), Arbitrator

Organizations
AFI Film Festival – Board of Trustees
Beijing Film Festival – featured speaker 2016
Los Angeles Copyright Society – Board of Trustees
The Fountain Theatre – Board of Directors
Hollywood Heart Foundation – Board of Directors
Artists For Change – Board of Advisors