Steven Beer, Rip Beyman Participate in NYPA Lunch & Learn on NFTs and the Film Industry

New York, N.Y. (March 7, 2022) - Last week, New York Entertainment Law Partners Steven Beer and Richard "Rip" Beyman participated in a Lunch & Learn webinar, titled "NFTs, Blockchain, and the Film Industry," hosted by the New York Production Alliance. Mr. Beer moderated the discussion with Mr. Beyman and Irina Albita, co-founder of FilmChain.

The discussion began with a primer on blockchain, the technology underpinning non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, and went on to describe the various platforms available to filmmakers and other artists, as well as the value of this technology to those in the entertainment industry. The speakers also covered the basics of NFTs and how they can be used by filmmakers for a variety of purposes, including financing and smart contracts. Finally, the group discussed how residual and royalty payment function through NFTs.

Pictured (clockwise from bottom left): Rip Beyman, Irina Albita, Steven Beer

Mr. Beer is National Chair of Lewis Brisbois' Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice, and concentrates his practice on film, television, and music matters. He represents industry-leading film, television, and music companies and has acted as counsel to numerous award-winning writers, directors, producers, and multi-platinum musical artists. He recently spearheaded the revival of PBS kids' show "Reading Rainbow," with a new interactive version premiering this past weekend (March 6), which. Mr. Beer is the author of Your Child’s Career in Music and Entertainment: The Prudent Parent’s Guide (Allworth Press, 2015).

Mr. Beyman is a Vice-Chair of the firm's Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice. He regularly counsels producer clients in strategic planning and negotiation, from rights acquisition through development to financing, production, and distribution. He also represents and negotiates agreements on behalf of creative talent, artists, and executives. Along with Mr. Beer, Mr. Beyman is a frequent speaker on emerging legal trends in the entertainment industry, including NFTs and post-pandemic film distribution.

The New York Production Alliance is an organization representing over 100,000 workers in the film, television, and commercial production and post-production industry in New York City and New York State. Learn more about the NYPA here.