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Armen Madikians
United States 2022 participant
30 Jan, 2023

Learning about the film industry in Armenia

2 min read

In the wake of the 2020 war in Artsakh, I felt compelled to take a more hands-on role in the development of my homeland. Upon my arrival in the autumn of 2022, I chose to dedicate my time to the film & TV community in Armenia – I wanted to learn as much as I could about the industry in Armenia to understand how I could best utilize my own expertise in this new geopolitical landscape.

I’m an executive in the U.S. entertainment industry, with my primary focus being business & legal affairs for indie film & TV studios. I’ve always had a deep-lying passion for the arts -- namely film, television, books, and music. Upon graduating from law school, I sought to find a way to join this passion with my critical thinking skills, my knack for negotiation, and my interest in advocating for the causes that I believed in. I soon realized that entertainment law was the right field for me. Back in Los Angeles where I practice, I primarily focus on negotiating deals for so-called “talent” (actors, writers, producers, directors, etc.), sorting through complex rights acquisition matters, participating in negotiations to greenlight a given project, then overseeing such projects post-greenlight during all phases of the production lifecycle. I’m lucky to have worked on projects helmed by today’s top creative minds, from Quentin Tarantino to the Safdie Brothers.


VOLUNTEERING IN ARMENIA WITH BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA


Most of my working days in Yerevan are spent consulting for Bars Media and ON/OFF Animation. Armenia’s official submission to the 2023 Academy Awards was an animated documentary film entitled Aurora’s Sunrise -- co-written and directed by Inna Sahakyan of Bars Media, with art direction from Tigran Arakelyan from ON/OFF. It is a special film with a fresh take on the events of 1915, told in a compelling visual style. I’ve been assisting in efforts to market the film to western audiences so that it has a reach beyond Armenia and the diaspora. Further, I participate in conversations regarding third-party output deals to ensure the rights of local producers remain protected.

Beyond this, I’ve developed a slate of contract templates that can be used to engage local creatives, clear usage of artwork, and establish appropriate appearance releases so that studios can clearly demonstrate full ownership of audiovisual rights in their work when selling content to foreign distributors. Further, I provide assistance with creative direction (e.g., script notes, editing suggestions, and assembly of pitch materials) for projects that are still in their earlier phases of development. Interwoven within all of these functions is guidance with external-facing English language communications, especially for correspondence that is closely related to business or legal matters.

Overall it has been a mutually enriching and fulfilling experience – one that I would not have had the opportunity to participate in without being in Yerevan. Nonetheless, upon my return home, I look forward to maintaining and developing this connection with the burgeoning filmmaking community of Armenia.

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