Entertainment Legal News

Attorney General Calls On Movie Industry To Stop Depicting Smoking In Films Accessible To Children

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today joined 29 states, the District of Columbia and Guam in calling on the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and major movie studios, as well as the directors and screenwriters guilds, to stop depicting smoking in films accessible to minors, as recommended by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

In letters sent today, Blumenthal and fellow attorneys general noted that the MPAA pledged in June 2006 to seek the HSPH's recommendations on curbing smoking in movies viewed by children and teenagers.

HSPH, whose research shows that minors who view smoking in films are three times more likely to try cigarettes, issued its recommendation to the movie industry in February: "Take substantive and effective action to eliminate the depiction of smoking from films accessible to children and youths and take leadership and credit for doing so." Read more at ct.gov.

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	Did You Know?
	Treatment is one of the starting blocks in the development process The treatment takes the outline a step further, adding depth to character and story by filling in missing blanks. The treatment's main purpose is to tell the complete story before setting it in script form. Most are written in prose and range from ten to twenty pages. The treatment is the best place to hammer out initial story and character problems. Unless a script is sold on spec, most buyers require a treatment (or very detailed) outline from its writers before commencement of the actual screenplay. If financed independently, the treatment's often a part of the initial fundraising package.