All about Starr Jarrard’s film ‘The Flaws of Copyright Infringement Laws’
If you asked Starr Jarrard years ago whether she would ever be involved in the legal aspects of film and broadcasting, she’d most likely say no. But using those skills she’s picked up over the years, combined with her passion and drive for filmmaking, Jarrard is shining a light on the broken copyright system.
Her documentary film The Flaws of Copyright Infringement Laws is meant to show how the system is hurting creators instead of helping them, and how the justice system can change the system to benefit filmmakers.
Premiering at the Montreal Short Film Awards next month, it’s been a journey in the making for Jarrard to get to this point. But with the amount of work and effort she’s put into her project, it’s worth every step of the way.
Beginnings in radio
Before she got involved in that legal life, Starr Jarrard was just a student at Georgia College and State University, studying Mass Communication. She fell in love with film, but the love she pursued at first was broadcasting. Creating several radio shows while in college, she got her start on a comedy morning show in Atlanta.
While she left that job after a few months, she found herself in a sales position, but in her heart Jarrard knew she wanted to return to broadcasting or work in film. On the side, she was still writing screenplays. Then, Jarrard ended up in Legal Sales.
Joining the legal world
In her heart, Jarrard is still a creative person. But she loved the impact she made while in Legal Sales in Atlanta. Joining in on several female lawyer empowerment groups, and even a legal radio show, Jarrard found her home. Even when she moved to LA, she joined the legal support services company First Legal as she also joined several writers groups.
On the side, as she worked on her comedy writing and stand-up comedy routines, Jarrard also began meeting several documentary filmmakers. While she focused on comedy, meeting more and more of these directors inspired her to think about creating her own documentary, as she had a love of the genre for a while.
Taking the leap into directing
After watching so many female directors finally get their shot to create something great, that was what Jarrard needed to inspire her to step into the director’s chair. Filming while still working for First Legal, Starr Jarrard created The Flaws of Copyright Infringement Laws, inspired by the documentary filmmakers and her own legal work.
Taking an honest look at the broken system, the documentary looks at how the laws actually hurt independent artists and allow corporations to basically become bullies when it comes to copyright. It’s a really interesting topic that Jarrard shined a light on with the intention of trying to bring some good from it.
In terms of future projects, Jarrard would love to focus on documentaries that promote change, not just in the film industry, but in all aspects of life. She isn’t giving up that legal lifestyle either, and plans to continue working with her current company Huseby Litigation to help who she can through that job.
