Thursday, June 9, 2016

Filmmaker Sues Beyoncé For Allegedly Lifting Scenes From His Work For "Lemonade"

An independent filmmaker has filed a federal lawsuit against Beyoncé and several studios for allegedly lifting images from his short film to use in the viral trailer for Lemonade.

Matthew Fulks, a filmmaker who also works as the creative director of a TV station in Louisville, Kentucky, claims that a senior vice president at Columbia Records commissioned his short film Palinoia for a separate project in 2014, and used some of the scenes from his work in the Lemonade trailer five months later.

The lawsuit — also filed against Sony Music, Columbia Records, and Parkwood Entertainment — describes Palinoia as "a short film depicting the pain of a tumultuous breakup" that is "distinctive within the short film genre and combines carefully selected, but seemingly unrelated visuals in a rapid montage, with the recitation of a poem used as a voiceover against a distinctive audio soundtrack."

According to the complaint, "the Lemonade trailer is substantially similar to the Palinoia work, including, but not limited to: the Palinoia work’s visual and auditory elements, visual and auditory sequences, themes, format, mood, setting, plot, and pace, all of which create a protectable total concept and feel."

Included in the complaint are side-by-side comparisons of still images from both videos.

The following images specifically note the visual similarities between the two.