Homepage Feature

TikTokers Want To Copyright Their Dance Moves. Westbrook Is Making A Movie About It.

Westbrook Media, the digital content division of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s multimedia outfit, has partnered with Logitech on a short film for Black History Month.

The project will chronicle choreographer JaQuel Knight – the man behind Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” dance and Shakira’s Super Bowl performance – in his bid to help young creatives copyright their work. Knight became the first choreographer to copyright his dances last year – a milestone in the age of TikTok, especially as many creators of colors have originated trends on the platform without being properly credited..

The film, funded by Logitech and co-produced by Westbrook and Knight’s J.K. Creatives, is currently in pre-production. It is part of an overarching partnership between Knight and Logitech – noted for its work with digital creators – called #Creators4BIPOC

, which aims to address barriers faced by creators of color.

Subscribe for daily Tubefilter Top Stories

Subscribe

In July, Knight and Logitech helped 10 TikTokers secure copyright for their choreography – including Keara Wilson, Nae Nae Twins, and Young Deji – and the film marks a continuation of these efforts.

“The story is unfolding in real time,” stated Meridith Rojas, Logitech’s global head of entertainment and creator marketing. “It’s an exciting endeavor and one we intend to have an impact on creator IP and how it’s protected in the ever-evolving entertainment and technology landscape.”

The short film is set to debut this year at festivals and on streaming platforms.

Share
Published by
Geoff Weiss

Recent Posts

YouTube’s new public viewcounts over-report actual engagement by 40%

YouTube's new public viewcounts over-report engagement by 40%, according to new data from Agentio. As…

3 days ago

Have you heard? Another YouTuber on Netflix, Dude Perfect’s CEO shuffle, and a cow gamer.

Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends,…

3 days ago

Bottoms up! Google is bringing personalization to alcohol ads on YouTube.

On YouTube, ads for alcoholic beverages are few and far between -- but that's about to…

3 days ago

TikTok has new ways to comment (that make it feel more like Instagram)

TikTok is trying to turn its comments into an interactive format. The app has unveiled several…

3 days ago

GTA RP Week returns to Twitch, with Rockstar promoting “the next evolution of the GTA 5 roleplay community”

Rockstar doesn't put out games very often. Grand Theft Auto VI is about to debut…

4 days ago

After spending decades in Hollywood, UTA’s Co-Founder has a new gig: A call-in show on Twitch.

What do you do if you’re a Hollywood lifer who is without a full-time job…

4 days ago