One night in 2001, aspiring filmmaker Steve Vladem was having trouble falling asleep. In search of comfort, he switched on HBO and was soon riveted.

“I kept thinking the script sounded really familiar,” said Vladem, an Evanston resident.

Then he realized he had seen the script before. His friend claimed to have written it.

“At first I was really mad at my friend because I thought he’d copied the script,” Vladem said. Furious, he phoned his friend.

The friend swore that the script was his own work, a project he had handed to an HBO screenwriter two years ago at a professional convention.

Four years later, Vladem’s friend is locked in a legal battle with HBO over whose intellectual property the script really is.

Like many aspiring artists, Vladem realized that he needed to learn more about business matters. When he saw a flyer for a lecture titled, “The Business of Art,” he thought the event had been tailored for him.

On Monday night, he joined about three dozen artists at the two-hour lecture, sponsored by the Evanston Arts Council and held at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center,

927 Noyes St.

The attendees came from all fields: copy editors, musicians, motivational speakers and struggling writers.

Four local panelists addressed all aspects of the business of art, from how to court media coverage to how to file for a copyright.

“The bottom line is it won’t destroy (an artist’s) creative muse to know how (their) business works,” said panelist and entertainment lawyer Peter Strand.

Panelists sparred with the audience and with each other over the meaning and importance of marketing strategy. The panel argued over the price of compact discs in the

digital age.

“Now you can give your music away for free. That’s not a business model,” said musician and panelist Preston Klik. “It takes $100,000 to record a CD.”

But Greg Kot, a pop music critic for the Chicago Tribune, disagreed.

“The old system is crappy,” he said. “Why are we paying $15 for a CD when it takes $1 to manufacture one? I can’t wait for music corporations to sink to the bottom of the ocean.”

But before that debate could get underway, Amy Lombardi, a publicist and manager of Call Girl PR, interrupted.

“(Neither of you) is really changing the business model,” said Lombardi, who also sat on the panel. “If everyone competes with that ($100,000), it will become the norm. Don’t accept that as the norm.”

For the audience, the spirited exchange was an insight into the world of entertainment business.

“I’m a solo artist trying to break into the music scene,” said Chicago musician Gwen Greer. “So I found the lawyer the most useful.”

Some audience members came to meet other artists.

“It’s a great way to network,” said Vladem. “As a filmmaker, I try to hire local musicians.”

The lecture was the second in a series. The free lecture will be repeated in May and September.

“Evanston has always been a very strong arts center,” said Lois Roewade, chairwoman of the Evanston Arts Council and moderator of Monday night’s panel. “People are always looking for this kind of information.”

This season’s lectures, Roewade said, have drawn a strong positive response.

“I was very pleased with the audience,” she said. “Great panel, good discussions.”

And Vladem?

Although his friend’s script may be a lost cause, Vladem knows he won’t get fooled.

“I don’t want my life story stolen,” Vladem said. “Now I can protect my rights.”

Reach Anika Gupta at [email protected].