Getting footage from TV for a doc

J

JOsh Fulton

New member
Hi guys,

I'm especially interested in how people get clips from News broadcasts, like "Outfoxed" did, or "Farenheit 911", any type of documentary like that with a political bent.

Is there some place where people can search through this footage?

If we know exactly what we want, this day, this time, etc., who would we contact, especially if this was a national news story and shown on CNN or FOX News?

Does anybody have any advice for getting free footage? Not all this stuff I see that calls itself free, but then charges a price.

What about if you find something on Youtube, then contact the person who put it up, and tried to get them to allow you to put the original (maybe they do a file sharing thing to get a hi-res copy)? Not for the news, but just videos that they put up that might relate to a documentary.

Thanks.
 
JOsh Fulton said:
...
Does anybody have any advice for getting free footage? Not all this stuff I see that calls itself free, but then charges a price.
....
Click to expand...

Free for your personal viewing pleasure but think about it a second ... is it fair for you to incorporate someone else's work into something that potentially might make you some money and not cut them in on the action if they ask for it? If you can afford the fee they request for you to use the material in your own piece, why begrudge them?
 
Steve House said:
Free for your personal viewing pleasure but think about it a second ... is it fair for you to incorporate someone else's work into something that potentially might make you some money and not cut them in on the action if they ask for it? If you can afford the fee they request for you to use the material in your own piece, why begrudge them?
Click to expand...


Kind of a crappy argument for several reasons.

For instance, what if he wants to criticize their work?

It all depends on what his use is and to what extent he will use the footage.
 
Hey Josh.

You can find some information here:



FAIR USE


DISCLAIMER:

Legal Information Is Not Legal Advice

This thread's sole purpose it to discuss information and experiences in regards to Fair Use and is for informal purposes only and is no way, shape, form, or fashion intended to give legal advice. No information contained herein should be considered legal advice under any circumstances.

"Legal information" is not the same as "legal advice" -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. If you have the need for legal advice it is recommend you consult a duly qualified attorney if you want professional assurance that any information contained herein, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.



DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER'S STATEMENT OF BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE

COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE OVERVIEW > WHAT IS FAIR USE?



.
 
Josh, consult an attorney experienced in this type of legal issue. That's always the safest course. Protect yourself. If's your house, your bank account, even your future earnings on the line. Don't take unnecessary chances.
 
Thanks very much guys.

So, assuming one has made these decisions, consulted an attourney, etc., and feels that it's ok to move forward, where would one find this footage? How would you get your hands on it, and digitize it to put it in your doc? Thanks a lot.
 
You are very welcome Josh.

In all seriousness, it will be worth your time to read and understand this first:

DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER'S STATEMENT OF BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE


The reason why is you will know what is fair game and what isn't.

This is important so you can get E&O insurance as part of a distribution deal.


And who knows?

You might very well be able to buy a new house, and fill your bank account, with long lived future earnings should you work be successful.

Of course, you will never know unless you take the necessary chances!


Read: DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER'S STATEMENT OF BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE and you will have a very very good idea of what you can and cannot use.

From there, you can read Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know by Michael C. Donaldson.

With this fundamental knowledge you will understand what and how you can use footage as well as the best ways to construct your documentary.

Once armed with your blueprint, you can dig into getting the necessary footage.
 
No offense, Estebeverde, but that isn't really answering my question.

I'm familiar with 'fair use' in documentaries, and if worst comes to worst would be content to publish my work to the internet and charge nothing so there would be no lawsuit.

Now the question remains, once you have an idea of what you're looking for, say you even know the exact speech and/or moment that you're looking for, how do you go about getting it? Contact TV stations?
 
JOsh Fulton said:
Hi guys,

I'm especially interested in how people get clips from News broadcasts, like "Outfoxed" did, or "Farenheit 911", any type of documentary like that with a political bent.

Is there some place where people can search through this footage?

If we know exactly what we want, this day, this time, etc., who would we contact, especially if this was a national news story and shown on CNN or FOX News?

Does anybody have any advice for getting free footage? Not all this stuff I see that calls itself free, but then charges a price.

What about if you find something on Youtube, then contact the person who put it up, and tried to get them to allow you to put the original (maybe they do a file sharing thing to get a hi-res copy)? Not for the news, but just videos that they put up that might relate to a documentary.

Thanks.

... Now the question remains, once you have an idea of what you're looking for, say you even know the exact speech and/or moment that you're looking for, how do you go about getting it? Contact TV stations?
Click to expand...

JOsh,

Aside from the legal aspects and in response to your question, for works like Outfoxed" and "Farenheit 911", you'll need either purchase the media, find a suitable (low resolution) copy on the net (like a trailer), record it live, or write to the producer/distributor. It's pretty clear when the media begins with the FBI Notice, the T&Cs are clear.

If it were older works in the public, you might get lucky finding something on a site like the Prelinger archives.

Contact CNN, FOX News, etc corporate offices and they'll pass you off to the appropriate department, depending on your market size, location, etc.

Regarding advice for getting free footage, it depends. Perhaps it's public domain, perhaps you can convince the owner to permit a restricted use, perhaps what your doing is fair use. Of course there are those who are willing to push the envelope, risking legal recourse - and don't be misled that you won't face a lawsuit just because you're not "making money" by repackaging another parties copyrighted work.

Youtube is a complicated situation. Perhaps the originator is an Indy producer, offering the works for free (but probably wants attribution). Maybe the material is copyrighted but grand Youtube exclusive use. Or maybe the material has been illegally uploaded to Youtube. Then again, perhaps what you're doing constitutes fair use. You get the idea.

Good luck, Michael
 
moonlitnite said:
JOsh,

Aside from the legal aspects and in response to your question, for works like Outfoxed" and "Farenheit 911", you'll need either purchase the media, find a suitable (low resolution) copy on the net (like a trailer), record it live, or write to the producer/distributor. It's pretty clear when the media begins with the FBI Notice, the T&Cs are clear.

...
Click to expand...

Michael

The "FBI Notice" is a legal notice. The law that it refers to also makes it quite clear that Fair Use is a legal use of the footage and NO permission nor compensation is required.

If he licenses the footage then he will be bound by whatever contract he agrees to. He doesn't need to license footage that falls under Fair Use.


moonlitnite said:
...

Contact CNN, FOX News, etc corporate offices and they'll pass you off to the appropriate department, depending on your market size, location, etc.

...
Click to expand...

The chances of them giving him footage is from slim to none.

It's possible and might be worth asking, but, they are a business and will want to have control over the footage's use and to be paid and paid well for it.



moonlitnite said:
...

Regarding advice for getting free footage, it depends. Perhaps it's public domain, perhaps you can convince the owner to permit a restricted use, perhaps what your doing is fair use. Of course there are those who are willing to push the envelope, risking legal recourse - and don't be misled that you won't face a lawsuit just because you're not "making money" by repackaging another parties copyrighted work.

....
Click to expand...

If you are interested in exhibiting documentary work, you can get insurance to protect you against legal claims if you follow DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER'S STATEMENT OF BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE and make the appropriate application to the insurer.

You don't need to fear Fair Use, you only need to respect its limitations.
 
JOsh Fulton said:
No offense, Estebeverde, but that isn't really answering my question.

I'm familiar with 'fair use' in documentaries, and if worst comes to worst would be content to publish my work to the internet and charge nothing so there would be no lawsuit.

Now the question remains, once you have an idea of what you're looking for, say you even know the exact speech and/or moment that you're looking for, how do you go about getting it? Contact TV stations?
Click to expand...


Josh...

Thank you for not intending to offend me. You haven't in the least so no worries. :thumbsup:


A quick note of warning. As far as using the footage and publicly displaying or distributing it, it makes no difference what so ever if you made a million, loose a million, or just do it for fun and free.

You are responsible to the copyright law regardless of any monetary gain or lack thereof. Using someone's work outside of Copyright is legally treated as a theft and leaves you liable for civil and criminal penalties.


Intellectual property is a property that has been granted a certain bundle of rights that belong to the copyright owner.

One of the rights that the owner does not have and does not control is the right to prevent Fair Use of the work.


First you must understand Fair Use before you can you can decide what to use for your film.

If it doesn't fall under Fair Use.

You must contact the Copyright Owner and get permission to use their work. They will tell you the who, what, when, where, and why to get the footage.

They will tell you what size, how long, how it can be displayed, etc....


If it is FAIR USE or PUBLIC DOMAIN, there are many sources...


What EXACTLY are you looking for? What specific footage and specific use?
 
ESTEBEVERDE said:
What EXACTLY are you looking for? What specific footage and specific use?
Click to expand...

Well, I don't know exactly what footage it will be right now. I'm still in the planning stages, but I imagine some will be speeches from President Bush and things like that.

Thanks for the info, guys. It's been helpful.
 
If it's something shot by the government, then you may be able to get it for free or for a minimal cost, especially if you have a good reason - such as you're a member of the press, or you're doing a documentary. Just contact the press office or public relations office of the departments involved.
 
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