Real Music for Reel Music

D

DeadEyesSmiling

Well-known member
I'm starting to build reels for both my cinematography and for my company and I was wondering about the use of copyrighted music. It would be music that I own (a.k.a. bought the CD) and I wouldn't be selling the projects that they'd be used in, but I've gotten the hint from a few postings that it's still bad form (read: illegal). I was just wondering about the "official" word on this. Thanks.

...Oh, and both reels would be up on my website, not sure if that changes things.

-DES
 
i think (don't quote me on this) that since you are using the reel to sell yourself and your company for work, in turn making money, that this would be illegal. because you are using the copyrighted music to make money.

i know this is a bummer. i'm kind of in a similar situation. i want cool music for a reel but i don't know about getting un-copyrighted music.

and it sucks because it's one of those things that i would think 9 times out of 10 nothing at all would happen to you. but that one time that comes back to get you would really hurt.
 
I personally think it shows that you don't care about anyone but yourself if you use copyrighted music. It's just...lame, for lack of a better word.

Since you are going to be having money moving, if you get work, it would be for personal benefit, thus illegal.

Try making something in Reason, Garage Band, or something along those lines. I for one am using Reason. So far it is working well.

And tony, I see MWAG as your website? Do you have anything to do with them? Never met Pat, but I've seen him on the field here and there.
 
Mattykins said:
I personally think it shows that you don't care about anyone but yourself if you use copyrighted music. It's just...lame, for lack of a better word.

...
Click to expand...

Mattykins... I personally think it's lame you do not know better or care better to just say copyrighted music. There are many forms of copyright and some already have a provision for this use right in the license itself. For instance: [SIZE=-1]Creative Commons[/SIZE]

Further more, there are instances where you can LEGALLY use copyrighted material without this type of licensing agreement for your own use. This is called Fair Use.


Mattykins said:
...

Since you are going to be having money moving, if you get work, it would be for personal benefit, thus illegal.

...
Click to expand...

Just because you use the copyrighted material of someone else for profit doesn't make it illegal. Nor does the fact it personally benefits you make it illegal.

Conversely, just because you do not make any money or you do not directly benefit from the use doesn't make the use legal. You can still be illegally infringing on the copyright.

"Money changing hands" is only one of the criteria considered to see if the use was an infringement or Fair Use.


Mattykins said:
...

Try making something in Reason, Garage Band, or something along those lines. I for one am using Reason. So far it is working well.

...
Click to expand...

Fantastic! I hope that works well for you and that you are happy and producing great work!

For others this may or may not be the best approach.

But hey... maybe there is a cottage industry for you to score demo reels?
 
mattykins:

yea i stayed with patrick and bonnie for a couple summers, did internships with them, and traveled around a bit and shot a handful of events with them.

i'm assuming you play? i use to play. now i'm trying to make freelancing work.
 
Sweet, I used to play. D2 PSP...Then I became a photog for PB2X. Then I opened my own media company dealing with paintball. Some of my trailers are still floating around online. I got stuck in a terrible deal with an upstate NY league...and I had to fold my company a few years back. It was good when it lasted.

And Este mate,

Listen - I know you are all pro fair use and whatnot...and there are many people out there that know the legalities behind it. I however would not hire someone that had a mediocre reel that used copyrighted, and well known music. Sure it sounds cool maybe? But take a look at show reels done by professionals, you don't see soundtracks used from pop culture.

We have a hard enough time working with licensed music, when I operated my media group, we had several local and national bands on our payroll. We had rights to use their stuff. It was a great working relationship.

However, fair use does not encompass simply using a track in your montage, or what-have-you. You would need to have the piece be specifically about that piece that you used. This is the same with personal releases. I am not a lawyer, nor do I have one. However I have dealt with the system before with releases, and it is not an easy thing to scoot around. You would be better off creating your own track. In Garageband it is pretty easy. And all of those tracks are royalty free.

Creative commons is a great thing, yeah, but you need to be sure it is a some-rights reserved or no-rights reserved piece. I was specifically talking about major bands that tend to be used left and right in reels.

Cheers!

(I really should change my name...)
 
Matt~

Your name is great.

It's cool and fun.

I think if you have a mediocre reel you are screwed anyway.

And yes, just popping in a song on your reel and posting it on the internet will violate the "all rights retained" copyright.

There are alternatives of course... if you can compose well you can most certainly do it on your own.

If not, you'll have to do it another way...


Interestingly enough. I do come across many reels that use copyrighted material that doesn't belong to the owner.

Oddly enough... it is when the DP or Animator works on a project and the music isn't their creation.

They still include this music in their demo reel and the ones I've asked do not have permission to do so but said hey... I worked on it so... meh...


Hopefully we will have some new legislation to sort all this out because what we have now is a mess that is untenable.


P.S. Paintball R.O.C.K.S.!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top