Ask for footage

[Foster Kane]

Some friends of mine who cover events often get requests from other videographers for footage.
The reasons are usually their camera broke or the footage they got wasn't very good.
Unless they get paid for it, they usually say no.

Is there a right or wrong way to do this?

 

[Cassius]

This really needs to be decided on a case by case basis. Most people would understand if you just tell them you do this professionally and can't give away footage as a rule. If you're hired to be there you can't give a footage literally as a rule, since that could be considered a work for hire situation. Or you could say yes if its someone you know, maybe even someone you owe for a favor... again, though, its personal and specific to each interaction.

 

[Steve House]

...If you're hired to be there you can't give a footage literally as a rule, since that could be considered a work for hire situation. ...

Minor quibble - "work-for-hire" does not automatically exist when a freelancer is contracted to make some intellectual property. In fact it is only a work-for-hire if there is a written contract that uses those exact words as part of the descritpiton of the work. The "default setting" when a freelancer does work for a client is the work is NOT a "work-for-hire" even though the frelancer has been engaged for the job and is being paid for the results.

That being said, does Macy's ask Gimbles to give them inventory? Assuming the person being asked for footage is a freelance pro covering the gig, for another competing pro videographer to ask him for footage is absurd - he ought to know better. As for when an amateur asks the pro if he can have some footage, I think the appropriate response is "Sorry, my client has exclusive rights to this material."

 

[Cassius]

Thanks for catching that, I didn't realize I wasn't being clear on the meaning. No matter what the situation is, the point that a pro should know better than to even ask is a good one. I'd really question what 'often' means; I've asked for photos in cross promotional and partnership situations, and been asked, but outside of that I can only think of a couple of bystanders asking if they can get a copy of the final product, not footage they can use for themselves. It seems unlikely to me that this would be normal.