UK rights to shared camera footage?

[Isabel Rogers]

I filmed for an amateur documentary with a friend on his camera.

The filming was shared, and we are both to be on the credits under 'cameramen'.

I have a few questions about the rights we have to our footage, sorry if they are obvious questions, I am new to this.

1. I intend to include some of the footage in my showreel - for some of the footage, if we cannot distinguish exact shots as who filmed what, is this okay?

2. I have been approached by a production company researcher who found my video on vimeo and wants to use a few seconds of some footage for a series to be shown on a national tv channel. As we cannot really distinguish who filmed which shot so precisely, how do the rights for this footage work?
I would credit us both for any footage (if this is possible) but unfortunately I don't quite trust my friend/collegue not to make sole claim to the footage if he had recieved that request- how can I make sure that we are both credited for any use of footage?

3. Any other advice on how I give the production company the footage? Do I give them a large amount and then see which sections they want? Would I make it 'one-use' rights?

Sorry if these seem like confused questions!

[Rick L. Allen]

1. It is fine to include the footage in your demo reel. BUT if you can't tell what footage is yours then you need make it clear that your reel also includes someone else's work. I would hope as the shooter you know your own work however.

2. Credit & payment should be shared with your colleague. Credit/usage should be addressed in your license agreement.

3. Send the producer a time code burn of the footage they have requested. After they finish the rough cut the will send you the exact in & out time code they want. Deliver in whatever format they request after you get payment (usually via FTP). Never send un-time coded or raw footage and always get payment before footage delivery. Usage should be "one time use for the project only."

As has been written ad nauseum on this forum always get a written agreement with friends, business partners and/or colleagues before any shoot.

[Steve House]

Who produced and directed the footage? If you two, fine. But if you were acting as cameramen under somone else's creative control, you might not have any rights to the footage at all. The creator of a work of intellectual property owns the copyright. If you merely focussed and pushed the start button under someone else's direction, they may be the defacto creator in the eyes of the law

[Isabel Rogers]

Thanks for the replies, they've both been very helpful.

As amateur filmmakers and friends we never wrote up any written agreement over rights, but we have come to agree on joint rights.
This is obviously a learning curve and I will be more careful in the future!

I will be sending the footage with time code like you advised, thank you.

One last question - if only 3 seconds of our footage is used in the whole 45 minute programme, are we still entitled to a mention in the closing credits?

[Rick L. Allen]

Originally Posted by Isabel Rogers

One last question - if only 3 seconds of our footage is used in the whole 45 minute programme, are we still entitled to a mention in the closing credits?

Yes but that should be spelled out in the license agreement.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Isabel Rogers

Thanks for the replies, they've both been very helpful.

As amateur filmmakers and friends we never wrote up any written agreement over rights, but we have come to agree on joint rights.
This is obviously a learning curve and I will be more careful in the future!

I will be sending the footage with time code like you advised, thank you.

One last question - if only 3 seconds of our footage is used in the whole 45 minute programme, are we still entitled to a mention in the closing credits?

No one is "entitled" to credit, in the sense that there is some law or regulation governing it. The sole determiner is the content of the specific agreement you make with the persons using your material when you grant them the license to use it. If it says you get credit, then you're entitled to it. If it doesn't, you aren't.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Isabel Rogers

One last question - if only 3 seconds of our footage is used in the whole 45 minute programme, are we still entitled to a mention in the closing credits?

It's unlikely you'd get a credit for 3 seconds of screen time, although you could ask and it does vary. I've shot part sequences and inserts for UK network programmes without getting a credit.

[Allan Black]

Isabel .. you need a day work diary and even get it witnessed if you're worried .. and I wouldn't even ask for a 3 sec screen credit.

We supplied approx. 15mins of footage for an offshore international TV documentary series, no credit whatsoever and despite an emailed agreement we didn't even get the tape back. All we can do is never deal with them again.

And our Sydney studios were once rented by a NY radio program producer, for an interview with a local author after his book sales soared .. ours didn't :)

Cheers.