For my companies first film, a full length movie called "The Flop" we need to get the rights to use the theme from Cheers in it for a bar scene. What website do we go to to request the theme?

Thanks in advance.

you are going to have to find out who owns the song, (who owns the copyrights to it) and then write a letter of inquiry to them asking permission to use it. Chances are, since the song you are asking for is pretty popular, they (or the person who owns the rights to it) is going to ask for a lot of money.

That's basically the first step, there are others on this board who can help with the specifics - I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to those.

You can do something, but i forget what it's called, i think maybe a "sound to" since you're doing a song to another song.

anyway, by adding other notes and maybe a different key, you can just have someone play the song (and change the lyrics if you want) and you'll be okay.

Rfranco is right - just alter it slightly and you are in the clear. For example, every other episode of the simpsons uses a knock off version for a joke instead of buying the rights, and think back to vanilla ice with ice ice baby, using the music from super freak. all they did was add an extra bass hit there. Be creative, dont spend the money on it. Not worth it.

ice ice baby wasnt from super freak, wasn't it from under pressure by Bowie and Queen?

Vanilla Ice used the beat from Queen's and David Bowie's "Under Pressure".

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

I always thought those songs sounded similar! I've wondered about that.

yeah, he just added a *clap* sound to the end of it. lol