Yo Tyler, no one's trying to jump down your throat. This DVD idea of yours is a really good idea. It sounds like keeping it completely legit isn't as important to you. That's cool, I just would rather not be involved (i.e. help author it, etc). I'm sure there's plenty of resourceful people here to help. I do wish you good luck.

I understand your point that the films are online, so why can't we put them on a DVD. Studentfilms.com states that you must fully own your film (all music is cleared). It just doesn't double check, which is why so many films have blatantly uncleared music. Studentfilms.com and the filmmaker could get sued for all of those copyright violations (especially now with the new stats availible for each film). So, what happens if a BMI or ASCAP complains and threatens to sue? The admin pulls the film in question off the site. What happens when they threaten to sue a DVD distributor? You've got to make them happy and you can't just take the films off line so noone else can see them. You've got tens or hundreds of DVDs floating around North America. What if one of these DVDs pop up ten years down the line, while you work as a public representative for BMI or ASCAP or a production house/distributor. You get fired or sued.

Now, if the DVD was cleared and fully owned by the filmmakers/distributor (which may mean renegotiating rights with people like Jeremy). You could sell it anywhere. Ebay, other websites, schools, farmersmarkets. And you could broadcast it. Put the entire thing on everyone's local cable access show. Hell, you could try to use it as a tool to fundrase for your next film. Many more options for filmmakers to get exposure.

You are also right, that admin Chris needs to be asked about this.

and Slamdance does require you to clear your music--either full rights or just festival rights. And, if your film only has "festival rights" at least one song, they won't put it on the DVD.

But...I said "lets make contracts"..maybe you skipped over that...I DO WANT IT LEGAL, trust me...I see the problem now. Maybe we should forget about the DVD. It seems to be more trouble then it's worth.

Oh and Slamdance does not require music to be "cleared" it says something like "if you say so then we won't ask", nothing is offical by any means. They understand that the films are so small and so unimportant in the huge scheme of things that really no harm is taken. But I do agree that it is always good to be safe. So unless we can make this thing legal and everyone "happy" then we should forget about it.

I’m still waiting, as I keep asking, for some suggestions as of how to make this work...not how it won’t work. Thanks again!

And to be honest...I think we would only sell about 20 copies of this thing anyways.

HOODIE PRODUCTIONS......"making it happen"

There is always the option of not allowing movies with pirated music. Im assuming that some of the better films on the website are well done enough that they dont tneed pirated music. And there are always alternatives to using illegal music since several composers have posted links on studentfilms.com looking for work and a few might have some older samples available for use.

I thinkt he DVD idea is great, and if the illegal music part of it is too big then just have no profit.

Yeah, Darkfire's got the right idea. It wouldn't be too hard for any student filmmaker to re-edit their film so it would be legal.
And to Cyos, DVD burners aren't cheap and/or popular enough yet. Hell, I wouldn't have a CD burner if my brother didn't leave his computer here. So yeah, it'd be just as simple, cost-effective, whatever for the site to make the compliation itself.

-Elliott

Tigerdirect has a Rebate for a DVD-Burner for $89.00, Im going to order one in a day or two once Ive checked the quality of it, and if needed I could burn them at school since we have 3-Dvd Burning Capable Machines, but takes about an hour per DVD.

Tyler -

is it true that Slamdance doesn`t requre you to clear your songs? I`ll have to take your word for it. That is pure foolishness on Slamdance`s part. I`ve never heard of a festival that will let illegal songs in. By showing the film at the festival, Slamdance opens themselves up to massive lawsuits. As for the DVDs, I simply cannot imagine that they would distribute movies without clearing the music. They could be sued for millions, and it would be an open and shut case. There`s got to be more to it than just a gentlemans agreement.
The show THE PRETENDER just came out on DVD. They decided not to include the second episode on the dvd, even though it was originally aired on television. The reason they didn`t include it was that the episode in question made heavy use of the Police song EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE. The producers couldn`t afford the rights to distribute it on DVD. We`re talking about NBC, big time players, and they left an episode off because they couldn`t afford the rights to the song. They could have done it anyways, but they would have lost their pants in the lawsuit. Just thought it was an interesting note.
　　Tyler, just so you know, you have my blessing to use the music from ABOMINATION whenever and wherever. And I`m all for the best of studentfilms dvd. Maybe one of the requirements to be on it is that you have clearance for all your music. I was teaching band and orchestra in a high school last year. We made a cd which we sold to make money for the program. I made sure that we paid royalties on every song we recorded. No one ever would have found out. I mean, we only sold 100 copies. But it was the right thing to do. And, for a few of the songs, we got permission to use them without any royalty payments. It never hurts to ask.


Jeremy

- www.jeremydelamarter.com -

brilliant music for brilliant films

Slamdance might give those out mostly, but I'm not sure as to how many copies they sell, but the lawsuit would not be fun, can we try to get permission?

I was just talking with my boss earlier about music and all, asking him about the pirated issue because the video productions company I work for is always making videos with pirated music fro school plays, company videos and bla bla bla. He said he would double check for me but he was saying that as long as you don't sell/make over a certain amount then its okay. We're talking about Ricky Martin and Eminem songs here...

And the idea about not using movies that can't clear the music would work, but it would also eliminate some of the best movies on the site, so we should try to get them cleared. I knew there is a site that you can go to to buy the rights, but I also know that some of the movies use music that would cost and arm and a leg like that Police song that Jeremy mentioned. Maybe those chessy re-make song would have to do as fillers..but whatever works, might just be more trouble then its worth.

HOODIE PRODUCTIONS......"making it happen"

Joren, legally you cannot play music that you bought in your own basement in the company of 20 of your closest friends. Then why doesn't that stop schools from playing copyrighted music or intellectual property at their pep rallys or video shows with hundreds of students? It's because it is for educational puposes and what kind of person would even think about penalizing some school for trying to pump the crowd with school spirit, or excite the school football team enough to win their championship game? That's right, nobody would and it wouldn't hold up in court because the court is the government and the government owns the schools... this post branched off into a bit of a different subject.

1clue3

Negative. Any film you might see in a festival (unless they're only using composed music for the film or stuff over 50/70/90 years depending on copyright laws in your jurisdiction) HAS been cleared for at LEAST festival rights.

Which incidentally are far far cheaper than complete clearance but can and will hinder any sale of your film.

Richard Purves
Living Film
http://www.livingfilm.co.uk/