Anyway to get around using copy written music with

[Vespasian]

I was wondering if maybe you where to play a song in the background or something. Probably not though huh. All those bastards want money.

Has anyone ever got permission to use copy written material?

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[metroshane]

Ever heard of the movie "low budget"? Didn't think so. It was a great independant film that never got released because the filmakers failed to get the Kink's permisson to use the song in the back ground. Don't make that mistake!

IF you want to get the rights contact the Harry Fox agency.

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[MovieStuff]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by metroshane:
Ever heard of the movie "low budget"? Didn't think so. It was a great independant film that never got released because the filmakers failed to get the Kink's permisson to use the song in the back ground.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not arguing the point, because I agree with you about getting the rights to music. But my questions is if "low budget" never got released then how do you know it was a great independant film? How did YOU see it?

Roger


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Roger Evans
MovieStuff
http://www.afterimagephoto.tv/moviestuff.html

[metroshane]

I saw it in film school. I believe they could show clips for scholarship, but not commercialism.

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[Nigel]

You could always use my Mantra--

"Everything is Legal...As long as you don't get caught."



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[StopMoWorks]

Using Google search engine, enter, using quotes:

"royalty free music"

Perhaps does not fit "exactly" what you want for your specific project, but lots of choices and one might find something close and maybe save some $$$$



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[Actor]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
You could always use my Mantra--

"Everything is Legal...As long as you don't get caught."
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
You will get caught. Count on it. As sure as God made little green apples.

Unless you only plan to put it in the closet and drag it out once a year to show the family and your best friends. Or it is such a dismal failure that even that is a big audience.

But if you achieve any measure of commercial success they will find out.



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[Matt Pacini]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vespasian:
"...All those bastards want money..."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, well make your film, then remember you said this if some crooked distributor makes a master from your VHS screener you sent him, and distributes it all over Asia and Europe and pays you nothing.
Will you then be a "bastard" because you actually expected to make some money off your film?

I am a life-long musician, and in fact, I got into filmmaking because I originally just wanted to score movies.

Music is as important as anything visual that happens onscreen, (sometimes more important) and it pisses me off to no end that nobody respects the musicians or the music, considers it to be of zero monitary value, and in fact, like yourself, not only wants to steal the fruits of their labor, but calls them greedy because they want to be paid for their efforts.

Composing, playing and recording music takes MORE time to learn the skill than filmmaking skills, even if one has a gift or talent, and costs shitloads of money in equipment purchases, studio time and the like, to end up with that cool little song you want to lift.

If you want to steal the music, fine.
Steal it.
But don't look at musicians as being greedy "bastards" beacuse they, like you, want to actually see some money at the end of the tunnel, after having put in all the time, effort and money to create.

Sorry to be so harsh, but really, I hear this stuff all the time, and it is so obvious, that I have no idea why this low opinion of music on the part of indie filmmakers is so prevalent.

Just because there is radio, where you get to hear music all the time for free, doesn't mean that music should always be free. Anymore than because TV shows are free to watch, nobody should have to pay you for your movie.

So, after ranting and raving, my suggestion to you is this:
Find a musician/composer who wants to get into doing music for film, and get him/her to do your music for you.
Just like you do with actors, etc. Have them sign a deferred fee contract, where if your film makes money, they get paid.
And if it does, PAY THEM.

Otherwise, you have three options:

1. Get the rights and pay for the music.
2. Get sued later if you don't and your film gets made/seen.
3. (the most likely scenario): No distributor will even want to watch your movie because you didn't get rights, so you will be back to square one.

Matt Pacini

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[Actor]

There is one exception. If your film is a bona fide documentary and you are making a record of an unstaged event where the music incidentally happens go be playing in the background you do not need permission from any of the copyright holders. An example would be if you are filming an interview and somebody in the background walks past with a boom box playing the copyrighted music. You are not required to take extraordinary steps to remove the music.

I would touch base with a lawyer on this.

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[Vespasian]

So what if my film was STRICKLY used only to show people my talent? Nothing more. Would I still get sued if the wrong person saw it, even if it will NOT be distributed in any way shape or form?

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