How To Retain Media Rights

Retain the Rights to Footage you Create!

You’re a production company contracted to produce a video campaign for your client. You shoot tons of hero’s and b-roll that didn’t make the final cut of the production. Now what? Leave it on your hard drive, never to see the light of day again? Or do you license this footage for added revenue? LICENSE! By Default the copyright act states that the filmmaker owns the rights to their creative work. However, it is not uncommon for the financier of the project to include a clause in the initial contract that states that they own the rights to all works created on the project. This ABSOLUTELY doesn’t have to be the case, request for a license back clause. Retaining the ownership to the footage shot can be an excellent secondary source of income for a freelancer or production house after the project has finished.

ALWAYS READ THE CONTRACT YOU ARE SIGNING. It’s important to know your rights before entering into any sort of production contract so that any adjustments may be made.