Let’s be clear: copyright law is good, in general. At its core, the idea is very noble: to allow anyone to create something original and give it protection from being copied by anyone else. In practice, though, paranoia has ruined things for everyone else. A post from Videopia (thanks, Eric) titled “100 Years of Copyright Hysteria” and the associated link to Ars Technica titled “100 years of Big Content fearing technology–in its own words” are remarkable in that the nice (but paranoid) people from Hollywood and elsewhere have been fighting for a remarkably long time about copyright law.

Can you believe that John Philip Sousa, author of many a march, actually wrote a magazine article complaining about the uptake of player pianos and phonographs? And who can forget Jack Valenti’s remarkably pompous quote comparing the VCR to the Boston Strangler? (And, of course, if it wasn’t for the VCR, we at Videomaker probably wouldn’t be here; it was the miniaturization of the VCR and video cameras that led to this crazy little video revolution and the democratization of television.) Or the jaw-droppingly arrogant quote of Jamie Kellner, then-CEO of Turner, whose distaste of DVR users led him to classify anyone who even just has to use the bathroom during the commercials, as thieves?! And don’t get me started on the industry’s fights against DAT and the Diamond Rio, the granddaddy of all personal media players.

So, what will be the next innovative technology that the industry will be banding against? Why do we have to go through this every time something new comes out? Ugh. Unless this is the call to action for independent media (and really, I can’t remember the last time knowing what studio or record label put out a piece of media I was going to consume was actually a useful piece of information.)

The FTC, (Federal Trade Commission), announced this week that it is beefing up the rules regarding paid endorsements by bloggers and Tweeters saying they love/use a product but in reality are shills for the company. This new regulation by the FTC is the first real change they’ve had in the rules since the early 1980s. From celebrities endorsing products on shows like “Oprah” to unknown so-called “users” who rave about the products on their blog, Twitter or Facebook pages, the Truth in Advertising guidelines didn’t touch social media until now. Read the rest of this entry »

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; better known as ASCAP, is targeting videos on YouTube for royalty payment for it’s professional creative members. This is a good thing for producers who work hard at making their product, only to see that someone has “borrowed” some of that property clips for their own use. But the average consumer who just wants to make a simple video using a well-know song as their music bed might get confused.

According to this recent report from Digital Media Wire, if you make a cute little video using copyrighted music, and place it on your own personal blog or non-commercial website, you won’t be targeted, but if you post it for the masses, you will. Or something like that. As copyright laws for intellectual property goes, it’s always muddy, and only attorneys seem to be able to interpret them. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone needs to make a little extra cash now and then. Similarly to how the web revolutionized the viewing of video, the web is also starting to revolutionize the way videographers find work as well.

The idea of most of these sites is similar, a national clearing house for people who want videos made about their businesses, combined with a nationwide network of competent videographers. If there’s a business in your area that wants a video, the company contacts you and gives you a commission. You shoot and edit the piece and once the client approves, you get paid from the company.

The work isn’t exactly highly paid (most gigs going for $200-$500), but one of the biggest hassles when you’re freelancing is drumming up work. The big benefit to this system is that you have people drumming up work in your area 24×7 for you.

Turn Here & Studio Now both aggregate video production projects from major companies, to local advertisers, and are always on the lookout for new filmmakers to join their networks.

There is of course, a vetting process, you will need to have access to some decent production gear, and provide samples of your work. However regular Videomaker readers should have no problems passing the tests. So take a look at the sites, and start letting the internet find work for you.

I know this video has been making the rounds on the video-blogs lately, originally at the Art+Copy Club, this presentation by Joy Moeller explains the pet peeves of the editor / producer relationship, from an editor’s perspective. I’m a pretty mellow editor, but a lot of her complaints really resonated with me, especially the ones about not touching my computer screen, and sitting so close that we’re sharing the edit desk. I had a good laugh and thought I’d share it with you.

A couple years ago,  I received a phone call from a woman in tears. She’s a good client of a friend of mine and the caller was going through some deep personal drama. Her mother had just days to live, and she was looking for someone to make a memorial video for the funeral. Knowing I offer this service, my friend, Cathy, suggested she give me a call. I offered my condolences, gently tried to explain to her that time was of essence, and she’d need to get photos to me as soon as possible and I’d make a nice piece for her. “Thank you,” she said, “my mother was a wonderful woman and deserves the best”. I then quoted her a price of $300 and she hesitated… and said she’d get back to me.

A week later, another associate told me she had contacted him, stating I was asking too much money, and she offered him $100 to do it and he turned her down. She then went to the person who manages her website, and he agreed to do it for $150.
Read the rest of this entry »