Re: [AV Media Matters] What to charge for use of footage

[glukow@ucla.edu]

For this kind of inquiry, you might have better luck if you post your
question to AMIA-L, the listserv of the Association of Moving Image
Archivists, at AMIA-L@LSV.UKY.EDU

The key first question is: do you own the rights to your footage?

There are two kinds of fees at issue here: licensing fees, which
archives can charge if they own the rights to the footage, and
usage/handling fees, which archives charge (based on an assessment
of their own internal processing expenses) whether or not they hold
the rights. There aren't that many public-sector archives that
license footage, mostly because full rights to moving image
collections are seldom transfered with donations. You might try
contacting a couple of the more experienced archives, such as the
UCLA Film and Television Archive's Commercial Services division, or
the Wolfson Media History Center in Miami. Both of these have
extensive experience in licensing news footage collections.
Generally, public-sector licensing rates don't differ that much from
the commercial stock footage market. There are any number of these
commercial agencies online. Some of the largest are represented
through the FOOTAGE.net site at http://www.footage.net

As far as documenting the use of the footage, this is only as
elusive as the production entity using it. If you own rights to the
footage, you can place any use conditions on it that you wish. If
you don't own the rights, the requesting user would first need to
get permission anyhow from the rights holder.

Gregory Lukow                                  v: 310-206-4966
UCLA Film and Television Archive               e: GLukow@ucla.edu

At 12:51 PM -0700 4/6/00, tberry@wcnet.org wrote:

>Dear list:
>
>We have been approached by a television producer who wants to use
>footage from our collections for an upcoming documentary. This is a
>new experience for us, and I welcome your input on it:
>
>  * What questions do we need to ask?
>
>  * How do we document the use of the footage?
>
>  * Is there any kind of general price range that archives charge for this
>    service?
>
>Any advice is greatly appreciated. Of course, I need answers this afternoon,
>as the producer's deadline is early next week.
>
>Many thanks.
>
>Thomas Berry, Archivist
>Historical Construction Equipment Association
>16623 Liberty Hi Road
>Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
>419-352-5616
>tberry@wcnet.org