I'm making a nature documentary involving the North Carolina Mountain Region. It is broken up into different locations within the region.
I would like to use Google Earth Pro to record aerial like flyovers from one location to the next. GE Pro works great for this, the recordings look great.
But, their copyright agreement states that you have to ask special permission for film or broadcast use, I plan to release the documentary on DVD and hopefully cable broadcast.

I sent in the request along with a requested sample of the use 6 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back, the website says it takes 2-3 weeks for a reply. I have sent another request recently, but I can't keep waiting for them to reply.

So, my dilemma is that I could easily get sued for using the GE footage and any network will probably not want the documentary if I can't prove I have a right to the GE footage.

I bootcamped my Mac to use NASA World Wind, which is free and Public Domain imagery, but it doesn't look as nice and in order to record you have to right scripts, which I don't have time for.

Anyone have any ideas? If I could find a high resolution image of the region I could just use motion to go from location to location, but I have had any luck finding any.

I'd be really interested in a reply to this!

I wrote Google Earth twice asking permission 2 years ago and still haven't got a response. Then I joined the Google Earth Forum and put up the request there and got no response.

I ended up using NASA World Wind.

The thing is that Google uses NASA's imagery!! So if they get those wonderful shots, and NASA's images are in the public domain, then there must be some way to access those images. I tried for forever to find such images on several of NASA's sites, with no success.

I know my post doesn't help you much, Luke, it just reinforces your experience. :-)

Okay me again (that was quick!) :-))

Try this link: EO Newsroom: New Images - Snow Blankets North Carolina (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16471) There's a high-resolution link to this image on the same page.

This is the Earth Observatory section. Do a search for the area you want and see if you can find it.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the link Helen. The snow in the image will kinda stick out though cause all of the rest of my footage is shot in the summer. I haven't found a better image yet though.


Did Nasa World Wind work ok for you? I couldn't get the resolution anywhere close to that of GE Pro's.

I guess Google doesn't really take the time to review the submissions. Which stinks because I think GE Pro could be used really creatively when it comes to documentaries. I almost dropped the $400 for GE Pro thinking that they would eventually get back to me, glad I didn't.

Thanks Again

I used a distant shot with NASA World Wind so it was okay although I'd have been happier with a better resolution.

National Geographic has a 3D Globe CD-Rom Set which I was contemplating buying and then capturing with Camtasia. This was based on what I'd read about the product because I haven't seen it in person. The National Geographic Online Store - National Geographic 3D Globe CD-ROM Set (http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/2512.html)

I wrote to them asking whether I can use it in a DVD documentary and they did reply and said that I would have to purchase a license to use the image from it. If you want to explore that option I have the email address of the person which I can send to your email.

Thanks for the tip Helen. I actually spent all weekend creating a vector image map complete with neat little icons etc., and planned to use motion to zoom in and out of the map. Then today I receive an email from Google, saying I had permission to use GE Pro as long as I kept the copyright marks viewable....DOH!

Oh well, I probably will switch back to using GE just cause it'll be easier, but I just wasted a weekend.

That's great! That was easy too. I'm wondering now if I must purchase the Pro edition in order to get permission, maybe that's why I didn't hear back from them cuz I was using the free version).

I searched for reviews of the Nat Geo 3D Globe after I put up the post and it seems that it wouldn't have had the image quality you're looking for since all the reviews I read, commented that the zoom level was restricted.

Maybe when you're through with your project you can take out a video clip of that portion of your DVD and put it up on Vimeo so we can see it.

did you try using it?
they have great feature called "Birds Eye" (Aerial too, but Google is better in this)

check it...
Web browser and Live Maps are incompatible (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?where1=3032%20BLUE%20CASCADE%20DR%2092571&v=2&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&encType=1&alt=-1000)

Maybe when you're through with your project you can take out a video clip of that portion of your DVD and put it up on Vimeo so we can see it.

Definitely,
Hope to finish the doc by the end of the year. I think GE Pro is the only version they'll allow for broadcast(might be wrong though).

MSN Maps looks like Google Maps(maybe cleaner). Though, Google Earth Pro allows you to record aerials with different camera angles and in HD uncompressed. Though there's probably other ways to do this (and cheaper) GE Pro seems easiest.

So i didn't get if there's anything free on the web...
thx

Does anyone have any footage of how they used NASA or GE? I am curious to see the final product.

Is the Nasa site free(download)?

Does anyone have any footage of how they used NASA or GE? I am curious to see the final product.

I use GE Pro on each of my episodes (check the link in my signature), the program is very buggy and hard to get smooth motion but it's far easier than nasa whirlwind.

Is the Nasa site free(download)?

yes, it's pc only though ; (

NASA World Wind (http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/)

you have to stay on them, they are poor at communicating and sometimes give contradictory feedback...don't expect to shoot them one email and get a straight answer.

...really, they should be paying us, in my opinion. unauthorized images of my house should not be considered their intellectual property...

unauthorized images of my house should not be considered their intellectual property...

No, it should be the IP of the builder or architect... <wink>