I myself, have needed some stock footage in which I couldn't shoot myself due to the landscape where I live and things like that. I know none of us really like to pay for stock footage if we don't have to.

So I came to this conclusion:

Scince a lot of us have XL2's and we are spread out around different regions of the world. Why can't we start a Stock Footage trade group?

Maybe I can't get this perfect shot because of where I am located, but another person on the community can get the shot perfect, and vice versa.

I think it would work quite well and scince it will be a trade then we can save some money on stock footage and it will be a helpful addition to the community.

The only thing that could keep us from doing it is filesizes, but if people would help we could get several FTP's set up and once we get it up and started then it should take off.

Just a thought guys. I figured it would be something nice to do if we can get something together!

Great idea. Maybe a token Paypal contribution for membership to cover costs, or some such scheme as that? Even a couple bucks might be enough of a barrier to keep a lot of the riff raff out while helping the webmaster to avoid sinking into poverty? Just thinking out loud. ;-)

A password protected FTP would also work as long as those of us sharing are willing to keep the password secure.

I agree.
PayPal don't work in this part of the world - normal VISA will do the trick.

To build a little futher on the orginal concept, a place to request video footage of items or subjects would also be great. This would allow those on a trip or just extra time on their hands to know what someone is looking and might be able to help out.

superb, would definatley be up for this.......

I'd also be very interested in this, but....

I don't have an XL2 :-(

But I can shoot lots of stock footage with my GL2....

Nice to hear that people are interested. We need to try to get a nice setup to start it.

First we would need people willing to run FTP's so people can get the files. As for a startup fee, as long as we keep it relatively cheap it should work nice. We will need someone to take care of that aswell.

I am willing to run an FTP from my comp. I wont be able to run it 24/7 though so it will either have to be upon request or a daily/weekly time when I will have it on.

Anyone else willing to run an FTP? Can anyone take care of paypal stuff? Also, as for people like Nico van Tonder and those that cannot us paypal, what could we do for them?

Hi

quick question tough (my motherlanguage is not english)
What exactly IS stock footage?

greets
Tim

<<<-- Originally posted by Tim Commeijne : Hi

quick question tough (my motherlanguage is not english)
What exactly IS stock footage?

greets
Tim -->>>

It is footage of corn growing in the fields. Oh wait.....that's stalk footage. :)

Seriously it is like a library of different shots that editors and producers like to have on hand to use when there is not time or ability to go "film" footage. For example if a news program want to do a piece on earthquakes and they want some "earthquake" footage it would be just about impossible the go film one for the show. So they go to their stock footage and find previous footage of eartquakes to use in the piece. This footage is not free and usually cost money.

Would it be easier to post preview clips of the footage on an ftp server, then use another method to transfer the files when someone needs a particular one?

I'm just thinking out loud. I think that initially there might not be enough demand/footage to warrant putting everything up. Unless the server will be specifically oriented for requests.

What about using a direct connect hub? I don't know very much about networking, but maybe that would work better?

I could also put up an ftp, but only during limited hours...stupid comcast is always resetting my connection to prevent doing such a thing...

If enough people are interested thought, it could be pretty cheap to buy some real server space.

PayPal will now accept credit cards even if the user does not have a PayPal account. It falls under the Merchant Account settings. Basically any legit credit card "should" be accepted by PayPal. The problem with S. Africa is that so many internet scams originate from there, many companies (like PayPal) just refuse to do business with them. Hopefully they will take Visa from a respectable bank there though.
I think it sounds like a super idea but a problem I see is that the bandwidth would be enormous and most ISP's disallow that kind of file sharing. I have a 6Mb/s download speed but only a 512Kb/s upload speed so restrictions like that could make file transfers quite sluggish, especially when it's full rez video.
Great idea, I'll think on it some more...

Hey guys, if PayPal etc isn't really needed, we don't need to be locked into that idea, either. I just wondered out loud about it in case cost, or "riff raff" would be a concern. If we have a simpler, no-cost means to accomplish this, so much the better.

If someone is really ready to take this on as webmaster, think it through based on your assets/capabilities and let us know what your needs will be. Who knows, maybe somebody has the server space / bandwidth (which would be A LOT!) available to them and all we need is to do is decide together what level of security we want?

Another possibility is sponsorship...maybe DVinfo sponsors, or even a Big Dog like Canon would kick in? Never know.

To Rhett Allen

You said on this forum : “The problem with S. Africa is that so many internet scams originate from there, many companies (like PayPal) just refuse to do business with them. Hopefully they will take Visa from a respectable bank there though”

I regard that remark as an insult to me and my country, uttered by a person who most probably do not even know where South Africa is and obviously do not realise that the South African banking system is one of the most advanced in the world. We had ATM’s before Switzerland knew it existed.

I would appreciate it very much if you could supply me with the facts about these “many internet scams originate from there” as you put it. I am talking about facts – not stuff you suck out of your thumb, but facts about this country you know nothing about.

In no country on earth are there more identity thefts, credit card number thefts, bank frauds, internet scams and just plain criminal behaviour than the USA.

If you are interested I would e-mail you the history of the Mafia (Cosa Nostra) in Texas in particular.

I could give you many facts about such scams in the USA in general and Texas in particular.

"The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C)."

WASHINGTON -- A new generation of scam artists has taken to the Internet, e-mailing for money, creating look-alike sites, and stealing your personal information.

About half of the Federal Trade Commission's top ten consumer frauds of the year have an Internet connection. But they share a common thread with brick-and-mortar scams, says Howard Beales, director of the agency's consumer protection bureau.

Identity theft again tops the FTC's list, making up 43 percent of the 380,000 complaints lodged into the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database of complaints from government agencies and consumer-protection organizations. Consumers attribute $343 million in losses to consumer fraud in 2002.

Austin police are warning online sellers of high priced items of a new scam going around. (Do you know where Austin is??)

Attorney General Greg Abbott Warns Texas Consumers About Rising Number of Internet Scams.

The reason PayPal is not operational here is that there is no demand for it. There are thousands of other companies doing business with credit cards transactions and money transfers from South Africa.

To the rest of you guys:

I am willing to support this venture by rigging up a server in Pretoria to serve as a mirror (if necessary).

The PayPal story is not an issue. I ordered a 7" Panasonic LCD monitor for the XL2 from NebTek in Salt Lake City 2 weeks ago and received it the day before Christmas by means of a telegraphic transfer of funds - and then I am not talking about all the software I downloaded the past 4 - 5 years where I paid by credit card.

I suggest that if credit cards is a problem we could deposit money into the accounts of one of the moderators, Chris Hurd, etc.

Just give me details of the PC and the software we must use, etc., because I have never done it before.

<<<-- Originally posted by John Lee : Would it be easier to post preview clips of the footage on an ftp server, then use another method to transfer the files when someone needs a particular one?

I'm just thinking out loud. I think that initially there might not be enough demand/footage to warrant putting everything up. Unless the server will be specifically oriented for requests. -->>>

Guys, I think this might be the ticket. Great idea John. I think the server/bandwidth issue is going to be a real limiting factor, if we are not doing this for money. Here's my suggestion for a workflow:

1. Those who want to participate upload their preview clips (we would need to work out a standard size and codec) as well as post their email address.
2. If you decide you need a clip, then you click on the email link and contact the person who shot the footage directly.
3. These two then work out between themselves getting the footage. Maybe a CD/DVD gets burned and sent, maybe the file is transferred over filesharing, maybe $10 gets exchanged over PayPal for shipping. Thats up to you.

I think if we do this initially, it would really help minimize the amount of effort involved with setting all of this up. What do you guys think?

Oliver

Nico,

My comment was not intended to insult or offend anyone from the Great Continent or anywhere else. It is just an observation based on my experience in e-commerce businesses.
I do have a good knowledge of geography and have met and enjoyed the companionship of many people (including one girlfriend and two clients) from South Africa (Durbin and Cape Town areas mostly) and god willing, one day I hope to visit there. There are two places on this earth that have fascinated me since childhood more than any other, South America and Africa. I have traveled to Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile already and although I still have many places yet to see in S.A. I feel I must see my other childhood dream first. (and may actually do it very soon)
Now, as far as scams go, I am not by any means discounting the United greed mongering States of America but a quick look at the PayPal web site will show you what countries are approved for business.

http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-approved-signup-countries-outside

Now correct me if I'm wrong but I do not see any African countries listed there. So, although I am a native Texan, we are not ALL as seemingly stupid as our fearless "new-cue-ler" leader. A little arrogant at times maybe, but not necessarily stupid. (although there is a noticeably expanding population of idiots here)
As far as internet scams go though, it has been well documented that Africa (most notably Nigeria and South Africa) does have a high concentration of scammers hailing from there. Maybe it's just the bad publicity they get but as unfortunate as it is, the fact remains, a return address originating there does not hold much value on the open market.

Here are a few samples from the hundreds of thousands of articles documenting my claim.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/01/12/BU114885.DTL
http://www.etee2k.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=25&mode=&order=0&thold=0
http://www.naspa.com.au/anglogold.htm
http://rjohara.net/nigerian-419-fraud/2004-10-10-south-africa-fraud.html
http://www.fraudaid.com/ScamSpam/Lottery/M/mufasa_sanctus06.htm
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Business/nigerian.htm
http://www.freemaninstitute.com/419.htm
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,105921,00.asp

Don't assume that because someone has a comment you don't particularly enjoy, that person is somehow prejudiced or uninformed. I wish it were otherwise but for now it is not.
Best wishes to you and sincerest apologies for offending. Now lets figure out how we can swap some video out there!

Another option available is a BitTorrent system where you pull the file from all the available sources instead of just one server. Shares the load. A central server could be set up to have preview clips and if the whole money thing is wanted could contain a link to the torrent file after sending a paypal donation. Otherwise just a password protected site so not everyone on the block could use it, hog the bandwidth and aquire the links to the full sized versions.

Rhett,

No hard feelings!!

Maybe we South Africans are ultra sensitive to be compared to the rest of Africa.

Africa consists of three ‘universes’ if I may put it that way. The first consists of the Arab states along the Mediterranean, the second consists of the rest of Africa and the third is South Africa.

The second ‘universe’ is the 4th world countries, poverty stricken, does not produce any food, owes billions of dollars (aid which they demand and not beg), does not have a middle class, with a below average infra structure ruled by super rich dictators. The “exception” here is Nigeria who relies totally on oil, who is the leader in Africa in narcotics smuggling, 419-scams, child prostitution here in South Africa, etc., etc.

South Africa on the other hand has a 1st world infra structure, 1st world economy, exports food and has the largest middle class (and growing) of any country in Africa. It used more electrical power than the rest of Africa combined.

That is why illegal immigrants, mainly from Nigeria, takes advantage of our infra structure and economy to commit crimes like the 419-scams, child prostitution, hijackings, narcotics, etc., etc.

If PayPal doen not want to do business with South Africa they are loosing money with their stupidity. So be it – we don’t need them.

May you and your family enjoy a very prosperous 2005.

<<<-- Originally posted by Jacob Ehrichs : Another option available is a BitTorrent system where you pull the file from all the available sources instead of just one server. Shares the load. A central server could be set up to have preview clips and if the whole money thing is wanted could contain a link to the torrent file after sending a paypal donation. Otherwise just a password protected site so not everyone on the block could use it, hog the bandwidth and aquire the links to the full sized versions. -->>>

I think this is a good idea, but we would really need to have a substantial base of users to host a lot of files.

<<<-- Originally posted by John Lee :
I think this is a good idea, but we would really need to have a substantial base of users to host a lot of files. -->>>

It would definitely help and it'd be likely there wouldn't be enough to help out a lot but it may be a good idea in conjunction with a standard server setup. That way the always-on server will have the torrent files and it can pull from other sources as they become available. If not, then the server can carry the load. Might just save a little bandwidth on the server folks.

<<<-- Originally posted by Jacob Ehrichs : <<<-- Originally posted by John Lee :
I think this is a good idea, but we would really need to have a substantial base of users to host a lot of files. -->>>

It would definitely help and it'd be likely there wouldn't be enough to help out a lot but it may be a good idea in conjunction with a standard server setup. That way the always-on server will have the torrent files and it can pull from other sources as they become available. If not, then the server can carry the load. Might just save a little bandwidth on the server folks. -->>>

Somebody still needs to put up the basic preview server and set up a system for uploading preview movies. Until we even have that, bittorrent, etc. is just wishful thinking. My advice: keep it simple to start, build a following, then upgrade. Anybody out there willing to setup the preview server?

Oliver

Perhaps the best thing to start with is a question:
Who among us knows what is needed to set up the server?

Let me break this down.

How much space?
What kind of connection?

If any of us know the answer (I don't). Perhaps we can then get something started.

i don't think a ftp server is a good idea because whoever owns the ftp server is providing this service will have to PAY for it one way or another. those of you that own domain names as well as websites and utilize webhosts know exactly what i'm talking about. bandwidth=money pure and simple and one way or another SOMEBODY is paying for all of it!

as for bittorrent... i think that's a more laudible approach... but we're talking about 10+gigabyte source files and not just 100-200mb video files! so even for those that have good bandwidth this is an issue. i can't wait until i get fiber optics in my neighborhood so i can d/l @15mbps and upload @5mpbs! THEN we can share!

thus the easiest conclusion is that we send one another the original DV tapes vid old fashioned snail mail. the reason is that we're not lucasfilm with nearly limitless bandwidth for uploading downloading captured video. heck even they have to pay for it!

i think we can provide some preview pictures or footages of stock stuff and whoever wants it at least cover the shipping fee and a little fee to give the shooter some incentive to continue shooting it in the future. don't just cover ONLY the shipping.

i think this is a tremendously valuable idea but as with many things when it isn't properly organized by entreprenuer-like manners it can fall apart pretty quickly.

I think that which is written above is exactly right. The best bet is to send tapes.

Perhaps it would be best to create a BBS (good times, good times) with descriptions of what each person has available with contact info for that person so anyone involved could ask for it. A good description may go a long way in saving server space over previews which may becaome cumbersome with sheer numbers.

This would mean that all of us director types may have to go outside our visually thinking minds and lineate a quality description of each clip in a concise manner, but I think that should not be too hard.

Plus a BBS would be way easier to maintain than a server full of clips that someone is going to have to catalogue somehow.

This is my suggestion anyway.

as for providing a small little website to govern these previews and clips i think that can be more manage-able. heck even i am opened to that idea with my site... but a picture is definitely worth a thousand words. must have preview picture/video footage of B-Roll prior to buying.

so let's just do this... whoever wants B-Rolls just post a thread on here. the initial "want to buy" thread will consist of the director outlining what he is looking for. sunset@malibu beach. ok so the hawaii people can go out and grab footage. then the hawaii people can post it on his own website with pictures/previews. if the initial buyer still wants it he can pay for shipping and negotiate footage fee offline. meanwhile, whoever wants sunset footages from hereon can access it on DVI archives =). or somn like that. sorta like music & royalty fees. =). i recommend people don't charge arm&leg. just somn they feel covers the cost of spending a day or two with their expensive gear grabbing B-Roll. it'll be like the "bargain B-Roll" basement or somn... then what happens is big-wigs hollywood will start catching on and hiring all of us... ok, ok ok... i'm getting ahead of ourselves here... ;}

So, then am I assuming right that the plan is then to post on THIS forum what we want or what we can get.

The only problem with this is that it appears that someone needs to keep track of who has what so that when newly interested individuals come along they can catch on quickly to the system. Everyone here can probably relate to the person who comes along without much experience and wants to get involved but there is so much back information they are unaware of that they feel like they cannot easily participate.

I guess that I feel for this type of venture to work we will need new people from diverse places around the world to get involved. Actually, I guess that I would just like it that way. But, there should be some way for someone who comes along say a year from now to get a good picture of what is available to them allows us all to see what they can also contribute.

Perhaps I am just repeating what Yi just posted in my own words though. The thing is, I really like this idea. It has the potential to provide a lot of us with unique filming experiences and create a B-Roll greater than any of these expensive companies have access to. Heck, this idea has the potential to create a B-Roll package that big studios would envy (again this idea is Yi's but I just like it so much). And it will be a lot of fun.

what about proposing this whole idea to the DVinfo.net webmasters? They have already taken the time to host this site. Perhaps they would be willing to host a 'previews' site for stock footage trading?

Oliver

I have access to some servers and really cheap bandwidth...

I would like to help out at much as I can...

I would also like to contribute to the stock-footage pile.


Canon GL2

and just got in the new Sony HI_DEF 3cohip HDC



resmedia at gmail dot com

I think you guys have an excellent idea.

What do you think about this approach:

Create a web site that requires subscription/membership:
[list=1]
Previews and searchable DB open to public?
(we might want to discuss the pros and cons of this)
Only members can download
To become a member you must
a. Pay a small membership fee AND post your stock footage
OR
b. Pay a larger membership fee
Memberships would be good for one year
If the stock footage is too large to download,
then you must pay an additional fee for media, processing, shipping.
[/list=1]
I have some questions:

1. What is the range of sizes of stock footage you expect to make available?
2. What media and formats would/could be used?

Definition:

A problem should be stated in its basic and simplest terms. In science, the simplest theory that fits the facts of a problem is the one that should be selected.
________________________________________________________________

Is it only me, or has this whole thing become very complicated?

Servers, pay systems, administrators, wars between nations...etc?

My take on the oringinal thread was very simple.

1. If someone needs a specific shot, the request or need is posted.

2. Some bighearted member of DV Info with access to requested footage reads said post.

3. Requestor is contacted and greetings are exchanged.

4. Dub is made and footage is sent.

5. Lifelong friendship is established!

Based on the participation and dedication level of many, if not most of the members of this board, I think this is probably the simplest and most productive way to go.

A blank tape in the necessary format and a self addressed, stamped envelope should be more than enough to cover.

I have absolutely no interest in charging someone for a minute or two of footage, just don't take advantage and treat whoever is assisting you as if he or she is a stock house.

Thoughts, questions, concerns?

RB

These footage requests do not necessarily need to be limited to XL2 acquisitions.

RB

Unfortunately, one of the practical complications of this seemingly simple idea is copyright. I'm sure that anybody currently involved in this thread wouldn't do so, but the possibility does exist that someone will share a clip that isn't actually their own work/property. I'd suppose that some sort of signed statement that the work is actually your property and you are putting it in the public domain would be necessary and sufficient to protect those who would like to use a clip? Or could we just add a momentary leader to each clip containing our group's standard verbiage? Sadly, I think we need to have a lawyer weigh in on this before we spend anyone's money.

That was a wrinkle that I hadn't even considered, but now that you mention it, it is a very good point.

I would hope that no one on this board would misrepresent themselves in such a manner.


RB

then paperwork can be taken care of... we have a forum specifically dedicated to that as well =).

either way this is an excellent idea. don't let small obstacles taht can be taken care of get in the way. i dunno if this has been mentioned before in this thread but when i saw the first XL2 footages shot in Vienna i felt that this idea could work. i'm glad Travis got the ball rolling. i mean when you viewed the footages of Vienna, you're like... WOW!!! i wish i could be there... but the fact is your DVI friend IS THERE and he has a XL2 to boot! DVI is full of people who live all over the world! so i think the end is justifying the means in this case.

for example, let's say i'm shooting lord of the rings (this is just an example) i need a shot of mountain ranges for return of the king, i don't need helicopter shots... but somn where they pan mountain ranges. i put a call out to people who live in a place taht can capture those mountain ranges... and then bluescreen the actors into it! voila! my mission accomplished and the B-Roll's guy is happy to have helped somebody out.

PS i just thought of this, don't invest 2much $/time into this now just post threads and do it simply. if we have achieved a CRITICAL MASS, when thousands of threads have B-Rolls... THEN we'll think about alternate means to storing them, the community shall dictate then.... but before that... i don't think it's wise. just do it step by step and do it only when there is a NEED for it.

another option to large file hosting: USENET

alt.binaries.privatestock
alt.binaries.video.weho
etc, etc, etc


there are 100's of unused newsgroups on giganews (http://giganews.com but i don't pay for it because my isp includes it in my plan). you can upload/download as many gigs of video as you want and the videos will sit on the server for 20-30 days, and it's "free" (giganews is my isp's news provider).

not many ppl know what usenet is, but it's pretty easy to use. i think nntp predates the web by a few years (?)

usenet is a place where you can post text messages and as well as large files (called "binaries", hence the alt.binaries.xxxx) - it's not the internet, it's a different protocol called nntp which many isp's carry, check with your isp. you access nntp with a newsreader (xnews, newsleecher, etc).

that's a great idea.... though if usenet subscription ain't included with your ISP... the thought of paying for it is another one of those "gotchas".

as i've noted, just try it first. if it is wildly successful we'll think about other means of distribution... but if we don't have any successes... then it's dead in the open waters...

Well, I think this idea has progressed a long way. Perhaps now we can share a little bit of what we can get in the areas that we live in (if just for a bit of fun).

I live in Utah. Mountains we have a plenty. Right now the mountains are Rocky and covered in snow. I live in North Central Utah so everything you can think of in Utah is within a 4 hour drive. Everything from Slot Canyons to Arches National Park.

I still think that footage requests should be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

I don't believe that footage should be made available helter skelter to anyone who has the ability to access it. I, personally, don't want MY footage used in certain types of productions. As the owner of the requested footage, I think that it is important to be heard as to how and where it is used.

When you start getting into compensation, it totally mucks everything up.

For example:

I paid you for it, I'll use it however the hell I want!

Maybe a signed agreement as to how the footage is to be used might be a good idea.

Maybe even a screen credit, no matter how small, might mollify the provider.

Just remember...business amongst family and friends is a perfect breeding ground for disaster.

RB

I think that a forum of some sort, or a website with a searchable database would be helpful for people to be able to list what footage thay have available, as well as the types of footage they are able to easily obtain
Me personally, I live in the Portland OR area, so for nature we have plenty of rivers, forest areas, mountains and hills, and also a bustling downtown area with lots of beautiful houses, parks, sidewalk cafes, ect. I would certainly be inetrested in going out and just for my own experimentation as well as to share getting a good amount of footage. My understanding is that as long as I am not focusing on a single person, I dont need a model release if taking footage of say a park or a outdoor market, is this corect?

rick,

for most of these B-Roll situations i always envision it as establishing shots. for example, in the X-Files they often re-use B-Roll of establishing shots of the FBI buildings in Washington DC to make it look like scully+mulder are in DC. i think most of the shows will be used to that effect. for example if i have a story that takes place in the wild i'll have david shoot a sweeping vistas of the woodlands there that i'll cut to. then i'll come back to characters medium and close up shots of them trotting through my backyard woods.

whether or not it's a KUNG FU flick of bikini babes, p0rn or the next star wars taking place on a forested planet i couldn't care less. just helping somebody out and i would feel better if i'm compensated for one way or another. it's all a case by case scenario. heck the director can even say, i can pay shipping but i have no $ but i'll put your name on credit & you'll receive a copy of DVD signed (ha)!

as for signed documents... that should come as a no brainer. current short film makers should be aware of lawyer-happy citizens are everywhere. they should always be diligent on the legal side of things prior to doing any serious filmmaking endeavor.

@least that's how i envisioned it.

For me personally, I had not really thought of compenstion, I much more like the free sharing idea of it. On the other hand, I would likely be happy to get a copy of the vid my work got used in.
Also, I was thinking of a music-share concept where artists who are interested ingetting perhaps a bit of exposer would submit pieces of music with a license to use in exchange for simple film credit. I think for several smaller/local bands and artists, this seems to be a reasonable idea, it could tie in with a shared resource site well

I really don't think there will be any real problem with people using your material in ways that you don't like. As I see it if you are going to get any footage you are most likely going to have to enter into some kind of dialogue with the owner. In that dialogue chances are you are going to find out what they are working on because people who visit forums like this do so because they like to talk and they like to talk about what they are doing. So, if what they want to use it for is not what you want them to you will know pretty quickly and you can decide not to share.

cake

Rick et al,

I can understand the concerns about being careful with what happens with one's footage; none of us would want work that is linked to us used in ways we find unsavory.

Then again, this is about voluntarily file-sharing stock footage -- pretty sunrises, street scenes of faraway cities like David's beautiful Portland, etc. -- to help and be helped by gaining access to shots we otherwise couldn't have.

If folks want to contract individually for clips, I think that's a different thing than building a library of stock shots that would either be donated to a specified group/club or perhaps more simply, to the public domain. If the copyright owner isn't comfortable doing so, then he/she shouldn't share the clip in that way.

Seems that the only thorny issues here are:
- Clarifying the rights to use the clip (ownership, copyright terms, whether the owner wants a line in the credits if the clip is used)
- A practical means to make clips available -- basically managing the bandwidth demands (and perhaps with a means to limit to whom they are available)

I guess when I first saw this thread, the idea in my head was that if I needed a street scene of Portland, OR, I could go to my group's website, browse the clip library, and click a link to download a 10 second clip of downtown Portland. Depending on what the owner wanted, if I use the clip in one of my little movies, I would either credit him/her or not. If we are talking compensation and formal contracts, those of us who are hobbyists are not going to be interested.

we need a LAWYER! anybody? lol =^).

I'm not a lawyer, but I'm married to one...

(Which is another thread entirely!)

It seems to me, the thing to avoid is re-inventing the wheel. There are several stock-footage companies on the web. You go there, puruse the footage, sign the agreement, download what you need. and you're off an running.

For those wanting to post and pay, or pay and dowload, who want their work protected... this is the way to go.

The power of this board, is the established user base. Seems like a new forum "Footage wanted" (Under the marketplace heading?)
would pretty much start the ball rolling. Posters would say - "I need a wide shot of the golden gate bridge at night" - And I would contact the poster and do the deal. Just like we buy and sell equipment on this board.

Make sense?

Personally I think compensation is a bad idea. I think the compensation offered should be contributing to the archive and having access to it.
As far as bandwith goes, full sized clips maybe difficult, but certainly we would wish to see what availbe. Perhaps a smaller compressed quicktime clip of teh video available, with a link to request the full sized from the provider?
I do think keeping it free as a resource would be important. I think having a few folk contribute financially could help, and I would certainly be willing to do something within reason there

If we are talking compensation and formal contracts, those of us who are hobbyists are not going to be interested. -->>>

<<<-- Originally posted by Richard Alvarez : I

It seems to me, the thing to avoid is re-inventing the wheel. -->>>


http://creativecommons.org/

Publish
license your video
Creative Commons helps you publish your video online while letting others know exactly what they can and can't do with your work.


Need a Place to Publish your video?
Here is a place that will host your video for free with Creative Commons licenses:

Publishing your licensed video at the Internet Archive

Roger,

I looked over the CC web site. Very interesting, and certainly looks legit. Has anyone had experience with it, or otherwise have solid knowledge of the site's real utility? Any indications whether a CC license has faced a courtroom, and if so, how it fared?

On the downside, the affiliated archive.org web site didn't really look to be of much help to us-- at least at first blush. On a quick look, I didn't see any full-rez DV clips; what I saw looked like 512K or less WMV, etc. Not quite what we're after here.

If Creative Commons turns out to be a good rights solution, I MIGHT consider at least temporarily building a page in my personal web site for links, brief descriptions, and perhaps a frame grab to other DVinfo folks' shared clips. Just to get the ball rolling.

My work schedule is pretty hectic, though, so that's not a promise at this point...and if anyone who is more tied to the internet than I am is willing to do it, that would be great.

Roger,

Exactly my point! And what I had in mind. Creative Commons, as well as the other stockfootage sites are already set up to do this. Contracts in place, fees set, methods of storing and exchanging, etc.

If what everyone seems to be interested in, is a less 'formal' less structured forum of exchange - then it seems to me a simple listing of "Footage wanted" "Footage offered" - in the same vein that we buy and sell equipment here, is the way to go.