I'm a little surprised a category for shared footage never got suggested. But to get tha ball rolling, I'll offer DV from the heart of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Where I live is at 7,500' elevation and we're surround by numerous 14,000' peaks. We've got eagles and deer and antelope and bears and goosies and tourists in varying shapes and sizes. Need a plane or a helicopter landing at our airfield? I got it. Need a beaver swiming across a pond in eht early morning? Got that, too, I even have a deer taking a wizz,

Charles Newcomb
http//:www.centralcolorado.com/newcom

I want Rik Sanchez to share his goth club girls footage....

I like your idea for a shared footage vault though.

Charles,
We actually did wade into this footage pool idea last year. But the further we waded the deeper the water became. It's one of those attractive ideas whose practical logistics quickly become nightmarish. Bandwidth issues, managing submissions, ensuring that copyrights are not infringed, server space, etc. So we abandoned, at least temporarily, the idea of hosting such a facility ourselves.

Of course, that's not to say that members cannot post links to their own footage.

That makes sense. The Internet has some wonderful potential; but along with that potential comes some stinky feet.

Charles,

I once posted a request for a shot of the moon, and I got it from one of the members here (Jay Gladwell). I never doubted that he was the person who shot it because knowing him for quite awhile through this community I know him to be a person of integrity.

So that kind of exchange is always possible. Just post a "I'm looking for..." or an "I need..." message and see what comes. Then, just use your judgment about whether it's original footage or not.

If anyone ever needed a shot of something here in Tokyo, I'd be glad to try to help them out.

This is a really good idea. But what kind of paperwork legal trail would there be? Let's say I ask if someone has footage of a steam train traveling down tracks and going in and out of a tunnel. I know 'original footage' would be determined by me, but what about use of the footage and the ownership? WHose to say someone has that footage for me and says here ya go, but later comes back and says you don't have permission to use it?

You can always make a legal document between the two parties
ofcourse. If the person giving the footage has no problem to sign
a document saying you can use it freely for short "name here" or
motion picture "name here" then you should be covered! Make
sure the rights are international and for all enternity so to speak

See what I mean, Charles? <g> This is nearly verbatim the path that our original discussion on this topic headed.

For example, following the train footage issue..do company names (ex: "Chessie", "Santa Fe") appear on the train? Do we have perrmission to use? Was it shot on private land? (Land within 50 ft or so of a railroad track is bound to be private, owned by a rail line.) Etc.

Eeewwww!

But we really do encourage members to share footage privately where possible. It's a wonderful use of such an international community. John's idea of posting "I'm looking for..." messages here is an excellent format.

I guess that's what I was trying to say in the first place, Ken. I just thought a "looking for footage" header box would be an easier find than posting somewhere else, like Open DV Discussion, for example.

I've sent footage to a couple of people here in the past. But I have to mail it because with dial-up service it takes longer than the mail to get there, even if it's first rendered to (ugh) an .mpg file.

I guess the obvious answer to ownership, would be to post a credit to the shooter if used in a production. I would rather have credit, than try to fight someone I gave it to.

Unless you are into extra paperwork and hassels?

John,

I need footage of Godzilla reaking havok on downtown Tokyo for the upcoming Lady X episode. Could you get that to me before tomorow.

Thanks-Nori

No, no, Nori... Godzilla is Trademarked. It would have to be a monster that LOOKS like Godzilla, but isn't :)

My mistake.

I meant a radioactive komodo dragon, (of no affilliation).

-Nori

Much better :)

Errr..."Komodo Dragon"? Japan?!

'Fraid you boys will have to send me a roundtrip ticket to Indonesia to grab that footage...but if you're willing to do that...then OKAY! Or maybe I can convince Rik to run around in a cheap plastic suit.

I can, however, send you footage of a "kimono dragon"...a 30-something woman in the Ginza shopping district wreaking havoc on her credit card. Will that do?