Rights to use your own footage when shot for an organization

[Steve Siegel]

For the first time I will be shooting for a TV production company instead of on my own.
I need to keep (non-exclusive, and non-television) rights to my footage, and although the management has said they have no problems with that, well, you know, stuff happens. I would like to get it in writing, but there is probably a right way and a wrong way to do that.
Can anybody enlighten me about contracting to keep the rights to use my footage.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Steve Siegel

For the first time I will be shooting for a TV production company instead of on my own.
I need to keep (non-exclusive, and non-television) rights to my footage, and although the management has said they have no problems with that, well, you know, stuff happens. I would like to get it in writing, but there is probably a right way and a wrong way to do that.
Can anybody enlighten me about contracting to keep the rights to use my footage.

Good luck, it's going to be a rare prduction company that won't insist on owning the copyright on work you shoot for them as a work-for-hire. Economically exploiting the intellectual properties created on their behalf is the entire reason most production companies are in business. If they're really amenable to you retaining the copyright, it's going to be so unusual that you should retain an attorney to draw up an agreement that will actually stand up in court rather than relying on advice you get in an online forum. If all you're looking for is the right to use clips from the material in your reel, then that's easier - just write into your deal memo. But any other rights are going to be trickier.

[Steve Siegel]

Thanks Steve,
Yes, all I am looking for is to be able to use the clips. Hope it works.