...
You may find the need to use copyrighted material this semester: music, photographs, movie clips, or any other expression. For many of your uses, you need to find the copyright holder and negotiate a license. You own the copyright to the work you produce in this class. It is your responsibility to secure music and archival footage licenses as well as artwork, location and personal releases. You will find release templates on the RTF website.
For some uses, however, neither you nor anyone else needs to license copyrighted material. This is because copyright law exists to encourage and support creativity. Copyright law recognizes that creativity doesn’t arise in a vacuum. As creators, we all stand on the shoulders of giants. New works of art (such as films, books, poems, paintings) all make use of what has gone before. Thus, copyright law not only protects authors with a copyright that lets them decide who can use their works, but also offers exemptions from the author’s control. For filmmakers, the most important exemption is the doctrine of fair use. You can rely on fair use, where appropriate, in the film and video projects you undertake for this course. If you are making a documentary film, consult the influential Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use which was created by a group of national filmmaker organizations, has been endorsed by the University Film and Video Association, and is now relied on by film festivals, insurers, cablecasters, distributors and public broadcasters. Fair use also applies in the fiction film environment, but not necessarily to the same extent or in the same way. As always, the central question is whether the new use is "transformative" -- i.e., whether it adds significant value by modifying or recontextualizing the original.
...
You may not film identifiable UT landmarks, signage, logos, and uniforms without prior permission. Examples of UT Landmarks include the Tower and the Stadium. Email trademarks@utexas.edu to request approval and include the following in your request:
- Course title, course number, and name of the class instructor.
- Stills or links to clips of the landmarks, signage, logos or uniforms you propose to film.
- Information about future plans for the film (e.g. possible submission to film festivals).
It normally takes 3-5 days to receive a reply. If approval is not granted, reach out to RTF Office Manager Milaka Falk to discuss other options.
Note regarding “in-class” exercises and non-screened class assignments:
...
Follow guidelines on this page: https://umac.utexas.edu/resources/filming-guidelines/
See FAQ page: https://umac.utexas.edu/resources/filming-guidelines/filming-faqs/
Insurance
All production students are required to have liability insurance for their film shoots. Liability insurance is provided by the University of Texas though our insurance policies are relevant only to students at The University who are actively enrolled in RTF production courses and working on a class project for academic credit.
...