Other People’s Footage: Copyright & Fair Use

Schedule
The centerpiece of a free master class on fair use and copyright, “Other People’s Footage” explores the three questions crucial to determining fair-use exemptions. The film presents helpful illustrative examples from nonfiction, fiction, and experimental films that use pre-existing footage, music, and sound from other individuals' creations without permission or paying fees. Through on-camera interviews with noted documentarians and film and legal experts, the documentary also reviews relevant court cases and clarifies legal issues regarding trademark, parody, and shooting on location or in a controlled setting. Among the experts interviewed is Michael Donaldson, the industry’s go-to attorney for clearance and rights issues. Following the film, co-directors Diane Carson — a longtime St. Louis film professor and critic — and Robert Johnson Jr. answer questions and amplify on the issues that the film explores.