But there is no video rights, because all they start with is the music, they create the play, direct it, and shoot it themselves so they shouldn't have to pay for any video rights since no video exists untill the play is actually performed and recorded, then the school will own the video rights to that performance.

JR

Great idea. I have just started focusing on my local market, creating montage videos for fundraisers, memorials, weddings etc. BTW combining community projects with online commerce is a VERY powerful tool.

I have a question for you. Timeing is everything. How long is your production cycle for your graduation deal. Meaning, when in the school year did you pitch the idea, when did you collect the personal photos, when did you pull it all together and finnish it?

I'm still trying to figure out what you are doing with PIP and headshots. Any chance of another explanation?

Thanks again
jack

so the school makes their own plays, not using pre-made ones (like "Annie Get Your Gun", etc.)? That's an astonishing feet for a school to do (a high school anyway).

Jsnkc: video rights come under performance rights, which are granted or not according to the license under which the music was purchased. Generally (as with software), you do not purchase the music, but you purchase printed copies and the rights to perform the music in front of a live audience. Unless specifically stated (and paid for), there will be no subsequent rights. This means that any recordings of the performance are not permitted. This applies to videos produced of the performance since the video will include the music as well. (Unless, of course, the school can convince people to buy videotapes with no soundtrack!)

I guess that must be why a lot of schools are writing their own plays now.

So I would assume that a outside videographer could not come in, shoot and edit the play and then charge the school for it.

Well, not legally anyway, unless they or the school negotiate with the copyright holder for the rights to do so.

The most important thing is to have material to show which is as close as possible to what you will be trying to "sell" to people.

If you think you might want to do low bitrate real estate panorama tours for example (much better than schools IMHO), then visit some friends with great houses and make some demos.

Pretend you want to rent a place and go take some shots of luxury houses and use them.

Put these on a website mocked up to look like the real thing.

Look professional. Have a business card. Say you've got lots of work happening (don't tell them it's the mowing and washing the car!).

You've got to look like you're already there, not some charity case that they'll have to take a chance on.

And don't be too keen - remember you're busy. Being too keen is like a lonely man on his first date for the year - people can smell the desperation and they get suspicious.

Cheinworks is right - not legally UNLESS the proper rights are purchased. Video rights are totally separate from performance rights. Even the performance rights limit the NUMBER of performances that can be given.

These rights are usually one of the following (although other conditions may apply):
1) Granted free
2) Small fee
3) Large fee
4) not available

We've done a LOT of research in this area because our local high school does major musicals like "The Sound of Music" for which #4 was the answer when asked. A local grade school was granted FREE permission to tape a performance "as long as the school did not make a profit" so the school could not buy our tapes for $15 and sell them for $20, for instance.

JohnnyRoy,
How about posting a sample on Chienworks site at http://www.vegasusers.com/vidshare/?
Randy

Demos, demos and more demos. For my consumer side of my montage business I am mailing out 5 Free DVD demos per week. At $5.00 per disc (total cost printing, pkg, postage) its gets a bit expensive but I['m getting great feedback just not alot of purchases yet.

jack

"I'd hate to see a greedy video editor take away from a schools AV department."

You say this as though if one of the "greedy" video editors go to a school, they force them to use their services by gunpoint. If a school has an av dept that does such work, then they will simply decline the offer from the video editor. That simple. If they accept the offer and hire the editor then they obviously have the money to do so and want the service.

Randy,

I can’t post the actually video I did because I’d have to get release permission from the children’s parents to show it on the internet and that would be next to impossible. What I can do, is remake the same video for you guys using other pictures. I could reuse the introduction because I don’t think any children were featured in this. It was school buildings and such. I bet I could use pictures of presidents of the US and not violate any copyrights. This will take me some time to do but I think it will help people visualize what I tried to describe in words.

~jr

JR,

Would you like to sell one more? I'm in the begining stages of a similar project for a small church/school and would love to see one already completed to get some ideas.

I'd be willing to pay for the disk and shipping. Let me know as my deadline is quickly apporaching and I'm getting panicky (but I work best under pressure :).

If so email me at jasteehl_AT_Hotmail.com

I sent you an email with some options. I had to drop the 'a' out of your userid because hotmail complained that jasteehl was not a valid user. (so I sent it to jsteehl) Hope that was you. ;-)

~jr

That would be great. Looking forward to it.
Randy

jr said: >>>For the finale, I take a shot of the graduating class in front of the school stage. I then use an Alpha matte to cut them into the foreground, leave the stage in the background and do a credit roll of all their names which rolls up from behind them but in front of the stage.<<<

jr, will you (or someone) please elaborate how this is done.

>> I sent you an email with some options.<<

Hey jr, me too please: g_randybrown_at_yahoo_dot_com
TIA,
Randy