|
Michael Verdi's comments about You Tube should be
kept in mind by all vloggers because "getting to use other people's work for
free" is modus operandi in commercial media.
I have videos no one else has from the 1970s.
Recently, a new network which was a subsidiary of MTV and had plenty of funds
saw several hours of my material and wanted me to sign a release just like Verdi
describes--they would be licensed to use it for all time, everywhere in the
world.
Fortunately, I've been working with some
professional documentarians who suggested I respond like someone who knew the
business would. I said I'd license use of what material they wanted for
three years, minimum of 30 seconds, for $30 a second. This is a standard
rate in commercial television. Even C-Span charges ($50 per
second) for coverage of Congressional hearings that only they generally
have.
I ended up with only $30 a second for ten
seconds ($300) for three years. This was the first time I ever got
paid for my work.
The media know people are eager to have their work
and themselves seen on television. This psychology even works when people
are being interviewed for documentaries. They'll generally sign releases
because they are excited about getting on the tube. They don't realize
that once that release is signed, they can be edited in a fashion that makes
them look really stupid, They talk about this in the books on documentary
making I am reading.
|
