[ANSWERED] How to secure a video

Eva

Hi there, I hope it is ok to ask here, its a bit off topic and regarding my export of a video of a project from Isadora, that I have made a live performance with for 7 concerts. I have been asked to also share the video with them, and also on top (which was not part of the deal) they asked me for the files and a cue card (I will not share those). So I want to make sure, when I send the video, that it is not used for another live show without my permission. How do other people secure such projects apart from the contract. Is there something I can do in the export? Or how can I secure my work? I know some people use watermark, but I dont know if this is ok for such video.
Thanks, for recomendations.Eva

mark_m

@eva

Hi Eva,

If you want people to be able to watch the video for reference but NOT to use the video in a performance context, then I think you have a couple of choices:

1. You can put it on Vimeo, make the link password-protected, and in the settings you can stop people from downloading it or embedding it in other websites.
However, they could still stream the video live.

2. Watermark the video. This is, I think, the only real way you can stop the video being used. Make the watermark big enough and central enough, or perhaps make it repetitive across the whole video, so that if it is seen it is very clear. In the past I have used a phrase like "not for public use" and put it big and bright across the centre of the video.

3. Give them a low resolution version of the video that would look awful if shown full size.

4. A combination of 3 and 4.

Something which I've gained from experience: at the beginning of the project, even before the contract is drawn up, establish who owns the intellectual property (the IP). I try and fight for my ownership of the IP, as artist, as much as I can but it's not always possible, so sometimes I have to contractually share my Isadora patches and all content that I have created. Understanding who owns the IP is crucial in situations like yours, Eva. If you clearly own the IP including the videos that you created, then you have legal rights if 'they' try and use the video without your permission.

HTH

Mark (not Mark)

Woland

@mark_m said:

Something which I've gained from experience: at the beginning of the project, even before the contract is drawn up, establish who owns the intellectual property (the IP). I try and fight for my ownership of the IP, as artist, as much as I can but it's not always possible, so sometimes I have to contractually share my Isadora patches and all content that I have created.

This is my approach as well. I work out the contract ahead of time always and it boils down to "I'm turning the materials over to you, but the components of those materials (media I created, User Actors, etc) belong to me and cannot be used without consulting me outside the context of the production/project."

If you want I can share a redacted/generalized version of this kind of contract that I've used in the past.

Eva

@woland

@mark_m

Thank you! They have before aked for proper resolution, so I think using water mark is the way. I guess I can add it in Davinci? Vimeo is also a good way. I wonder if they take that.

The contract doesn't say anything about the isadora files it only says a video, so for that reason I don't think they can demand that. Neither can they demand instructions for others to use it. But for later use and new projects. If you want to share your contract experience of how to write it, please do.

Thanks for helping:)

Eva