How to post video footage for review

I have been approached to provide sperm whale video footage for a French production company (even paying). They need 2 minutes, and I have 18 minutes that I have culled that I think is reasonable for their review. Vimeo is limited. Anyone have suggestions for ftp servers or something that I can allow them to review the footage to choose what they want?

First I would make sure that you watermarked all footage prior to sending, this way, nothing can be surreptiously stolen. Placing a time code on the footage would serve the same purpose as well as help them decide what footage they wanted. They could then send you a message saying they wanted the footage between 2.0.6 and 3.09.21 Then make a zip file of the footage. I use Mobile Me on the Mac to then upload uncompressed footage which I can then send to the recepient. Other ways are to use sites like Box.net and similar file storing sites.

Steve

Rapidshare, hotfile, yousendit all can handle big files. Just compress it to H.264 for ipod.

Is it reasonable to just post on Vimeo say at moderate quality just to see if they are interested at all, and then to send full HD if they commit?

I have to work out how to watermark and time code, not sure I can do it with imovie

I prefer Mediafire over Rapidshare as the recipient does not have to wait to start downloading.

Personally I use Amazon Simple Storage for big file transfers because I have an account there anyway for hosting media associated with my website.

Films on Vimeo then become the property of Vimeo to use as they please. Never forget that, it is the same for YouTube. Here is my article on how to watermark your footage:

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/water...cp_douglas.html However, this is done using the Boris calligraphy text in FCP and I don't know if you have that in iMovie. If not, you can simply place a small timecode over your clips or even a small text with your name or company over the clips, reduce the opacity of the text to 40% or so and you should be good to go. Drew's alternate uploading suggestions are also good and I have had companies have me upload to Yousendit before, however, even then, all clips should still be watermarked or at the very least, greatly reduced from their original size so that they could not be stolen.

Steve

The easiest way to watermark your footage in iMovie is to insert a caption (like a lower or upper caption) and run the caption through the duration of the film you send them. The caption text can be your name and a ©. You can also easily reduce the file size in the "share" options in iMovie.

For sharing out for final push or sale I use MobileMe gallery, select private/password needed, and then I provide whoever is downloading it with the password to that gallery only. Works great.

The easiest way to watermark your footage in iMovie is to insert a caption (like a lower or upper caption) and run the caption through the duration of the film you send them. The caption text can be your name and a ©. You can also easily reduce the file size in the "share" options in iMovie.

 

For sharing out for final push or sale I use MobileMe gallery, select private/password needed, and then I provide whoever is downloading it with the password to that gallery only. Works great.

Thanks, sounds excellent and easy

Films on Vimeo then become the property of Vimeo to use as they please. Never forget that, it is the same for YouTube.

Steve, that is not true. From Vimeo TOS:

By submitting your video(s), you hereby grant VIMEO and its affiliates, successors and assigns a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable (through multiple tiers) and transferable license (with a right to create derivative works to the extent necessary to make video content compatible with any Vimeo Services), revocable upon removing the video from Vimeo, to use, copy, transmit or otherwise distribute, perform, modify, incorporate into other works, publicly perform and display your videos or any portion thereof, in or through any medium, whether now known or hereafter created. VIMEO shall also be entitled to use clips of any video that has not been designated "private" for the purpose of promoting the Vimeo Site or Services, without compensation to the submitter; however, Vimeo will not use your videos for any other commercial purposes without obtaining your prior approval.

That means they give you notice before usage. They don't own your work but you give a usage license when you upload, because they need that license to broadcast your content, plus add the Vimeo tags etc to make it worth their while. You retain copyright.

From Youtube TOS:

For clarity, you retain all of your ownership rights in your Content. However, by submitting Content to YouTube, you hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and YouTube's (and its successors' and affiliates') business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels. You also hereby grant each user of the Service a non-exclusive license to access your Content through the Service, and to use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform such Content as permitted through the functionality of the Service and under these Terms of Service. The above licenses granted by you in video Content you submit to the Service terminate within a commercially reasonable time after you remove or delete your videos from the Service. You understand and agree, however, that YouTube may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of your videos that have been removed or deleted. The above licenses granted by you in user comments you submit are perpetual and irrevocable.

Your erroneous interpretation of the TOS is at least 3-4 years old and arose from a badly written TOS on Vimeo and Youtube (as well as other similar services)

Steve, only putting a timecode on footage does not offer the same degree of protection as putting a proper copyright notice. If the infringed footage hasn't been registered with the copyright office (and let's face it, most of us don't get around to that for most of our footage) then the next best grounds you can claim over is removal of CMI (copyright management information). If the infringer has clearly removed a copyright mark then you have a good case, whereas the case against removal of a timecode is going to be less strong. So if you're going to watermark footge, particularly when aesthetics are not really an issue such as supplying sample footage for review, then in my view it's best to go with a full copyright mark of the format that used to be required (before the law was changed to make copyright implicit). i.e.:

© 2010 N. Hope

or

copyright 2010 Nicholas Hope

Makes sense Nick.

There was a person recently who contacted me as he had a great many topside films on Vimeo. His name was Chris Simon and he apparently bought the Vimeo cloud storage for his films. The best I can understand is that he got into a verbal text dispute with one of the moderators and all his films were taken down. At any rate, Vimeo would not return his films and claims that they don't have them. It was a very complicated story. His work consisted of lots of alpha graphics and such, nothing that wasn't rated G. I told him it was foolish to rely on anyone or any other organzation to protect their masters as he did and now has lost all his work of several years. He certainly should have archived his work on his own.

A shame.