Free Video clips - Commercial channels

Hi guys,

I've been contacted twice on the last couple of days, once from someone doing a show for Nat Geo and once from someone doing a show for Discovery. Both have found clips online and asked if they can use them for parts of their shows (different shows and clips)

Now the thing is they both say they have limited or no budget and can I supply the clips for free and a credit at the end? I would obviously like my footage to be used, but I'm really not sure that a commercial channel should be asking for free clips. This is not fair on me for anyone else who has a business trying to make a few bucks of some very rare and unusual critters. I'm 99% certain I'm going to say no, unless I get paid.

Opinions?

Thanks

Kaj

IMO your videos are great and thus have value. I'm sure you feel the same. Obviously they feel the same and yet they don't want to pay

for the privilege of using them to enhance their show. Dangling the basic right of attribution as if it is some kind of privilege doesn't cut it

for me no matter who it is. If they are doing shows for NG and Discovery they will have money to spend. They are just saying they aren't

willing to spend it on you. Its their loss.

Cheers,

Jim.

say No with a capital NO! They have a budget or they wouldn't be producing a show.. They are just trying to get quality footage for free by trying it out...

NO NO No

Having your footage used doesn't mean anything, in fact if you don't get paid for it then its actually an insult to you, they are saying your time is worth nothing.. And "credits" don't pay the bills or buy you a new camera!

Anyone who says they have "No budget" can easily prove this by forwarding copies of:-

Zero rated utility bill

Zero rated paycheck

Zero rated invoice for the office coffee/tea fund

Zero rated CEO paycheck

For all those who have sent me this documentation, I would be willing to consider donating my work for nothing. To date, this evidence has yet to arrive.

What 'No budget' actually means is 'We have money, sometimes lots of it...but we don't want to give any to someone who has exactly what we need but is daft enough to give us commercial rights for nothing". Like Mike says, they are trying it on. Whatever figure I had in my head before the 'No budget' line comes has +25% added to it...after all, if they can try it on...so can I.

On more than one occasion a "No budget" opening stance in negotiations has ended up in three or four figure payments...stand your ground!

As for accepting a credit, just tell them you assert your moral right to be identified as the creator. This makes a credit mandatory (here in the UK at least) and therefore not something they can offer as an extra.

Thanks for your answers!! Just what I felt.

i did say 'no'. This was the reply I sent, i didn't want to be nasty, but wanted to say why I said no.

Hi xxxxxx,

Thank you for your email and interest in my videos.

You put me in a very awkward situation. I would love, of course my videos to feature on your show but……..for free? This is a little upsetting. You are a commercial company, providing content for a global channel, and you say you have no budget. If I look on your website, you sell stock footage. If someone asked for that footage for free, what would you say to them?

I’m very lucky and live and film in one of the most unique locations in the world. I have spent approx. 1000 hours in the last three years underwater here and have therefore been able to get footage that just is not available elsewhere. I love sharing, as can be seen on my Vimeo channel, but I cannot find a reason why I should give my work for free to a commercial TV channel. Not only does this belittle the work I do but also could take any revenue from other film makers and stock libraries too.

Now I know none of this is your fault, but as a diving industry professional, I have seen this with photography over the last few years. So many cameras out there, it is no longer necessary for many publications to buy photos, as they are sent them for free (and the joy of being published) forcing pros out of business.

My rates are not unreasonable. The rate for: Distribution of a Documentary Television Production with in-context promotion in all media, excluding Feature Film (Film Festival allowed); World In Perpetuity would be US$xx per second, with a 10% discount for anything over 30 seconds used. For 5 years, 10% off the above. If you are after just a few seconds, this should hardly break your bank. If you need more, then it becomes a substantial part of your show, and I would expect to be paid properly for this.

I understand if you do not want to use any of my footage. I am always so happy to see underwater marine life on TV channels and would love to have some of my footage featured, you guys do an amazing job in sharing my love for the ocean. I would love to find a way to work together, beneficial for both of us. If this was for a non-commercial project I would be happy to provide footage for free.

Best regards,

Kaj Maney

Good response, from one footage provider to another, thank you for standing your ground rather than undermining all professional shooters and giving it away.

Richard

good answer Kaj, and also glad to see you are getting a lot of offers lately!

They will always try to say that. It's like an opening line. Even the most no-budget filler shows get about 10-25k if their show gets picked up for broadcast, so get money or tell them to get lost!

Good reply, tell them to jump on a plane, fly over and shoot the stuff for themselves,

See how much that would cost them then :-)