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Music and Film Clips
Using music or clips from TV programmes or films in can add a great deal to your finished film. But you should be aware of the issues that surround their use. 
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Music
Adding a soundtrack to your film is a great idea. It can really add another dimension to your work. However, you be aware of copyright laws, because if you want to use a piece of music in your film you must get permission from the copyright owner to use it. This might involve paying a fee, and in the case of well known pieces of music this can be expensive.
Clearing music usually involves talking to two sets of people:
1. Publishers – these people own the rights to the words and music in written form. So if you wanted to strum your own version of a Madonna song, you would need to get permission from these people.
2. Record Company – they own the rights to the actual performance and recording itself.
Seems complicated? For example, if you wanted to sing your own version of a Westlife song, you only need permission from the publishers. But if you want to use a clip from an actual Westlife song, you would need to have permission from both the publishers and the record company. Finding out which is which is very simple – all the information is held by the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Click here to find out more information from their website.For most people working on a short film, a small budget will mean using well known pieces of music is beyond their budget. But there are alternatives. Why not think about composing your own soundtrack, or think about using tracks from a friend’s band?
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Film and TV Clips
Copyright applies for TV and film clips too. For example, you might be making a film about a game show winner and decide you would like to use a clip of a show like Who Wants to be a Millionaire. You would need to get permission from the production company who makes the show to use it. To find them you should watch the credits to find out who they are.
You may be charged a fee - and on a short film's budget it might prove wiser to spend your money elsewhere. Movies are similarly covered by copyright laws.
Think about alternative ways around this, for example you could film a spoof game show and use this as your clip.
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| Sound Factory |
| Sound Factory is a scheme designed to involve and inspire young people in writing music for films. Click here to visit their website and find out more. |
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