AboutMickey Grant Expertise How to produce, direct, write,edit, and market documentaries
This would include which camera is best for a particular project and aspects of how to approach story telling of your documentary. Also, it is becoming even more critical to have a buyer at a major network such as the BBC (they are called Programme Editors there) to interact with during your production. It's really important to know the market and the major players to know who you are.
Experience Over 30 years of working on various aspects of documentaries with my primary function today of shooting and directing them.
You can find out a great deal about my films and background at my website at www.creativehat.com
Also, several of my films are on Google Video and can be found by going there and typing Mickey Grant in search. They include my latest film, INJECTION which is 80 minutes and shot on HDV. Also, THE CU CHI TUNNELS, which previously was distributed by BBC Worldwide and has played on major broadcssters in over 50 countries.
Organizations In the past I've been a member of many organizations such as NABET union but don't find it necessary in today's market place.
Publications About.com
Education/Credentials BFA from SMU in 1971 in Film
Masters in film from UNT in 1986
Awards and Honors Gold Award, Best Feature Length Documentary, Houston International Film Festival
Golden Star Halo Award, Southern California Motion Picture Council
Honorable Mention (twice), Chicago Film Festival
Second Place, Sinking Creek Film Festival
Question How important is it that I have my project registered with the copyright office? I mean specifically copyrighting footage that I shot myself of interviews I made.
Also should I go ahead and register the idea or concept for my documentary? (Since this is not a historical documentary, there is no "script", more of a general outline, mainly because it is still a work in progress.) If so, what are the specific steps I should take for doing that?
I appreciate any help you can offer. Thank you.
Answer I am not a film attorney so I want to make that disclaimer. The following is my opinion as a film maker with over 25 years experience. Not being a film attorney means that my answer may have flaws. First of all, there is not a place you "register." You own the copyright of footage you shot for your film. As I understand this is your project. You need to make sure you have a proper release for the use of the image on camera, whether it be a person and/or a place. Most of the time, you only need a release for the people appearing on-camera. If for instance, I shoot in a TGI Fridays restaurant, then I need a release for shooting on their property.
Also, you can't copyright simple ideas. You can copyright a script. There are many ways of doing this. Via writers guild or by mailing it to yourself in a envelope you get postmarked and sent registered to yourself and then you don't open it. All this is something I never consider.
The only thing I make sure to do is put copyright.... my name or the name of the production company 2007, All rights reserved. This is the film or video that's going to circulate publicly. It is your artistic and legal property.
There is not a place you register it with unless you want to send a copy to the Library of Congress. Be aware that often many people make documenataries about the same subject. You might even find nearly the same people interviewed but it was shot by a different production company. A lot of experts make the mistake of deciding they are going to only appear in Director X's doc and not in anyone else's doc. They can appear in as many as they want unless an agreement has been entered into which states that they can only appear in your film.
Recently I had someone take footage from a film I made which I have running on the net and re-edit it and give it another name. This is both a civil and criminal act they have committed. They felt that if it's on the net it's public domain which is not true in the least. What's amazing was that this was a Hollywood company which did this. I'm entering into legal action against them. I'm sure Variety magazine would enjoy this story. And yes, it's criminal but not real easy to prosecute.
You have the copyright of the raw footage you shoot. It's yours. There is no office to register it with. If someone stole it from you you'd hope that you have the original footage and can get witnesses to the fact that you shot it.
