Moral question about uploaded demo clip « Videomaker Community Forums

Zvi
Member

I made a site for a new video production company I am starting. I uploaded to my site a few demo clips of family occasions I have filmed and edited over the past few years.

Someone brought an issue to my attention and I wanted to ask you guys what you think of it:

The general issue is about asking the subjects on the video for their permission to use them as a demo clip on my site. But I want to devide this issue into 2 sub issues:

1. The main subject of the video... say, in a video clip of a wedding, the bride and groom.
2. The other subjects in the video... like the guests.

I think I agree that the with main subject\s, it would be moraly right to ask for their permission. I don't even see a reason why not to ask.

As for the other subjects... do you think I should call each and every one to ask permission for him or her to be seen on a public site?

Thanks.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

We always get signed releases when we shoot weddings - but only signed by the bride and groom. The officiant can obviously see that he is being video'd and would presumably overtly object if he didn't wish to be video'd. The guests, assuming this is NOT a nudist wedding, shouldn't be an issue.

You have potential problems with any copyrighted music being used though. (You can use the search feature of these forums to find the many, many posts on that topic.)

Please keep in mind that I am not an attorney, nor do I play one on TV.

Posted 5 years ago #
Zvi
Member

First, thanks for the reply.

Yes, a release form would work for the future work I do, but the clips I'm posting on my site is from things I shot before I had a business, so there are no forms.

Funny you should mention nudist wedding, because that is excactly why the attention was brought to me. On my site, on the "demo clips" page, there are 4 clips. There are two of them... that one of these two is a 9 minute clip of a family occation that in it, my brother is seen for about 3 seconds. Another clip is a 4 minute clip from a New Years party that has censored nudity in it. On the bottom of the clip I have written: "This clip contains censored nudity (stripper). Please be advised."

A family member called me and said that the nudity is censored ok, so there's no problem with that, but since my brother is very religious, if he knew that he was seen in a clip on a website, on the same page that has a clip with censored nudity, he might be upset.

Now, I know for a fact, that my brother, being religious and all, will never surf the net, and never know about this. Besides, he is not a main subject in the clip... I just don't see any reason that I should take into consideration someone being shown in a clip on the same page as something else shown in a different clip... It's not like I put censored nudity in the same clip as him!

So where are the limits?

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Your topic title is "Moral Question". In other words, a question of right and wrong. Is it wrong to have someone's image on a page where they would be uncomfortable with it?

I guess it depends on your morals, but considering that this is your brother and that a family member has already expressed the opinion that he would not like it, why go ahead? Even if your brother never surfs the web, does that mean he'll never find out? Even if he doesn't find out, does that make a matter that was wrong, suddenly right?

Seems like that old question of when a tree falls in the woods, did it make a noise?

Or, to put it another way, if you do something wrong and nobody finds out, does that make it right?

As for legality, if a person can show that your video makes them look bad, that they may suffer in some way or another by it, then you may be held liable.

But, this is your brother, for crying out loud! Do you really want to risk that relationship just so you can have this clip on your web page? And what do your family members think of you for doing this? Why risk all that? You know, you can't get issued a new brother or new family very easily.

Posted 5 years ago #
Zvi
Member

Thank you for taking the time to reply. No response, but I understand what your saying.

Posted 5 years ago #
no_frill
Member

Just surfing by and I can't help but wonder...what makes this censored clip so great that it has to be in the demo reel?

Do they have many naked get togethers in Israel?

If there are all these issues with your brother and the worry of discomfort, it would have to be REALLY worth it to keep it on a demo clip...

Posted 5 years ago #
Zvi
Member

I took it out. Thanks :-)

Posted 5 years ago #
;0)
Member

2 points on morality:

1)if you have to ask it's probably wrong. (best to err on the side of caution.)

2)if you don't ask, then there is definately is something wrong...(there are people who don't struggle with morality questions for the same, reason I don't struggle with where to invest my billions of dollars).

I'd password protect, have a form asking folks to register before seeing anything nude. make sure, you're covered.

Posted 5 years ago #