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Q: So can I really use any piece of video? I mean this is a school project; can I use a clip from a real movie? A: Although you can't use absolutely any clip of any length you want, it is pretty close. When dealing with video, you need to keep your clip to 3 minutes or 10% of the film's length, whichever is smaller. As far as where the clip comes from, if you are using it for the purpose of producing a phylm (i.e., critically analyzing it then integrating it into a mix-media production for class) it is only important that you obtained the original copy legally (e.g., you purchased or rented it), that you adhere to the time limit when producing your final product, and that you provide proper credit to the copyright holder(s).1 Q: There is some "anti-copying" technology stopping me from importing the video. Can I still use this? A: A few years ago it would have been an unquestionable "yes." However, in the words of Hall Davidson, "Manufacturers are instituting blocking technology, authorized under the law, so newer material like VHS rentals and DVDs block educators from their constitutional right to use material for teaching. It's time to begin complaining."2 This is where things get a little gray. Your use of the material/clip is allowed under fair use (see above). However, it is illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to circumvent "copyright protection systems." There are currently two bills in Congress which would remove this complication. Hopefully, one of them will pass soon. Until then, the only real way to find out is to have a court rule on it. Recent cases seem to be in our favor. However, I'm not a lawyer, and its a little vague (in my opinion) as to how it would be illegal to make legal use of content. The setup I discuss for importing video does not "see" current copyright protections. So you don't really know if you're circumventing the technology or not. If you taped the clip off of TV or it is a personal video, then you can be sure it's okay. Remember, you are limited in the clip's use and duration. Additionally, you are specifically barred from archiving video clips. So no clip libraries. The above legal considerations are the result of my own research into the matter as well as my interpretation of US Legal Code. Remember I'm not a lawyer, and it's most often the teacher who's held legally responsible for any breach of the law. You might find the following links valuable. 1 Copyright and FairUse Guidelines for Teachers (pdf) 2 The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use, Hall Davidson. * Copyright 101 for Educators, Wesley A. Fryer. Or you can go straight to the horse's mouth and take a look at the US Legal Code: | ||||
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This curriculum was designed with scalability in mind. In principle you don't need to make use of the specific hardware and tools described here. Any means of importing, editing, and overlaying video with animation would do. However, because of the relative ease of use and availability the following products have been chosen for use in this tutorial. Hardware: The optional components are dependent upon your choice of clip material. If your clip is only available on DVD, then you will need the DVD player and Analog to Digital Converter. The Analog to Digital Converter is necessary to get the DVD or VHS signal output from a player and carry it over Firewire for import. Additionally, this serves as a work around for most blocking technology. As long as the converter doesn't make use of the technology, you should be able to import anything from your playback device. Software: | ||||
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