Recording Homes and Farms without Permission

[HoosierGuy]

I have a minidv video camera and also an editing program. I've found a source for background music. Now I want to start shooting thirty second or one minute ads. One thing I want to shoot are farms in my county. Is it legal or illegal to drive by peoples homes and farms and record their homes/barns and then put that on youtube? I'm planning to do a ad that is against these farmers, I don't think they would like what i have in mind at all. But besides that, can I drive by their homes and record their homes and put that on youtube in my own political ad or is that illegal and must I have their permission?

[jman98]

My best friend is a lawyer. He's taught me a lot over the years.

1) You need to ask a lawyer.
2) While many people here, including me, have an opinion on the legality of this, we're not lawyers. You'd be a fool to listen to us tell you whether it's legal or not.
3) You can get sued for almost anything although if you ONLY put this on YouTube it might be difficult and impractical to sue you since you're not making money off of it.

Note that if you do not have background music that is free to use (your post implies that you do, but it's not 100% clear about this) you could face the music copyright owner asking YouTube to remove your video over copyright "violations" even though if you went to court you would likely prevail under "fair use".

[lordsmurf]

You don't need to necessarily ask a lawyer.

Context is important.
It sounds like this is editorial use. In which case, there is more freedom.
It's not the same as commercial advertising/promotional use.
Be careful about house numbers, people, children, license plates, etc.

Use non-commercial audio tracks. Stock tracks are easy and cheap, sometimes even free.
You'll notice even many TV shows no longer use jingles or music, due to costs/legality.

[lowellriggsiam]

Google did it.

[jman98]

Google did it.

And got sued.

[jman98]

I do agree that context is everything. Making a political commercial to say "Vote no on Prop. 24 to give unfair tax breaks to farmers" should be fine. Making a video to say "All farmers have secret drug labs on their property, including the ones in this video" would not be fine.

[edDV]

I tend to side with the random farmers
What are they doing that is visible from the street?

[HoosierGuy]

I'm using Sony Vegas Studio 10. I know how to use the cookie cutter and blur feature to blue license plates and such.

This ad I have in mind would be against farm subsidies. I want to take my camcorder and drive around the county recording all the big brick farm homes and big farm
equipment and then record the extension office. I don't want to get into politics here on the board but that is what i would like to do.

I'm probably gong to just use the simple music I made on Jam Factory, once I join the service.

Are there companies that offer stock footage that I could use? I would be willing to pay for stock footage as long as it does not run into the hundreds of dollars. I would be willing to pay, perhaps $80 for a minutes worth of footage feature brick farm homes.

This little ad would my opinion. I don't know if every farm house/farmer is getting subsidies. Yeah, it would be better all around if I had stock footage that I could use legally.

I was going to start a new thread but I'll go ahead and ask it here - where can I get swipes and effects to use in my video productions? I know of a company called Digital Juice but they want $50.00 for each set of different lower thirds/swipes/etc... Are there any other big sites out there that offer swipes and lower third effects at a lower price?

[lordsmurf]

I don't know if every farm house/farmer is getting subsidies.

This is where pro-subsidies opponents will attack you.
Do better research.

Same goes for using stock footage. You'll get raked over the coals for it.

I don't think you know what you're getting into.

Good luck, however -- I do agree with your political position.

[edDV]

Without arguing the politics, I'd recommend you avoid making personal accusations and pictures of homes gets personal. Make your point while keeping footage generic.

As for effects, good political ads have very basic editorial. Slick production doesn't match a common man outreach. Vegas has more than enough capability.

[lordsmurf]

It's easy enough to crop footage to show the message, without showing what would appear to be a personal attack on a home. However, that takes creative shooting and editing. Are you up to the task? I'm guessing not. It's not easy.

The message also has to be more complex than "your tax money buys them big homes". There's a common insanity among a certain group of voters that someday they'll also be rich, so they always side with the party that harms them the most. They're anti-"socialism" but are fine with free tax money to rich interests (i.e., farm subsidies). Slick production, as mentioned, may also not work well with this audience. They don't listen to somebody that looks like they have too much book learnin'.

This is a complicated sort of production.

[HoosierGuy]

This is a complicated sort of production.

And I'm prepared to tackle it. I'm not producing something that is Academy Award Caliber. It's a first production to go on you tube, that's all. After studying my Sony Vegas Studio program now for a few months and burning DVD's and making lower thirds, I think I could do lots of good or bad with video and editing. I'm ready to start doing it - good and maybe bad!

So are there any popular companies that sell stock footage to amateurs?

[edDV]

Google finds many

[Nelson37]

Have you tried actually talking to some of these "rich" farmers? I grew up in farming country. You may actually learn something that will greatly surprise you.

[bendixG15]

Legal or not, if my house showed up in your video as being a greedy American, I would come after you.

[Cornucopia]

Living in East Central Illinois (not too far from you), it's Corn & Soybean country. That's the biggest industry.

As a media person, for years I've had to visit and film a number of local "industry heroes" as part of awards image pieces, news bits, etc. This includes going to their farms, offices and homes.

EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM is regular folk. The less successful of them have no post-secondary education and are carrying on lonstanding family-run farms (or leasing after having lost their own) and are poorer than I am (and that's not saying much). The most successful of them have Masters degrees in Ag, etc, use High-tech procedures & tools, and are quite well-off - but they deserve it, as they're running a tight business as well as working the land, probably working 80 hours a week. But NONE of them that I know of are RICH! (>250k/year).

You better check your facts more deeply before putting together something that is hurtful to both them, and probably you.
IMO, there's lots of other corporations & industries that ARE getting stupid & rediculously high subsidies that we SHOULD be focused on.

Do what you wanna do, but IIWY, don't get personal AT ALL.

AFA techniques, I concur with the aforementioned suggestions on straightforward, lean (FX-lite), short but fact-filled. Is this supposed to be like a "news" piece, like a "whistleblower expose" or like a gossip-rag rumor starter?

Scott

[HoosierGuy]

What do i need to say to a guy who's running for U.S. house in my district that just announced that he's running? I want to work in political advertising. Are there any special words I need to say to get his attention besides the money in my wallet? I mean, what are these guys looking for when they hire someone to work in the advertising section?

[poisondeathray]

What do i need to say to a guy who's running for U.S. house in my district that just announced that he's running? I want to work in political advertising. Are there any special words I need to say to get his attention besides the money in my wallet? I mean, what are these guys looking for when they hire someone to work in the advertising section?

Hey you have big muscles - do you work out ?

*bends over and picks up the soap

Or maybe I'm mixed up - that's what you do to get into acting ?


But in some states, won't they shoot you (with a gun, hey kids even have them there) if you drive by taking unsolicited pictures (think Texas) ... or is that an urban Canadian myth ?

[edDV]

Politics is all about lying for influence. The guy running is a more advanced at lying than you probably are. Hard to confince him you have a clue.

If you want to get into the political TV spot business, study the masters from all sides. These days the negatative slam is still in favor, at least out here.

[Nelson37]

My suggestion would involve first, finding out what the person's platform involves, second, whip up something simple, short, and snazzy that doesn't say anything at all, in particular. You know, a political ad.

Since you have no experience in this field, your work does not yet have any value. So work for free, that will help in getting hired. Then you will have experience, and thus value, for your second gig.

[Cornucopia]

This is for an AD?
Good grief! No need to give you any more encouragement then - we've got more than enough political ad people in the world.

Scott

[AlanHK]

Political speech is given a lot more protection than commercial speech.
Look at the crazy attack ads that political groups get away with.

As long as you don't libel anyone, and preferably don't show any street addresses, you should be fine.

[lordsmurf]

Political speech is given a lot more protection than commercial speech.

Not really.
It falls under the same editorial and "public figure" rules.

[bendixG15]

Legality is not the issue.

If you are pissing off the other side, then they will come after you to shut you up.
And then you better have deep pockets to pay for the lawyers to defend you.

[moxiecat]

Just my two cents...

My parents own a 50-acre farm that was inherited. They hire a local farmer to plow and harvest the fields. From the street, the house is very nice-looking and the farming probably looks like a big operation. But my parents do NOT get any ag subsidies from the government and they are not rich by any means.

So it's essential to note that you may be accusing people of doing something they're not...and that's libel. If our property turned up in your video, my family and I would not hesitate to sue you. You would be accusing them of something they are not doing (taking ag subsidies) and as far as I am concerned, it would be an invasion of privacy as well.

You can't be sued for libel if what you're saying is true. Therefore, I recommend that you know factually that every property you show IS taking ag subsidies. That is first and foremost. After that, whether or not it is legal to show private properties in a political ad is a question for a lawyer. But you could easily be sued by many homeowners and create a real legal nightmare for yourself (as bendix rightly points out)--whether what you're doing is legitimate or not.

Personally speaking, if you showed my family's farm in an ad for this purpose, I would be extremely hurt and angry. Just keep in mind these are REAL people you are attacking, many of whom are not wealthy, and many of whom may not be doing what you are accusing them of.