Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Interview with Martin Rose, Head of the Animation department and Free Lance Producer at the NFB

Interview with Martin Rose
Dec. 2nd 2009

Apologies to Martin Rose I was not able to record our conversation so this is the paraphrased version. Thank you to Martin for agreeing to meet with us and share his insights.

John Oman: What can you tell me about the animation club?

Martin Rose: It was a student club put together by Stephanie Blakey and Chelsea Kerr.

JO: Did it have a positive impact on the students learning?

MR: Recognised that the animation club had a positive impact on the students of ECU and regretted that it had to end. He further explained that the right to copy or reproduce should not confused to the right to exhibit.

JO: Why was the club eventually shut down?

MR: The club was eventually shut down because the school had not purchased the rights to all the films that the club was screening. Martin further noted that just inviting the students to some one's home and screening them there could also be dangerous because there are limits on the amount of people that can view a film in a personal residence. There was news that a similar club in New York was successfully sued and shut down.

JO: In your experience how have copyright laws benefited or impeded the growth of animation in general?

MR: Noted that the school is always expanding it's collection of rights and we now have legal access to screen more films here than ever before. He also noted that current copyright legislation is extremely prohibitive in that it prevents student initiatives such as the animation club.

JO: What is your position at the NFB?

MR: Is a free lance producer.

JO: What can you tell us, if anything, about the NFB's regular distribution agreement?

MR: Noted that the NFB was a publicly funded organization, and therefore has different operational parameters than a private one. The NFB generally does two kinds of productions full and partial. On full productions the NFB acquires all the rights and handles all the distribution, and on co-productions there is a fair division of funds and distribution responsibilities and it is on more of a case for case basis.

JO: Does the artist working with the NFB retain any rights to their own work?

MR: Generally the NFB acquires all rights to the work, this is normally because they are funding the project. He further noted that the NFB is not a granting agency they are a production and distribution agency. They will develop the film with the director.

JO: Has the NFB ever used a creative commons license or would they consider using one in the future?

MR: Although respects the philosophical roots of the creative commons recognized that the NFB as a publicly funded agency must abide by certain legislation and therefore must acquire all the rights to a film.

JO: Any advice for future film makers on copyright and the creative commons?

MR: Although Martin feels that getting ones work out is very important he was very cautionary about how one does it. Always read the contract before signing it.

Martin also noted that there are instances where ECU students have made money on their films through distribution agreements and that immediately putting ones film up on the creative commons is not always the best idea. he suggests saving ones film until after it's 2 year festival life and then putting it up on the creative commons. He also noted that it is important to have a contract in place and to abide by it, as well as making sure your rights are protected.

Martin recommended The Graphic Arts Manuel which is in the library and contains useful information on artist's contracts as well as templates of those contracts.

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