Contract terminated. Who owns footage?

[Vince Becquiot]

I think Greg has the most important comment here. Your first problem is not who owns the footage, but why the client decided to walk away.

Now, they could be out there to screw you, but more often there’s more to the story. You really need to have a meeting with them before any negotiation is done. If they really want the footage, I can’t see them refusing that meeting, and that’s where you’ll get real answers. If they indeed feel like they received an inferior product, (they should be able to show you what they are comparing your work against at the same price point), you should request payment for the work performed, but I would let them have the footage.

Vince Becquiot

Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area

[Steve Wargo]

All correct according to several court decisions

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards

[Joel Servetz]

What Greg and Vince said, plus if, in good faith you attempt to negotiate and/or get at the root of their issues and you find they’re stonewalling, you have your answer, it’s a scam. Short story, years ago I managed a retail camera store. We would occasionally get people who would purchase an expensive camera and flash shortly before a weekend and return it for a refund shortly after the weekend. We eventually caught on to the fact that they were treating the “purchase” as a free rental for a weekend event. When we shifted to credit only instead of a refund that scam dried up fast.

Joel Servetz
RGB Media Services, LLC
Sarasota, Fl
videobyjoel@aol.com
http://www.rgbmediaservices.com