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Files to give to client
Hello all,
I’m new to this forum and video editing. I am a musician and recording engineer “branching out” into the video realm. I’m enjoying it immensly!
My question is, I have begun to do some wedding video work for a shooter who does not want to edit anymore. He loves what I have done for him son far, but he wants me to put everything on a hard drive for him, including my FCP project files. Is this common, or is this really my property to protect for future edit requests that may come from his clients? Otherwise he could modify my FCP project, and get paid for any other modifications that come from my work, which does not seem right to me.
I know in the audio world, if I do a mix for someone, they get the session files (they have paid for that), but I wipe out my mix before they get the session file. All they get is the finished mix. Is it the same for video editing where I would give him the finished, edited DVD product, but retain my FCP project files?
Any advice would be most appreciated.
MG
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3 Replies
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To me it sounds like these are HIS clients and that you are acting as a contract employee. As an employee you don’t own the project files he does.
They are his clients and he is the one thet they will be going to for any changes. And let’s face it some changes can be done in less time then it would take for him to call you.
There are no “technical solutions” to your “artistic problems”.
Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity! -
Hi Mark,
I agree with Zane. I don’t think there is any rights issue in this case and being a wedding, I don’t think your employer will sale two versions of the event, or sell it to another customer.
Few weeks ago was an interesting thread in the “Business & Marketing” forum about a related topic;
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/17/863175#863175
Cheers,
rafael -
Thanks for your replies, and thanks for the link Rafael. A lot of good info in there, mostly concerning raw footage.
In my case, the raw footage is obviously his. He gives it to me to edit. I am an independent contractor hired to edit his footage into a completed DVD to sell to his clients (bride & groom).
I read a couple of things in that link concerning project files, and they both seemed to think that as an independent contractor (not an employee of anyone), these would be your intellectual (creative) property. I appreciated the guy who told about giving his project files to a client and a few months later saw a slightly altered version appear commercially with someone else taking all of the editing credit and it ended up winning an award.
I am not so concerned with wedding videos, so I will probably just give him my FCP project files because they are really for the most part a one time use thing and I really value our relationship and the experience I am getting doing this, but I would like to know how to cross this bridge when it comes up in a more commercial scenario once I get to that level.
Mark Griffith
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