[John Davidson]

Thanks guys! OMG, I’m so excited. I wonder who the artist is. Nelly? 50 Cent? Outkast?

I’ve been watching lots of Stryper and Amy Grant music videos to prepare! These guys are gonna LOVE me!

John Davidson____ writer | producer | director____https://www.magicfeather.tv

[John Davidson]

OMG, you guys, I HAVE an HVX200 AND can pay my own gas. Will anybody give me a referral? I really don’t want to miss this gig.

I think it’s safe to say that the guy that made that post has a very sad, sad life.

John Davidson____ writer | producer | director____https://www.magicfeather.tv

[John Davidson]

That was an awful experience and I’m sorry you had to go through it.

Clients that yell and scream have NO place in my business. Frustrating events happen, but it’s how we handle them that defines us. If this weren’t a family forum, I’d probably have some nice definitions for this guy based on how he handled frustrating events…

Try to turn lemons into lemonade. Write a script based on this idiot. Something ala “Cape Fear” or the first half of “Full Metal Jacket”. Maybe you can make it a short, and start with “Based on a true story”. People love that.

Worst case, you make it only for yourself and have a cathartic experience (base his anger on the fact that he was born with no…um…masculine appendage, or something equally funny). Best case, you create an award winning short that puts you on the map and you’ll never have to work for somebody like him again.

Good luck!

John Davidson____ writer | producer | director____https://www.magicfeather.tv

[John Davidson]

Sweet. Thanks Bret!

[John Davidson]

1. “that’s not my job!” (when all I asked was they enter in a number on an excel grid that they had open in front of them).
2. It’s ok if I booked another 12 hr session right before this one, leaving me exausted, right?
3. “What do you mean, lay back to tape? What kind of Avid editor do you think I am?”

[John Davidson]

You think that’s funny? Check out the shirt I was wearing when I read Nick’s post, sitting on the tarmac in Honolulu on my honeymoon….

https://gallery.mac.com/magicfeather#100064/IMG00155

[John Davidson]

The rule when I was at CNN was that you could use music, but only if it was in the background as natsound (ie. if a radio was on playing “Carry on my wayward son” while a live shot was on location during a standup or some newsworthy event, it was ok). That was the only time fair use was allowed.

For Walter’s note on the blanket fee, no network I’ve been at does that. Each song we use requires we send in a request through the music clearance folks (they have people just for that) and they send in requests that go through each copyright holder and determine a price for each use of the song. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to get clearance for certain songs because the artists just don’t respond. For example, I really wanted to use “don’t bring me down” by ELO, but ELO wouldn’t respond. Some artists just flat refuse to allow any music, or charge an exorbitant fee (like 80k for one week’s use of Kid Rock’s “cowboy” – we found a substitute).

I put in probably 150 requests for clearance last year, so boy do I wish that we could get unlimited blanket use! To clarify though, my knowledge is primarily promos, so perhaps program production departments have their own clearance setups. I do think that some stock libraries do occasionally include a few popular songs, but it would be misleading to say that all pop music can be cleared through a blanket payment. Man do I wish!

[John Davidson]

As the editor, you are the person that puts stuff together on tape (or dvd, or whatever). Your expertise is in the technical realm with a strong understanding of flow, delivery, and style. It is not your place to question the legal ramifications of some silly in-house video. This is a non-issue. Where will it stop? When your company uses pop music for a production, will you need to get copies of the clearance forms from all the copyright holders so you can sleep at night? You’ll need to hire your very own legal department to deal with the paperwork you get from the inhouse lawyer’s copy machines. You are a part of a wheel, and were hired to edit productions, not for your legal expertise.

Googling your post will do nothing. You will never get caught, because there are bigger fish to fry. This stuff happens all the time. You were told this was ok, so assume this is ok’d by the lawyers and copyright holders and do your job.

The BEST part of being an inhouse editor is that 90% of the time your job is over at 6pm. You don’t want to change that.

John Davidson____ writer | producer | director____https://www.magicfeather.tv

[John Davidson]

Guys, that happens ALL the time. Companies big or small. My favorite? An unnamed network made a face Fox affiliate promo about the new deadly threat to your children…..trees. They used network logos and all.

Have you guys ever watched an upfront for a network? They fill an auditorium, pump trailers for next years shows full of unlicensed music, and rake in billions in upcoming year ad sales.
Every network does this. Nobody pays a dime.

The unofficial rule of thumb is, if it airs, you pay. Might not be legal, but that’s the rule. Heck, we aired a spot this year promoting a new series and we referenced a very popular show with a similar audience but on another network. We got a call a few weeks later saying that HBO’s lawyers were demanding we remove the reference. My client network’s lawyers had approved it, so the absolute last thing they would do is come after the EDITOR of the spot. Another example of a suit was for a net that wanted a song for a spot but it was too expensive. The producer hired a company to produce a song that “sounds like” the song she wanted. Well, I guess it sounded a little too much like it because they got sued and it was nasty. Lawyers were subpoenaing emails, voicemails, etc., looking for evidence that the produced song was meant to be a ripoff. Again though, this was a spot that aired.

Editors are the last people to get sued for copyright infringement. It never happens. Never.

If you’re a predator, that might be different. Editor – no. Please, i’d love to hear an actual story where an editor got fired for a producer or lawyer’s mistake.

John Davidson____ writer | producer | director____https://www.magicfeather.tv

[John Davidson]

Hey guys,

It’s not cigarettes, but I used to feel a little skeezy when I’d make promos advocating kids watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. I was REALLY good at it, too, which made it worse.

I would rationalize it by saying “hey, if those kids lived in the valley and played outside instead of watching tv, they’d have to breathe the exhaust from my 4Runner and develop emphysema, get sunburn induced melanoma, and be exposed to the neighborhood’s convicted pedophiles we set loose to make room for all the aids and cancer victims we incarcerated for smoking marijuana.

When you look at it like that, it makes watching a Toons indoors a little more appealing. Hey, I think I just came up with a new promo!!! I wonder if S&P will go for the “Watch Cartoons and Don’t Get Molested” spin….

In all seriousness, in LA people love to make porn. I have worked with alot of editors who, after a time, confessed to having worked in porn. I personally have not, and have always turned down offers which thankfully have not been often. I also advise people not to work in it. It looks awful on the resume and just imagine explaining to St. Peter at the pearly gates how “On Golden Blonde” was merely artistic expression.

Tobacco? I’d avoid it. I’m trying to quit as it is. I’d find the worst editor I know and refer the client to him (or Her!!!!!).

“Cash money, all films cost exactly $2,148.”
-Bowfinger

John Davidson____ writer | producer | director____https://www.magicfeather.tv