[Wayne Keyser]

It’s not enough for them to say “you get paid when the client pays us.” Whatever happened to them requiring timely payment from the client?

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

You can get all the permissions you really need online from the Harry Fox agency.

https://blog.sonicbids.com/7-lessons-from-pomplamoose-be-a-musical-entrepreneur

https://bob-baker.com/buzz/how-to-sell-license-cover-songs-youtube-pomplamoose-more/

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

Your best guide might be to find out what good stock-footage firms charge for similar licenses, and ask for the same or a little less.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

There are several unanswered questions about the situation, and more unanswered questions about your reason for asking.

Was he, in fact, quitting altogether? Were you supposed to assume that he no longer wished his name to be associated with the project? If so, has he changed his mind? Did his leaving before the end of the last day compromise the project or require someone else to fill in with creative input?

Even if those questions are answered, it’s a volunteer project and people (especially volunteers) have their limits. “Unprofessional” as his action may have been, the situation is not covered by union rules or salary considerations.

If I were in your place, I’d be upset with him, I’d be asking myself whether I unwisely pushed the DP or any other volunteers past their limits (you’ll find out, I suppose, by the response you get to requests for volunteers in the future), and I’d finally ask THE BIG QUESTION: What can giving him the footage cost, just hand it over and put this whole incident in the past.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

For what it’s worth, VLC media player will play image files (.iso) natively.

I think many of the latest operating systems come with an image burning application, don’t they?

If those ideas don’t help, and you’re only doing a few copies, burn them yourself (I found Nero not that expensive, and my printer will label discs in color, cases are cheap) or you could pick up a modest number with color cardboard sleeves from someplace like WTS Media or any of the many disc duplicators out there.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

“Shop the competition.”

Contact two or three sources of roughly-similar footage, and find out what it would cost to license it for a roughly-similar project. For heaven’s sake, don’t give them your real name, and tell them that if you’re interested you’ll get back in touch with them.

Voila! A real-world comparison.

Some people find this unethical, others don’t. Every business I know secretly shops their competitors from time to time.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

If I read this right, this is not a case of “teach a man to fish” so much as it is a case of “give (actually sell) a man a fish.”

If the other company wants to you to teach them to do the work, this might be working against your own interest in the long run. On the other hand, if they want to hire you to do the bits they can’t do, without you teaching them not to need you in the future, they might call on you again to hire you again.

You can’t prevent them from learning on their own, but if I were you I’d think twice about teaching them.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

Best place you can ask is the State sales tax office. They are the ones who will make the ultimate determination, so better get it from them. And when you get an answer, write down and save who you talked to, and the date.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

“The client called me and spent 10 minutes defending his honor as a business man” …or he could have spent 10 minutes getting the contract signed and mailed … interesting choice, does it tell you anything?

Stand your ground. The more they express outrage and defend their honor, the hollower their promises always seem to be. If they are offended that you do business in a businesslike manner, (and it should be a simple matter to get a contract to you) there should be no need to “develop trust.” Cash is also a non-businesslike sign.

For heaven’s sake, deliver nothing nothing nothing without a big ol’ watermark, until you have a _cleared_ check in your bank account. If you lose this job, you’ll live.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.

[Wayne Keyser]

Just my opinion:

You have reason to claim that the footage you shot is yours. However, your friend’s claim is concerning – not that he would prevail if this went to court for any reason, but that all of that “noise” would certainly complicate many aspects of bringing this project to completion. Your claim, likewise, might interfere with any attempt of his to use your footage … I’m sure you wouldn’t give it to him and it’s the only real leverage you have to move toward a written agreement once he calms down.

“Your” already-shot interviews already lack releases in your name (the existing ones, as you say, are in his company’s name). If I were a person you had interviewed and you approached me asking me to sign another release, I’d refuse to sign, thinking “this is quite a battle and I don’t think I’ll get in the middle of it”.

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There is no “way to peace.” Peace is the way.