Documentary

European filmmakers have been casting an envious eye at American documentarians for some time, for their ability to employ Fair Use. Fair Use, explained in the Documentary Filmmakers' Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use, has made making quality documentary films easier and cheaper, without impairing owners' copyright. Read more...

I just got back from the annual University Film and Video Association (UFVA) conference in New Orleans. Although the association and the conference are generally for university professors who are teaching film and video production classes, the Center for Social Media has long been active with the UFVA, as we develop resources that can help filmmakers and teachers of filmmaking. Read more...

On day two of the Copyright Office’s hearings about exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) , documentary filmmakers and remix artists and their supporters came to Washington, D.C. to show regulators the cost of criminalizing copying of popular culture. (Read about day one where the focus was on Fair Use and educators here.)Read more...