Unit 1.5 Materials

1.15 Materials

All media products require raw material for the actual content and you can plan to gather and generate this raw material in various ways.

Some will be original material that you are planning to produce yourself. Undertaking a series of test shoots or recordings can help you further develop your ideas during the pre-production stage, help you to decide what original material you will be able to include in your final product and what is the best way to get the effect that you want.

You may also want to use some existing archive material, such as photographs or film footage, material from a sound or photographic library or sourced from the Internet, or some existing music or graphics. In all of these cases you will need to be aware of copyright . Copyright owners can choose to grant permission or license others to use their work, usually for a fee, while retaining ownership over the rights themselves. Like other forms of intellectual property, copyright can be bought and sold.

When you are developing your ideas, think about the permissions that you will need to get before the production process can begin. This might include clearing rights, agreeing royalties or paying fees for copyright material that you are planning to include. You will need to write to the copyright holder and ask for permission to use the material. You will often have to make a payment for the right to use the material.

You can find more information on copyright and other forms of intellectual property, such as logos andtrademarks, on the Intellectual Property Office website

(www.ipo.gov.uk ).

1. Explain what materials you will need for your project- include all video and film, photography, sound effects and music. Create a detailed and specific list.
2. What will you need to produce any specific effects? (e.g you might need to use a specific lens and camera such as a DSLR and 50mm lens)
3. Find the exisiting archive material and assess it for suitability. Check the sound effects that you need are available and suitable. Make sure you record this testing process- use a table or a report of your making. 
4. What is copyright and why is it important when producing media products?
5. What materials will you need copyright for for your project? Find out who you will write to and how much it would cost to use their material. 

Key term

Copyright – an automatic right that protects a piece of written or recorded work from being copied or used by anyone else without the copyright owner’s permission.

Did you know Performing rights royalties are paid to a writer, composer or publisher whenever their music is played or performed in a public space such as on television, radio, on the Internet, in a shop or restaurant, or at an event such as a concert or a football match.

Mechanical rights royalties are paid to a writer, composer or publisher when music is reproduced and used in a physical product or artefact such as a television programme