From today videos can be tagged with a Creative Commons licence. Does this mean YouTube becomes a free stock footage library?
No it doesn't, there are limitations so the days of a client walking into an edit suite and saying "Let's just find it all on YouTube" aren't here just yet, thankfully.
So what does it mean? Any new or existing video uploaded to YouTube can be tagged with a licence. Confusingly, YouTube have decided to offer 6 different versions plus another two licence options. The licencing gives others the permission to use a video in another video whilst retaining the copyright with the original owner. An example would be making a top ten video of peoples cats, 10 clips from 10 different cat owners edited into a new video. As long as their clips have the correct licence, YouTube will have no problem in publishing your cat mashup. Sorry for the cat analogy but we came across this trending video in the YouTube blog. That channel has had over a hundred million views!
We can see a variety of uses for the licence. A tourist board or large sporting event might publish a load of clips for use in return for the publicity. The quality won't be great even at 1080 but if you a desperate for a shot of snow on mountains or maybe a specific football stadium, it just might work nicely. Legal too.
We will leave you to work your way through the different licences available.
The following options are available for downloadable videos:
- LICENSE: Personal, non-commercial use only
The copyright owner allows only personal, non-commercial use of this video. You may not reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, or make derivative works of this video.
- LICENSE: Creative Commons (Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works)
The copyright owner allows distribution of this video with attribution but prohibits commercial use or derivative works. For more information about this license, please read: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/.
- LICENSE: Creative Commons (Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike)
The copyright owner allows distribution and also creation of derivative works of this video, in each case with attribution and under the same or similar license as this license, but prohibits commercial use. For more information about this license, please read: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.
- LICENSE: Creative Commons (Attribution-Noncommercial)
The copyright owner allows distribution of this video and derivative works provided there is attribution in each case, but prohibits commercial use. For more information about this license, please read: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/.
- LICENSE: Creative Commons (Attribution-No Derivative Works)
The copyright owner allows distribution of this video and commercial use provided there is attribution in each case, but prohibits derivative works. For more information about this license, please read: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/.
- LICENSE: Creative Commons (Attribution-Share Alike)
The copyright owner allows distribution, commercial use and derivative works of this video, in each case with attribution and under the same license as this license. For more information about this license, please read:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
- LICENSE: Creative Commons (Attribution)
The copyright owner allows distribution, commercial use, and derivative works of the video provided there is attribution in each case. For more information about this license, please read: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
- Public Domain
This work is not under copyright protection.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
