Discussion & Poll - Content Protection

[ElektroMotif]

I would like to ask for ppl's opinions on distribution techniques for show reels, samples etc,

IMO It would be naieve to believe that sending a VHS tape, CD, or DVD to a client and simply trusting that your work could not, or would not be sekonded.

Corporates and businesses whereby prior consultation in the creative design stage has been requested, are probably least likely to be underhand, however, it is with some dismay that I know that many others, most especially nightclubs, will see a sent showreel in whatever format as an opportunity to use, digitise, copy etc; we can not all afford civil law suits.

Now this may be old rope to established graphics houses but to up and coming VJ's I feel it is an issue for consideration.

As I see it here are the possibilities to protect against this and their pro's and con's:

a) Copy protection. There are freeware and commercial copy protection applications available for CD's, some use bogus tracks to give invalid ISO tables to a burner image and thuis yield the resultant copy unreadable to most CDROM's. Others can put a limit on the amount of times a CD can be read before it "self destructs" (mission impossible style LOL) This however does not stop someone playing the original to a VHS tape and even subsequently re-digitising it.

b) Content encryption. Since the DVD vector based cypher is not available (that I can find) to us mere mortals, this is going to prove expensive ;-( Since the DVD cypher was also broken very shortly after it's creation it's almost definately not worth the high cost.

c) Digital watermarking. Digimarc is possibly best known for it's plug in for Premiere and Photoshop that can interleave hidden frames containing copyright information in bitmaps. Again this is at a cost, though more reasonable, it would also require considerable civil legal action to estrapulate the evidence, far from ideal for us mear mortals.

d) Identing. This is possibly the most effective, IMO, and has the added bonus that if footage is sekonded and used without permission or comissioning, at least your logo and perhaps url is advertised in the precess. It does also carry the con of how big? Where? and has an often adverse effect on the footage. It could also be argued that it could be cropped out but this would usually dramatically alter the balance of the composition.

e) Low resolution / FPS / stills. Downsampling your material whether spatially or temporaly is definately not going to help get your glossy, detailed, smooth loveliness across

f) Bespoke formatting. I looked into Bink video as an option in the reasonable gamble that few receiving parties would have the noodle to find RAD tools and decompress the self executable to an AVI format. In fact, I was somewhat dismayed to find that this could be reverse decompressed...........maybe again for a price it could have the lid put on it?

So now that if I probably seem to be a paranoid Vidiot?...........though only based upon my knowledge of the industry sectors in which I have worked; I would very much like your comments on this matter.

Search the internet for info' on this and you will find that the sites relating to ripping copyrighted material out-number those that consider the need for protecting materials until they are formally comissioned 20:1..........sadly!

[charlielangridge]

I know their is a way with mp3's to stop them being burned. It happend on an mp3 i had - i could play it fine, but when it came to burning it i got a blank track and the same when came to opening it in wavelab. Is their a vid equiv of this, if not why not!

Charlie

[complexvisuals]

I never send a demo reel. If a promotor needs to see my work I either a) invite them to a gig and/or b) meet with them and show my reel on my computer.

Never ever ever do the promotor get a copy of the demo reel.

Cian
COMPLEX

[Primebase3]

made a demo and just gave one to ne1 for ica and 2 promos, but the visuals are edited with live sets and the edits of the work are so short so it's pretty useless to use for a set. i voted trust but I want to say: add streetsmarts with it. if you make a demo make sure you display your work without making it useable! for example with ..short edits or other techniques. besides demo's need to get out there and be shown to as many people as possible! I'll put a mpeg of dm4 online soon so you can see what I mean.


peace,

[brain]

hi res tapes/disks for promoters/DJs:
identing with BIG eyetrap.net (=name+URL) keyed near the vertical middle (no chance of cropping). no more than 10 minutes to a promoter. if some bastard uses THIS in public, he does promo for us.

web:
res down to 240x320 15fps QT + smaller, still readable name.
clips max length 90 sec.

hi res tapes/disks for screenings/shows/contests:
small logo in lower third + sent only to people i trust.

[scoopmeisterTF]

Agree with Complexvisuals. It helps to take your CD-r/Vidtape/Whatever around to potential clients and play it to them rather than just sending it . . . . Not only for ass-protection but so you can develop the relationship: one assumes that all work that results will lead to more work so it makes sense to get the connections right at the start . . . .

[robotfunk]

Instead of a static watermark which is really nothing more than saying 'I don't want you to copy this' I have a scrolling text superimposed that explains the context of what they are seeing, plus random bits of bio. Also images of the flyer, photo's of the setup and the venue/crowd etc.

This feels a bit more positive and it is informative as well.There's always some unprotected bits but never for long.

Then there are things like this DVD compilation that I'm doing a 10 minute a/v mix for. This I don't protect. Wouldnt know a way to protect it and wouldn't want to have even the tiniest watermark on that. I'm sure someday someone will rip it and I'm just going to have to live with it.

[littlecatalyst]

robot i'd mix that promo reel! can i?
but seriously, thats an awesome and politically suave way of getting around them getting their mitts on anything! (wish there was an applause, or standing ovation smiley.... jilt u deserve the applause one for that post.
SO for flo but thats a different story...)

[seex]

Thinking about other vj-s using my loops in their sets i realised that it's a sign of good taste and that they can recognise qality when they see it. This helps me feeling proud in stead of cheated, when i hear my stuff is being used by someone else.

When your material is uniqe and original that is the best watermark you can make. If your visuals have this strong personal it will be recognised. And in the right crowd you will be credited, meaning someone from the vj- community that has a certain overviev of created content has a grater chance to recognise thats your stuff. And thats the best promotion you can get, since its not only you who is proud of your own work but also someone else from the vj-scene is happy to use it, its like a compliment from a fellow vj.

But becoming famous is not an easy job, and it does help if your name gets round, so including the logo in to the visuals is IMO the best option.

[akira_k]

Originally posted by seex
Thinking about other vj-s using my loops in their sets i realised that it's a sign of good taste and that they can recognise qality when they see it.

Of course they do, and instead of making their own stuff they go lazy-arse and pinch data from other people all across the globe and shot it. I don't thik that should be encouraged.

Also, I have seen that when this happens, people take credit for the visuals which are not theirs. The punters and/or promoters usually don't have a clue so they might believe them. I agree tha twhen your style is unique it will be recognized, but by how many? Probably only by the ones who are into the same biz as you, and surely that isn't going to get you any more promotion.

Right now I'm the "distrusting" kind of guy: I take my stuff and show it to them. It's specially nasty around here, and I don't want any problems.