Open Forum

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
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Appeal to their sense of morality. Do parents really want you to teach your students that violating the law is acceptable so long as everyone else is doing so? They are certainly free to teach that lesson at home but your program adheres to a higher standard. That kind of thing.

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James Jones
Springfield VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2019 10:23
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
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This is a great approach, especially here in the south.

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Tina Miller
AL
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-18-2019 07:34
From: James Jones
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

Appeal to their sense of morality. Do parents really want you to teach your students that violating the law is acceptable so long as everyone else is doing so? They are certainly free to teach that lesson at home but your program adheres to a higher standard. That kind of thing.

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James Jones
Springfield VA

Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2019 10:23
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

------------------------------
Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

Original Message------

Appeal to their sense of morality. Do parents really want you to teach your students that violating the law is acceptable so long as everyone else is doing so? They are certainly free to teach that lesson at home but your program adheres to a higher standard. That kind of thing.

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James Jones
Springfield VA
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Original Message------

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

I know if a local school who live streamed a show and was later fined and suspended by a theatrical licensing agency from any of their productions. I'm not sure how long the suspension was. Of course because this was such a black-eye to the school it was kept under wraps and prohibits other schools from learning from this mistake.

My point is rarely do you hear about it but it does happen. No school wants to openly admit when it broke the law and costed the school/children money or opportunity to put on a production because it's fined by theatrical licensing agency.

There is a big gap in the understanding of copyright law.  In fact there is another thread on this very discussion board where a educator is asking for advice on cameras for live streaming shows which would totally violate the contract.

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Ron Obringer
North Tonawanda NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-18-2019 08:16
From: Bruce Taws
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

The burden is on the issuing company, in my opinion. They have to police the internet and get these things removed, and then go after the people that are posting them. Just because we see a law not being enforced, doesn't mean that we don't still have an obligation to keep up our end of our signed contract. The minute you let someone videotape it and they post it online may be the one time the production company actually goes after someone. That someone will invariably be you. You have a legal obligation to yourself, the school, and to artists everywhere to keep their work from being copied because a video is out there.  I remember we had this discussion a few years ago when I found a few full stage productions of Hercules, based off the Disney movie posted online. Disney has not issued or authorized any productions of this movie to a stage version to this date. But this is an example of people watching the movie, creating a script, and getting others to go along with it to produce their own version of this show. These videos are still up, and either Disney is unaware of them, or is not interested in litigating against these people. As I said, just keep on holding your ground, and hopefully these companies will own up to their word in the contract and start enforcing this.

Bruce Taws

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Original Message------

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

------------------------------
Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

Original Message------

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

There was an article published in Spotlight magazine that offers many of the legal reasons as well as some of the personal reasons authors may not want there work available in this format: http://www.mpctheatreco.com/BoxOfficeForms/Videotaping-The%20Ugly%20Truth.pdf I hope this helps!

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Carrie Granatelli Blomquist
Woodstock IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2019 10:23
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

------------------------------
Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

Parents are gonna do what parents are gonna do. I just make sure that they know that I'm not complicit with their actions and the school is not going to provide them with power cords or reserved seats with the best view, or the ability to plug into our sound mixer (which one of the parents requested a few years ago.) We have to be vigilant.

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2019 10:23
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

I've seen a wonderful solution to the audio/video challenge that I wish more schools would do: a montage of still photos, maybe 10-sec clips, set to music or narration. This way even the students with smaller roles can be featured in close-up. Family members don't have to sit through two hours with poor sound only to see their favorite actor in a walk-on. 
Videos of performances are rarely satisfying and are, as mentioned in this thread, not legal. Still photos are a beautiful archive of a production and far easier to view. And still photos can represent the best of the production in a way that video can't.

A true story from the trenches: A couple of years ago an Equity regional theatre was taking their lovely production of one of my plays to an international festival. I was invited, all expenses paid, to do a talkback and to teach a workshop to local playwrights. At the opening night reception one of the board members, her mouth loosened by the good champagne, gushed over the play she had just seen and confided me that she voted against bringing the production because she had watched a high school video online and found the play "boring."  Luckily others on the selection committee paid attention to the reviews of the professional productions and ignored the amateur youtube video of a different production. But that online video, posted their for friends and family, nearly caused us to miss out on an extraordinary opportunity. I wonder what other theaters have passed on my plays because someone watched a video.

Thanks so very much to this community for respecting the rights of playwrights, especially those of us still alive and dependent upon royalties to help support ourselves and our future plays.

Below are a couple of links to videos that show off the actors without violating copyright laws.

Maverick Theatre Company - As it is in Heaven
As It Is In Heaven [Trailer]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqBfWf2j5h4



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Arlene Hutton
Playwright: Letters to Sala, I Dream Before I Take the Stand, Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry

faculty, The Barrow Group, NYC
arlene@barrowgroup.org
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2019 10:23
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Audio/Video challenge

I am finding it more and more challenging to explain to students (and their parents!) why we don't audio or videotape our productions, when they see full shows on YouTube or other schools' websites. I have even shown them the licensing contracts that specifically say that audio and video is strictly prohibited. They will always immediately point to a different production of what we are doing that they watched in its entirety online. In an age when everything is on YouTube and everyone has a video recorder in their pocket, how do you make the case for not allowing it? It doesn't seem to be enough to tell them that we are simply not allowed, by law, when "all the other kids are doing it."

------------------------------
Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------