Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Outdoor DVD screening licenses (UK)

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Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 06-06-2003, 07:29 PM:

In a UK style, word yall’s.

We are a student venue that runs 35mm indoors. We are planning to have an outdoor DVD screening in September. What licenses do we need for this? We will be booking a DVD through FilmQuest.

The Bars manager at the student union has decided that as well he needs to spend £700 on some “outdoor ents” license. I just wanted to check if he really does need to do that.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 06-06-2003, 08:01 PM:

IMO... Book whichever film you would like to show through your 35mm distributor and just show a DVD instead. When you contract the 35mm print you are bieng granted the liscence to show it publicly regardless of format.

Posted by Per Hauberg (Member # 529) on 06-06-2003, 09:09 PM:

I wouldn't be too sure about that licensing stuff.
When buying distribution rights, You have presentations formats exact specified in the contract, -35 is not 16 or 70 mm, just 35. Not all distributors have the rigths to allow You this kind of run. Better get it all cleared up in good time - and get on paper !

p.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 06-06-2003, 11:03 PM:

At Edinburgh University Film Society we have shown films outdoors [DVD and in the past 35mm] during freshers week.

As far as I'm aware there are two licencing issues that need to be resolved.

First the licencing of the film which is done in the usual way.

Second the venue licencing. This would be from the local council and be a cinema or theatre licence [+ alchol licence]. This would depend on the annoiance to neighbours and saftey issues. During the Edinburgh [Theatre Fringe] Festival many venues have outdoor licences so Edinburgh may be fairly leniant about licences.

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 06-07-2003, 04:24 AM:

Michael,

For indoor / outdoor DVD screening licences in the UK. You will need to book through Filmbank Distributors Limited who represent all the major & small distributors for DVD. The discs will also be professional higher quality than domestic DVD.

Filmbank are the main non-theatrical distributor in the U.K. Filmbank provide licencing for persons/companies wishing to show films to a public/private audience.

It is breaching copyright to hire or purchase videos or DVD's from rental outlets or any other retailer for screenings taking place outside of the home. [Embarrassed]

Filmbank Distributors Limited, 98 Theobald's Road, London WC1X 8WB

Visit the web site for additional information. Note you will be able to obtain a catalogue. [thumbsup]

www.filmbank.co.uk

Never heard of FilmQuest myself, but you might get a better deal with Filmbank direct.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 06-07-2003, 12:26 PM:

We will be booking the DVD through FilmQuest as they are our usuall booker.

Sounds like it's the venue license that our Bars manager wants to buy.

Posted by Darren Briggs (Member # 1071) on 06-08-2003, 05:50 AM:

I think you should get advice from the CEA, as they are getting very very tough on people screening DVD etc in bars etc, why not just do it correctly and use proper film, 35mm.
We can do you a hire of our Air Screen and proj gear.

Darren

City Screen

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-08-2003, 07:54 AM:

Do Filmbank still do 16mm NTD rentals? Couldn't find any mention on their website.

Posted by Michael Harlow (Member # 1353) on 06-08-2003, 09:33 AM:

I'm not really sure about this, so i'll make no comment [Wink]

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 06-08-2003, 06:26 PM:

I remember the issue coming up before on these forums and it was said (at least in the united states) that is does not matter what format you show it on when you sign the contract to show a certain film you are bieng granted liscense to show the movie regardless of format. I believe a few people have mentioned that they would book 16mm prints of a particular film and use a collectors 35mm print for the show.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-09-2003, 02:07 AM:

I'm not sure what the letter of the law says over here, but suspect that it would come down to the wording of the licence agreement. The product you are buying from the distributor is a licence to screen a given film at a given venue on a given day and with certain strings attached (e.g. no external advertising, no admission charge). If one of those strings states that you must show the media provided by the distributor (be that a DVD, a 16mm print or whatever), then obviously you are not allowed to use any other copy of the film in any format.

From my student film society days I seem to remember that Filmbank, Glenbuck and the like charged more for 16mm than for VHS. That wasn't just for shipping costs, which were listed as a separate item on the invoice; the licence actually cost more. I guessed it was higher to reflect the fact that 16mm gives a higher quality picture than VHS (well, potentially at any rate). By that logic 35mm would cost even more still.

If you want to show a print supplied by a third party, either theatrically or non-theatrically, my inclination would be to go straight to the rights owner and pay a licence (clearance) fee only. That is what rep cinemas do when showing prints supplied by archives.

Filmbank's statement on non-theatrical licences.

Posted by Mike Rendall (Member # 1499) on 06-13-2003, 03:58 AM:

From experience in these matters.

The distributors are not the same in the UK for 35mm and DVD. If you book a film on 35mm and show a DVD instead you are effectively breaking the licensing agreement even though you have officially booked the film.

We have shown films outside before (every summer infact,) and normally as long as the location has a public performance licence then that is OK. If the only people attending are members of the university and not the general public then I think you are also covered by club membership licensing.

See if you can get 16mm copies, it is always much better to screen from real film rather than DVD. I am looking to purchase some portable 35mm machines especially for this purpose.

Hope this helps.

p.s. Maggie at Filmquest will be able to answer all your questions, just say you have been speaking to me about it and it may remind her of all the issues with non-existant prints from a couple of years ago!