legal Reinacting a movie scene in another movie

[sfoster]

My characters sister (8) is trying to be an actress to help her poor family make money.
Can I legally have her practice acting at home reading through a scene from interview with the vampire, while her brother holds a script to read the other parts?

I'm guessing I have to pick something public domain like peter pan but might as well ask.

 

[mlesemann]

Your instinct is right - you need to go with something in the public domain.

 

[sfoster]

Such a shame. It would have been nice to do a quick little homage. Thanks.

 

[mlesemann]

There's a chance no one would notice but it's not legal so it's not good policy.

 

[indietalk]

Bram Stoker's Dracula

 

[sfoster]

I wrote it as a fake commercial instead, it's kinda funny IMO so I'm happy with the alternative.

Emilia sits at the table -- pantomimes eating a chip.
              EMILIA
    Hey these aren't Ridgleys chips.

Her face shifts from angry disappointment into puppy eyes.

               EMILIA
     Don't you love me Mom?

Alex sets a folded, brown paper bag in front of her.

               EMILIA
     Ridgley's the best! Mom, you do love me!

I need to rename these basic ass characters
I named her Emilia after Daenerys lol.

 

[mlesemann]

Great choice! And yes it's funny

 

[indietalk]

A film in a film, good idea. All those funny shorts you never filmed are now up for grabs in this scene or another one.

 

[Nate North]

I doubt this adds much to the conversation, but just as a point of curiosity, here's one of my favorite movie within a movie scenes. Unfortunately it's from a terrible movie, but the scene was fun. Perhaps there is some legal workaround by doing it as a play, of they got a license, I don't know. Watching it again, I'm not sure it violates any copyrights. Maybe there's a way to reference other works without legal issues.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

It could be fair use - I'm not up on entertainment law, but, if you read just a paragraph or two, it should be OK.

 

[indietalk]

Nope