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watch Security Company Online Ad

Hey folks...long time.

After a break from the industry, I'm back working for a security company as their new "Video & Media Specialist".

I recently created an online commercial for the company based on the "Sh*t _____ Say" meme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK6h91nhVnE

Would love to get some feedback. Especially form you old timers who know who the hell I am.
 
Feel honored, oh venerated one... yours is the first of the Meme I've ever seen (I've simply refused to watch them up to this point). It was really fun, is that the final music you're going to use in it?

"Who needs that many copies of showgirls!" (comedy gold).
 
:lol:

That was genuinely rather funny, unlike most of the other attempts at this meme that I've seen.

(Bonus points for Home Alone/Wet Bandits reference.)
 
Haha, that was pretty funny, nice job. I almost woke up my wife laughing.

(side note) Im 90% sure that doesnt quality for a fair use act. I could be wrong but just thinking out loud.
 
I did a lot of research regarding "fair use" before creating the video. I read info available online, spoke with a few lawyers, and entered into holy commune with the gods of anti-piracy. What I figured out is that the laws governing "fair use" are ambiguous and confusing and that there is no common interpretation of the laws.

Our argument here would be based on parody. The final song, "Oh Yeah", is the most obvious parody (parody of Ferris Bueller's Day Off), while the other two are a little harder to argue. If I were forced to make a case, I would say the parody is derived from the idea of men dancing to songs about women. A weak argument, sure.

I shared this with my bosses and we decided to go forward with the video as is.

The other option I was weighing was using royalty free "sound-a-like" songs. However, I could not find any that either a) sounded professional or b) were cost effective.

If we end up having the video removed, then we end up having the video removed. If it were a bigger hit, then it would be a bigger issue. But today marks two weeks of the video being online and it has yet to hit 4,000 views.

BTW, thanks for the compliments!
 
That's more views than I normally get for my videos after a few years being online :) I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't being put up without the possible problems being looked at!
 
Cute piece, Nicklaus! Bet it was fun to make something like that and get paid for it. :)

My only criticism would be the length of it. After a while, I started checking the time. I think you could whittle it down to just the best bits and have a really tight, engaging ad. Just me.

the laws governing "fair use" are ambiguous and confusing and that there is no common interpretation of the laws

It may seem that way, but Fair Use is actually quite clear. Bottom line: it doesn't apply to what you're doing at all, and your use of copyrighted music does make you and/or your company liable if someone wanted to take legal action. Not telling you to change anything if you don't want to; just puttin' it out there. :cool:
 
That's more views than I normally get for my videos after a few years being online :)

You remember Spat (aka Dennis)? His video Shit Rich People Say has over 125,000 views in a little less than a month (it hit 80,000 in a few short days).

I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't being put up without the possible problems being looked at!

No prob. It was something that we looked long and hard at before uploading.

My only criticism would be the length of it. After a while, I started checking the time. I think you could whittle it down to just the best bits and have a really tight, engaging ad. Just me.

We're talking about creating actual TV Spots based on the three burglars in the vid. They will be spots of the :15 & :30 variety.

This video ran long because I wanted to cram all the best ideas in. And from the feedback I've received, there don't seem to be any throw away one-liners...everyone single one of them has been someone's favorite.

But the length is a big regret I have. YT analytics show that the audience drops off slightly about :45 in, and then drops off even more about 1:00 in.

...Fair Use is actually quite clear. Bottom line: it doesn't apply to what you're doing at all, and your use of copyrighted music does make you and/or your company liable if someone wanted to take legal action. Not telling you to change anything if you don't want to; just puttin' it out there. :cool:

Are you a legal professional? Not trying to be an ass, I'm genuinely asking. Because one of the lawyers I consulted is a copyright lawyer. In fact, a direct quote from our conversation: "'Fair Use' is so vague. Any time someone claims it, I advise my client to back off."

If you are (or know) a legal professional, I'd love to discuss the laws more.

BTW, that vagueness is a double edged sword. The Fair Use Doctrine could also be used by a record label to prosecute individuals who use copyrighted music in their videos. We're definitely walking a tight rope with this video, no doubt. But again, I did my due diligence and reported the possibilities to my bosses.
 
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YT analytics show that the audience drops off slightly about :45 in, and then drops off even more about 1:00 in.

Yeah, that sounds about like where my patience started to waver.

one of the lawyers I consulted is a copyright lawyer. In fact, a direct quote from our conversation: "'Fair Use' is so vague. Any time someone claims it, I advise my client to back off."

No offense if he's a friend of yours, but that lawyer sounds like kind of an idiot, especially for a copyright lawyer! :eek:

I ran the audio-visual department at a college for 23+ years. It was my job to know the copyright laws and make certain they were enforced on behalf of the campus entire. Educational institutions are prime targets for legal action because of how much goes on there. If I didn't perform my due diligence to make sure everyone toed the line, it was my ass on that line.

Fair Use primarily applies to educational institutions and news reporting entities. It allows copyrighted material to be shown in a classroom setting for registered students, or excerpted for purposes of news reporting or critical review. In no case does it allow copyrighted work to be reproduced, in whole or in part, or incorporated into another work intended for public consumption without prior permission from the copyright holder.

Again, that said, I have no dog in this fight. I'm not the copyright police and I'm certainly not gonna turn you in. Not my job anymore. :D
 
Fair Use primarily applies to educational institutions and news reporting entities. It allows copyrighted material to be shown in a classroom setting for registered students, or excerpted for purposes of news reporting or critical review.

That has been my take on it for many, many years (having worked in television news for a while, I understood that was how we "got away" with using copyrighted songs and such). But a few recent conversations with filmmakers and online content producers made me want to take a closer look.

Again, that said, I have no dog in this fight. I'm not the copyright police and I'm certainly not gonna turn you in. Not my job anymore. :D

:seeya:

That was pretty funny. I liked it. All the references were great.

Thanks!
 
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