Legal protection for US video remix artists

The Electronic Frontier Foundation last week won a landmark ruling for increased legal protection of remix artists. The Copyright Office and Librarian of Congress in the US granted three critical exemptions from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) anti-circumvention provisions, including one for video artists.

From the EFF media release:

"Noncommercial videos are a powerful art form online, and many use short clips from popular movies. Finally the creative people that make those videos won't have to worry that they are breaking the law in the process, even though their works are clearly fair uses. That benefits everyone — from the artists themselves to those of us who enjoy watching the amazing works they create"

Since 2004, MOD Films has been developing the relationship between commercial media producers and the amateur/non-commercial creative community. Last week's ruling is an exciting development in the space. It empowers our US audience to engage in remix culture and reversionable storytelling more freely. MOD Films has long promoted the attribution of source material as a healthy and respectful approach for those who remix. Now US artists can do so without fear of legal repercussions under the DMCA. We hope that other jurisdictions around the world will follow suit in clarifying this area of copyright law.

For more information on our plans for showcasing remixable media as it applies to storytelling at-large, have a look at our recently submitted Creative Commons Catalyst Grant application - remixablemedia.com - tracking the use of media across productions. What do you think? It's time for a new conversation.

Next Generation Audience Engagement at MIPTV

MOD Films has been selected to present at April's prestigious Content 360 competition, at MIPTV in Cannes (France) in April.

MOD Films is one of only 10 entrants shortlisted to present a 3-minute pitch to the international judging panel in the category "Next Generation Audience Engagement". Their successful submission presents a new format for delivering content across TV, online, mobile and live event platforms.

"We are thrilled and honoured to have been shortlisted", says MOD Films director, Michela Ledwidge. "It is a great learning opportunity and we are looking forward to meeting lots of people and having some fun, too."

MOD Films is one of only two Australian entries shortlisted to pitch at MIPTV, the world's largest market for television content. Michela will also be spending several days on the trip having meetings in London before returning to Sydney.

Contact us at MIPTV on +33 6 68 954 789 and download our slate.

dirtgirlworld

MOD Films congratulates mememe productions and partners on the successful launch of dirtgirlworld, a crossmedia series for preschoolers now screening on ABC (Australia), CBeebies (UK) and CBC (Canada). Check out dirtgirlworld online which founder Michela Ledwidge helped produce, and which utilised our Rack&Pin service launching soon. Kids, go get grubby!

Babe on a beam

Babe on a beam is an iPhone game by MOD Films founder Michela Ledwidge available now from the iTunes AppStore.

PRESS RELEASE: Film Industry Embraces Change

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (DOC)
Sydney, Monday 15 June 2009

The Sydney Film Festival’s inaugural Peter Rasmussen Innovation Award has been presented to Michela Ledwidge in acknowledgement of her cutting edge screen projects.

Open Video Conference

MOD Films will be at the inaugural Open Video Conference, NYU June 19-20. Looking forward to meeting many of the pioneers in open media culture and technology. Drop us a line if you are going and want to meet up or tweet us!

Rack and Pin

Behind the scenes, we have been hard at work on a new cloud service we're calling Rack and Pin aimed at crossmedia productions. Rack and Pin-hosted shows include the iPhone game Babe on a beam due out in June and dirtgirlworld, a major new multi-platform children's cartoon series, which will air on TV and online later this year.

Sanctuary interview on ABC Media Report

Sanctuary on the ABC Radio National Media Report from Michela Ledwidge on Vimeo.

Read the transcript on the ABC Media Report website.

remixmylit at the Melbourne International Writers Festival

The Jammed AFI screener service

MOD Films is piloting a feature film 'screener' download service to enable Australian Film Institute voting members to view indie hit The Jammed directed by Dee McLachlan. Producer Andrew Buck said "We would like members to have the option to see the film where, when and how best suits them". inside film magazine described the service as 'a landmark move that will surely be copied in years to come'.

UPDATE - The Jammed scores seven AFI nominations

Machinima

Machinima is one of the most exciting contemporary forms of film-making. Using commercial video games and other real-time audio-visual tools, machinima creators are exploring innovative forms of story-telling three times faster, and at a fith of the cost, of conventional film-making.

MOD Films has been involved in a number of machinima productions.

Sanctuary (2004-ongoing)

MOD Films is producing "Sanctuary" - the world’s first purpose-built re-mixable sci-fi, shot on 35mm and engineered for cinema release, real-time AV platforms and MOD’ing via social media. Large virtual team and input from many game MOD, VJ and fan film communities.

http://modfilms.com/sanctuary

Featured Commoner

Read the MOD Films article on the Creative Commons website. Michela Ledwidge explains the background to the business and the use of open licensing in the company's first re-mixable film, Sanctuary .

Watch the MOD Films trailer

MOD Films gave a sneak peek at the future of film-making to participants at the Cannes Film Festival between 18th and 24th May.

Download MOD Films Cannes 2006 slate

Download Sanctuary information for Cannes

WANTED: Volunteer Artists

MOD Films is looking for talent to VOLUNTEER and HELP complete post production on our re-mixable sci-fi Sanctuary. All contributions will need to be assigned over to MOD Films so we can release the entire work under a free-for-non-commercial use license (see Creative Commons).

Call for Re-Mixers

MOD Films is looking for people to mess with our re-mixable film pilot.

Who sampling what?

"A bad artist imitates, a good artist steals." Pablo Picasso

Sampling culture is booming, re-mixes are becoming more and more widespread but how far does the influence spread?

The MOD Films FAQ

What is MOD Films

MOD Films was founded to explore a more ecological approach to high-end storytelling that is both liberating and frightening for content creators and film-makers. What happens when you give an audience full control over a story? We're developing a new relationship to online audiences with "re-mixable films" that can be extended and expanded through MODs (modifications) in the same way as video games. The heart of the business is storytelling. Content creators don't HAVE to give audiences "full control" but we demonstrate the fun and financial incentives for considering it. Every element of the Sanctuary production has been cleared for future re-use, from concept art through to professional cast performances, as part of a world-first social media experiment. The process has not been without controversy and MOD Films is trying to strike a hard balance between operating a sustainable media business whilst really empowering audiences. On the positive side, Sanctuary may be the highest profile unfinished short film ever. Wired Magazine recently acknowledged the project as the first massively multi-player movie and the two-way conversation with our audience has begun. Enough about us... Imagine if you had control over your favourite story. What would you do with it?

What is a MOD?

1. stylishly modern, esp. as regards dress.
2. of or relating to an unconventional style of dress in the 1960s in Great Britain, involving bold modern designs such as miniskirts.
3. a music "module" file format containing sound samples and pattern data, as distinct from data-only MIDI files.
4. a modification of a game made by a player
5. a modification of a story made by the audience

MODs are the key to remixable film, revisable films, reversionable films, reusable films...