Infinite Possibilities: Creative Commons and Video July 29th, 2012 / Comments: 0 Want to get creative with your video projects? Check out Creative Commons. You might’ve heard of Creative Commons, or “CC”, before. It’s a version of copyright for the digital age – a world where everyone and anyone can be a creator. It can be applied to music, words, video – pretty much anything that would be subject to normal copyrights. The difference is that it gives creators an easy way to license their work for use by others – free of cost. This video sums it up nicely. Using CC, countless people have licensed their work to be used in other creations. This has opened up a whole universe of content. What does this mean for video? Well, it gives you an endless palate of clips and content to choose from. Here are just a few ideas: - Find “b-roll” clips to add atmosphere to your videos - Download dialogue or a soundtrack - Add CC photos to your videos (no cheesy stock photo site necessary) - Collaborate with friends on a project You can also license your own work, customizing to your exact needs. No paperwork needed here. As CC puts it: “There is no registration to use the Creative Commons licenses. Licensing a work is as simple as selecting which of the six licenses best meets your goals, and then marking your work in some way so that others know that you have chosen to release the work under the terms of that license.” So where can you find CC material for use in your own productions? Well, there’s a vast reservoir of content out there, just waiting to be tapped: Here are just a few links to check out. A list of several CC media sites Another great list of CC-focused sites An excellent resource for CC-licensed audio A thorough FAQ to help you get started with CC Have fun creating! And if you make something with CC media and want to share it, let us know; we’ll feature it on our social channels!
