How Do You Get Permission To Use Movie Stills?
Publicity stills are needed if your movie gets distribution or plays the festival circuit. A photographer is hired by the producer or line producer to take behind-the-scenes and promotional stills. Usually, a photographer is hired for one week in which all the movies stars are present on set. Hire an experienced production still photographer with a good portfolio. Ask your colleagues who they’ve used in a past. Pick the one who has the best relationships with the actors by being cordial and unobtrusive. Another option is to hire an experienced photojournalist (a newspaper of TV photographer). Draft a letter of agreement with the photographer. The letter has to confirm your agreement with him in respect to the services to be rendered. His services should be deemed as a “work for hire” and your production must retain all rights whatsoever to all the stills and negatives. The only rights you should grant are the rights to use the stills as work samples. Try to negotiate with the photograp
