Shooting a local music artist...

[insanepinoy]

...and was wondering what type of release form I'll need. I will be getting paid a small amount for this shoot. I'm giving him a CD with the original and edited images. Any suggestions appreciated???

[timxdrama]

ive been dealing with this recently as well, unsuccessfully. make sure you get a release that explains you own the images but he has explicit use for (certain time period) or for (promotion of ______ album). also make sure you can use for your portfolio!

[shannon_fontaine]

Randy,

Good news for you, my young friend, that sound like a chance for some really cool work.

If you're shooting a big name act they pay a lot of money to own the pictures, most of the time. The standard flat rate -as far as my music biz friends tell me- at the high end here in Nashville is somewhere around ten grand for a shoot with a major artist and the artist ends up with all rights to the stuff.

That doesn't include what they call 'merch' -short for merchandise. If you shoot the pics that go onto the posters or what have an artist sells, you get more money, assuming you were smart enough to negotiate that into the deal.

For a new act, but still signed to a record deal, the price is REALLY negotiable. I'm not telling you what I heard, I'm telling you what I know.

Back to the big leagues for a second...I have a dear friend who works in management with a major league country star and she told me not too long ago about a certain female artist causing a major uproar at her label when she insisted on going to a big name west coast shooter and the guy billed the label fifty grand for the pics!

Anyway, lower down the totem pole, -you know, my neighborhood [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]- you really just need to be flexible and realistic. Sounds like you've agreed on a price, great. My approach at that level is to make sure the guy walks out with a fistful of killer shots that he uses on his website and his promo and that you make sure and get a photot credit whever possible, especially on his website.

As far as ownership, he can't afford to buy the 'rights' from you but what are those rights actually worth to anyone but you and him? Nice to think that your genius and his amazing songwriting skills are going to land the shots on the cover of Rolling Stone but in real life....?

Just do a really simple release that gives you both the rights to use the shots for promo.

What I'm saying is, use the gig for money/experience/exposure/ownership of the prints in that order and I'm basing that solely on my personal experience.

Main thing you need to do, repeat, the MAIN THING YOU NEED TO DO is totally kick ass on the shooting. You get started in the local music scene you can make a few bucks so make sure this guy goes out into the world and tells everybody you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, okay?

I've got some nuts and bolts tips if you want, just email me.

Now go kick some butt. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Shannon