Not Trailer Trash

May 25, 2006 12:22 PM

Royalty-free video sources for trade shows? I have a trade show coming up in a few weeks. As part of our technology demo we want to show relatively high-quality video signals passing through our devices.

I believe there may be some restictions regarding "public performance" that attach to showing a DVD movie (say). I've seen vendors at past trade shows playing movie trailers. My questions:

1) Are movie trailers shown because they are promotional devices for movies, thus deliberately exempted from "public performance" restrictions by studios?

2) Where can I get some of these trailers on DVD?

[Please note that we have already ruled-out using web cams for a video source.] Thanks!

posted by ZenMasterThis to media & arts (4 comments total)

[In the US, BTW.]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 12:36 PM on May 25, 2006

Stuff made by the US government is not copyrighted. There are a few HDTV movies produced by NASA that look fantastic (1, 2). Unfortunately they're focused on the Shuttle, which with its recent negative image may not project the right impression about your product.
posted by zsazsa at 12:45 PM on May 25, 2006

The internet archive has a massive collection of video.
posted by Jairus at 1:15 PM on May 25, 2006

Movie trailers are not exempted - SAG cares very much if you use actors' liknesses to promote your services/products without providing compensation. While it's very unlikely that you'll get busted, is is a possibility.
posted by gregariousrecluse at 1:23 PM on May 25, 2006