This material is licensed for creative reuse by emerging filmmakers on course-related projects in schools, further and higher education institutions and training schemes in the UK and Ireland. It is licensed free of charge until 2030 on a non-commercial basis.

How much of it can I use?

Extracts of up to two minutes from each film may be used in student productions.

What restrictions do I need to keep in mind?

You can’t alter or misrepresent the editorial integrity of the archive film you use, or make use of it in a way that is derogatory to the film or any person appearing or depicted in it. You should also credit the film and its supplier in your end credits, using the suggested credit line listed under each film entry.

How can my organisation join the scheme?

Academic staff, technicians or librarians can register for access to our online platform here. If you’re the first member of staff to register from your institution, you’ll be asked to read and accept the terms of the license agreements provided by our archive partners on behalf of your institution. Any colleagues and students who register after this will then have access. Please email s.osullivan@kingston.ac.uk with any further queries.

What is your recommended workflow?

Once the license agreements are signed, staff are given download access to the archive material. They can choose to either download the films on demand; or download and store them on a university server or a file-sharing platform using an institutional account.
Tutors invite students to browse films on the website and click through to watch films of interest on the online players of the contributing archives.
Students request master footage for one or two films from their tutors. Files are generally under 1Gb and encoded as mp4 QuickTime files at 2-3 Mbit/s.
Tutors share download links to individual films with students, advising them of the terms of use of the license. You should not share a link to all content with students.
Students film a creative response to the archive film and integrate clips of it into their production, including the suggested credit line in the end credits.

Can I upload a film using this archive material to YouTube?

No. Under the terms of the license, this archive material is licensed solely for use on your course and screening at film festivals.

Can I screen my film at film festivals?

The contributing archives have provided access to material from their collections to be used non-commercially and in personal course-related educational projects. The contributing archives have no specific objections to students submitting films at one-off, public events such as screenings or film festivals which operate on a non-profit basis. This may include events with an academic or non-commercial purpose which charge a modest entry fee to recover costs but not generate profit. It does not include festivals or events with a commercial purpose.

Examples of non-profit film festivals run by charities include the BFI London Film Festival, Encounters Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Foyle Film Festival, Leeds Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.

The films should not be uploaded online for any reason without permission. A short online screening of one week or less may be exceptionally allowed for film festivals which are ticketed and meet the not-for-profit criteria above.

Please remember you are responsible for seeking clearance for any other contributor rights or copyright within the clips. If in doubt about any of this, please email s.osullivan@kingston.ac.uk and we would be happy to assess on a case by case basis.

Where can I find guidance on copyright and “fair use”?

Learning on Screen have an excellent guide to copyright on their website and run courses on creative reuse and copyright: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/copyright-guidance/

We also recommend the Copyright User website and the Code of Best Practices on Creative Reuse for Documentary Filmmakers.

Will you be adding more films to the scheme?

Yes! We plan to expand the range of films offered through the scheme and welcome your suggestions. We would also love to hear from national and regional archives who would like to contribute films from their collections. Please contact s.osullivan@kingston.ac.uk with your queries and suggestions.

Where can I find music and sound effects for my film?

The BBC have made 33,000 sound effects available for download for "personal, educational, or research purposes" at http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/

You can also find royalty-free music and sound effects at YouTube Audio Library and music at Moby Gratis, Ben Sound and Free to Use Sounds