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DAVID TODD: Hi, my name is David Todd, and I'm the coordinator of the CApture Film Festival and the digital engagement officer here at the Arts Unit.

KARISHMA MATHUR: Hi. I'm Karishma Mathur, and I'm the Film By officer at the Arts Unit.

In this video, we're going to talk through the best way for you to use third-party content in your movie for a film festival and how to attribute it to your film credits.

DAVID TODD: In simple terms, if you use music, sounds, photos, graphics or video elements that you didn't create, you'll need to get permission to use them as well as acknowledging them accurately in your credits.

For more information about what copyright is, please refer to this video that can be found in our 'Lights, camera, action!' resource.

KARISHMA MATHUR: My advice to any filmmaker would be to try to create all your own audiovisual materials and not rely on third-party content. I would recommend this highly in relation to imagery. Please don't use photographs, graphics or video that you did not create wherever possible.

DAVID TODD: When it comes to audio, we're not all composers, so it's understandable to search online to find ways to create your film score.

If you're not musical, don't despair. You can create a film score by recording your own percussive rhythms using whatever instruments or tools you have at your disposal. If you have GarageBand or a similar audio recording and mixing application, you could even create a layered track with some beat and some vocals. Not all vocals need to be sung. Humming or mimicking sounds are equally effective in a film score. Sound effects can also be created this way.

GarageBand provides users with instrumental, vocal and rhythmic loops that can be arranged into an original track. Apple's GarageBand licence allows you to use these elements in your film score on a royalty-free basis and without the need to seek further licence permissions.

KARISHMA MATHUR: Outside of creating compositions for your film, you may choose to use music that has been created by a third party. If you choose to do this, please make sure you keep these things in mind.

Do not use commercially available music without the permission of the copyright owners. If you want to perform a piece of music in your film, for example, sing a Taylor Swift song, you need to get permission from the music publisher. If you want to use an existing sound recording, for example, your favourite iTunes track, you need to seek permission from both the music publisher and the record company. These kinds of permissions can be very time-consuming and must be obtained in writing, so we generally advise avoiding this kind of use of music.

DAVID TODD: Be careful using music from old recordings, for example, silent films or old records, that state they are in the public domain in the United States or other territories, as they may not be in the public domain in Australia.

Music found on YouTube that advises that it is copyright or royalty-free is often only free to use if your video is made to be shown on YouTube or other social media channels. This means this free licence may not extend to allowing the music to be used in the film to be shown at film festivals or on the Arts Unit's website.

One of the safest ways to find free-to-use music is to search online for music released under a Creative Commons licence. The only requirement is that you attribute it correctly at the end of your film. This usually involves identifying the name, the track and the copyright owner and the type of Creative Commons licence under which it has been made available.

You can also find music by going to one of the many royalty-free music libraries on the internet. However, these sites generally require payment of a modest up-front licence fee to use their music.

KARISHMA MATHUR: Stay away from sites that distribute music illegally. These sites are easy to spot as they're usually filled with pop-up ads and, even worse, malware.

Don't take music or video from sites that don't provide a clear way for you to download the content to your desktop. If you need to find workarounds, for example, ripping content from YouTube or SoundCloud using third-party applications, this means you are probably downloading the content illegally. Any creator that is able to license their content to you will always provide a clear way for you to download it to your desktop.

Remember, always read the terms and conditions, and if in doubt, contact the National Copyright Unit, also known as Smartcopying, who can provide you with copyright advice free of charge.

DAVID TODD: When attributing third-party content, the copyright owner usually advises in writing how they want it to be credited. This credit can include details like the name of the work, the creator, the performer, the copyright owner, the licence details or special permissions, and so forth.

In addition to that, we also ask to include where you sourced the content from, for example, the URL.

KARISHMA MATHUR: For more advice on where to source music or how to write attributions, go to the film program page on the Arts Unit website.

If you compose your own audio for your film, don't forget to credit yourself! You worked really hard to create that score, and you deserve to be credited. This also helps anyone viewing your film understand where the music comes from.

Just remember, as long as your third-party content follows these rules and is listed properly in your credits, your film will be able to be screened at the festival and shared online.

DAVID TODD: I hope this information wasn't too overwhelming. There definitely are some complicated elements to third-party licensing, and we hope this video has helped explain the different rules.

Get creative, get filming, and--

DAVID TODD AND KARISHMA MATHUR: --happy filmmaking!

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