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JULY 2011

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For clearance pros, getting the shot you need takes more than just locating it. By Randi Altman Other times finding a clip is as easy as calling on one of the big stock houses and getting a clip bin to look through.And other times it involves YouTube or layers and layers of permissions if it’s a film clip. Either way, making sure clients have the right to use this footage is paramount. S RANDA CARDWELL Randa Cardwell is a clearance supervisor who, while at Base Productions (www.basepro- ductions.com), was tasked with acquiring all the footage needed for the National Geo- graphic series Known Universe, which is in its third season. According to National Geo, Known Universe “explores fascinating mysteries of our uni- verse, from killer asteroids and sun storms to massive volcanoes and life on other planets.” That gives someone like Cardwell (sittranda@gmail.com) a lot to do. ometimes those tasked with finding and clearing imagery for use in TV, films, commercials or the Web need to rely on good old-fashioned detective work. While some producers offer general terms when expressing their needs, oth- ers want a specific golf swing or motion, and that’s when the fun (or challenge) begins for these rights clearance experts. Randa Cardwell called on Mammoth HD’s collection of lava to help illustrate coverage in National Geographic’s series. Where to begin? NASA, which Cardwell says controls a large amount of space visuals. For Discovery’s , Cleared By Ashley’s Ashley Kravitz licensed footage of Alaska and called on resources within the state. “Being a government agency, the footage is free and accessible in the public domain, but NASA is a big organization and there are lot of different places to go and all kinds of sources.” Apparently there are at least a dozen pathways to footage through NASA, some easier to get to than others. “Every one of their organizations has their footage either displayed or somehow accessible,” explains Cardwell.“For example, there is an office at the Johnson Space Center, where you can make requests; that is the only way it’s available.Then you have JPL in Pasadena; most of their stuff is online. And there is Goddard, which offers a multitude of formats.” NASA’s imagery is predominantly digital — SD and HD — “and some of their footage is being uploaded to YouTube and their own carriers, and you download it,” she says. For Known Universe, Caldwell also called on Clark Dunbar at Mammoth HD for some royalty-free lava.“He has a good collection with some nice aerials, so sometimes we buy specific shots from him, but we mostly go with his royalty free stuff because you can get it at a decent rate — everything in my world is cost. Base uses a lot of footage — they’ll speed it up, put effects on it, etc., so I tend to look for the best deal I can get at the lowest price, and Clark has a little bit of both.” Kno wn Universe Flying Wild Alaska

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