It is necessary to obtain permission from your cast (that is, all the people who appear in your film) and crew (that is, all the people who work on your film) to use them in your film. This “permission” is provided in a written document called a “Release.” In addition, you need to sign a release yourself, so that Girl Scouts of the USA can use your film for the competition and after the Competition. There are two releases in your bundle of materials, one to use for your cast and crew and one for you.

1. Cast and Crew Release For The Girls Go Film Competition: You should have all members of your cast and crew sign a copy of this release before they begin doing any work on your film. If any of the members of your cast or crew are under 18 years old, you should also make sure their parents sign the release.
2. Girl Scout Entrant Release For The Girls Go Film Competition: You should sign this release yourself before you submit your film and other materials to The Girls Go Film Competition. If you are under 18 years old, you should also make sure your parents sign this release.

In addition to the releases for the people working on the film, you will need to submit a Standard Location Release if the film shows any places other than your own home.

Standard Location Release: Have the Standard Location Release signed by whomever owns or is responsible for the place where you are filming. If you use the home of a friend as the set of your film, have your friend’s parents sign this Release. If you are using a public place, like the local supermarket or library, have the manager, director or other person in charge of the place sign the Standard Location Release. You will need a Standard Location Release for each place that appears in your film.

Under United States law, the author of a book, the artist who creates a painting or the creator of any other work, is protected by copyright law so that others cannot use those works without the creator’s permission. You need to be certain that you are not using the work of others without their permission when you make your film. Even showing a painting in your film that was done by another could violate their copyright in their work. (See below for issues relating to the use of other’s music in your film.) It will be easiest for you in making your film to avoid using the work of anyone who has not signed a release. If someone tells you that a certain work is in “the public domain” that means that no one is claiming copyright on the work or that the work was created so long ago that copyright protection is no longer available. You need to be certain that if a person tells you a work is in the public domain, the person who tells you is reliable. Using a work in your film that is covered by copyright without first obtaining a release may cause your film to be disqualified from The Girls Go Film Competition.

The film that you create and the script you prepare are also protected by U.S. copyright law. We suggest that you apply for registration of your film and script before you submit them to the contest but it is not mandatory. You may obtain an application form for registration of the copyrights in your film and script by going to http://www.copyright.gov. Look at the right side of the Web page and click on “Literary Works” for the script and “Visual Arts” for the film. The copyright Web site provides step by step instructions on how to file an application for copyright. It costs $30.00 to file an application for copyright registration. If you are having any difficulties, you can also call 202-707-3000 for information.

Avoid using brand names and company names in your film. Companies often require that anyone using their brand names or company names obtain permission before using them in public. It may be difficult to obtain such permission, so the best course is simply to avoid using the brand names and company names.

You should make sure that all the characters in your film are fictional, i.e., that they are not living or dead people and do not resemble living or dead people. Otherwise the people you are representing or their families may not want you to make the film about them. You must also make sure that nothing you say in the film could hurt the reputation of any person, could be offensive to anyone, or might reveal facts about any person that are not already known to the general public.

Music, like the works discussed above, is protected by U.S. copyright laws. It can be difficult and expensive to obtain permission to use the music of others in your film, so we suggest you either do not use music, or obtain “stock” music from the Web. You can obtain stock music by searching the internet for stock music sites. Be sure that the stock music sites allow you to use the music without any restrictions.