Should I or shouldn't I?

[Miss Mayberry]

I recently went to see a show at the community theatre and while I was there, I got several pictures and two one-minute videos of the play.

I'm really good friend's with the threatre's photographer/videographer, and I'm sure he'll want to see them. The theatre's website also posts a page of pictures from each show, and I'm just looking to contribute, maybe put up the small video to show outsiders what a well-organized and professional theatre we are.

Anyway, I would like to get these to someone on the board of directors, but I'm wondering...should I mention that I have the videos? Would they be grateful or would I be getting myself in trouble? There is never any mention of prohibited videoing during the shows, but I'm just wondering if this would be smart.

 

[Penguin50388]

Well I would ask the theatre's photographer/videographer since you said you know that person. Different theatres have different thoughts on filming plays. I do not believe that short clips like that would be breaking laws.

If you want to make a video to show how well organized and stuff, then I would suggest getting some video of an audition, a couple practices, some sound and light board working (including focusing) and then a couple minutes of different clips of a final performance then put it together. That wouldn't offend the board of directors and it would let them know that you are taking more intrest than just filming a couple minutes during a play.

 

[romaneagle13]

Given that it's community theater and not professional/commercial (Broadway-type) theater company, you may be ok. I have been involved in community amateur productions and we had parents and other people taping the shows and there were not problems with it. You just have tiny clips, it's not like you taped the whole thing and want to profit off of it. If you approach the people who do the website and the taping and offer your footage as help and not competition they may be very willing to work with you. In fact they might want to enlist your help in the future.

 

[Miss Mayberry]

If you want to make a video to show how well organized and stuff, then I would suggest getting some video of an audition, a couple practices, some sound and light board working (including focusing) and then a couple minutes of different clips of a final performance then put it together.

That's exactly what the videographer does. Not only do I personally not have time to go to auditions, rehearsals, and performances for a show I'm not otherwise involved in (especially since the theatre is forty-five minutes, one-way), I'm not sure the actual videographer would be pleased with my overtaking of his 'job'.

It's not worth the risk. Just in case they might happen to have some sort of problem with it, I'll keep it to myself. There is a big family very actively involved in the theatre (one sister directs, one is the secretary, and her husband donates thousands to the theatre) that are very particular about that sort of thing, and if they had a problem with it, the rest of my theatre experience would be a nightmare, they'd see to that.