copyright Blog and Journals

Okay, as everyone's probably guessed, I don't personally know anyone I'm writing about in this series, and I've had so much research to do for this fanfic series, I thought I'd better post this - just so no one can sue me (or anything else dramatic) for using their names etc.

DISCLAIMER.

The author for this series - me (Jez Heroin) - does not personally know anyone who is mentioned in the story.  All the story content (except for the below mentioned) is either my personal opinion of everything that happened, or complete fiction.

Other information that DOES correspond to real life - names and ages, etc - has been found either in youtube videos, or from obvious sources - myspace comment pages, etc.  The story is FICTION, with FACTUAL REFERENCES.  Basically, it's based on fact but it's my own work of fiction.  Anything that I have made up - that actually DOES correspond to real life, is purely coincidental and I accept no responsibility for it.  I have copyrighted all material used for this fanfic - chapter drafts etc included - so if anyone steals it and publishes it without asking me...beware the consequences. 

One last thing - I am not a stalker.  I thought this would be a very good...event to write a fanfic about, so I've gone as far as necessary to put in the facts, while to an extent, letting people have their privacy.  This basically means....if anyone mentioned in the story finds it, and doesn't like it, it's only their own fault really, isn't it.  If you get famous, you're bound to have people writing fanfics about you.  It's not like I've messaged any of the characters real families and bribed them for details.

Okay, sorry about that, but it had to be done.....hopefully this wasn't a complete waste of time.  I'm willing for people to publish this series on other sites, as long as they message me and ask permission (and credit me, obviously lol).

So yeah, next chapter of Promise will be up asap, it's written out, I just need to figure out an ending.  And don't give up on Gorgeous either - we're still working on the next bit, I haven't heard from Krystal but I guess she's been pretty busy recently.  So yeah, hopefully the next few chapters will be up soon as well :)

Recently, someone has been accusing me of using photos on my blogs without the rights to post them (it was along the lines of, I whine about copyright and then use stock photos in my blogs, OMG!). Someone also asked me on one of my posts a couple months ago, but I don't know if the two things are related.

As I explained to the person who asked on Buzznet, I use PRESS PHOTOS in my blog posts on music news (specifically, in the AFI community although I've done a couple about Muse and Tiger Army, and some older Nine Inch Nails ones)

What's a PRESS PHOTO?

Muse

It's an image that has been specifically released by the band's publicist/record label/management for publication with news articles, reviews and other press about the band. 

I receive a ton of press photos in my email directly from publicists with their press releases or queries on whether I want to photograph or interview the band, and most of the record labels/publicity firms also have them available for press download and use on their websites. 

AFI - Crash Love by Jason O'Dell

In other words, I AM SUPPOSED TO BE USING THESE PHOTOS IN MY POSTS.

There seems to be confusion with some people because they posted photos on Buzznet and the admins deleted them for copyright infringement. If they were deleted, it's because the poster mistook a stock photo or other copyrighted rights reserved image for a press photo, or didn't care what it was and just posted it anyway.

Not all "posed" still photos of a band or musician are press photos. It is very common for agencies, media outlets and photographers to do portrait sessions with a band that are meant for licensing as a stock photo or for exclusive use on their website.

An example of portrait photos that ARE NOT PRESS PHOTOS would be the recent "Exclusive Promo Photos" of AFI by MTV photographer Rene Cervantes, meant to draw people TO MTV's WEBSITE. Not to be reposted all over the Internet so people didn't have to go to MTV.com to see them. Believe me, they're gorgeous and I'd love to use them, but I can't.

MTV.com Exclusive: AFI  Title says "Promo" photos but they are NOT "Press Photos".

What's a STOCK PHOTO?

Photography agencies like Getty, Redferns, Music Pictures, Ltd. etc. carry many portrait shots of bands and musicians (and celebrities, and pictures of sunsets, food, sports) that are made available for licensing, many being shot specifically for licensing from them. They're used in magazines, websites, products, cd covers, merch and are not free to repost by fans or media outlets without paying for them. Buzznet has a subscription with Getty Images and you'll see Bree and others using Getty Images in their posts. Buzznet pays to use these images. When other people post them on the site, they have to delete them or risk penalties with their relationship with Getty. Not all of these images are watermarked, but can be identified by checking them on Getty's archive.

Everyone's seen these shots of AFI on Sing The Sorrow stuff, so it must be a press photo, right? Nope. Stock photo.

What's CREATIVE COMMONS?

In the case of the Nine Inch Nails images I've posted, many aren't press photos, but are instead licensed via a Creative Commons license spelling out the terms by which people may repost them. Rob Sheridan released a TON of images from the Wave Goodbye Tour as CCL. (which is also how Trent releases his tracks and video footage for remixing by fans) You can read more about Creative Commons licensing at http://creativecommons.org

Atticus & Trent. By Rob Sheridan ©2007

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nineinchnails/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Creative Commons Licenses spell out the conditions under which you are allowed to use a copyrighted image (without having to contact the photographer first). They usually restrict it to non-commercial use, share and share alike (other people can take it from you and use it), may or may not allow editing of the image, and you must credit the photographer, specify the terms of the CC licensed image, and link back. You can't post it or anything you create with it as all rights reserved to you, it's still not your image.

If you violate the Creative Commons licensing conditions (for example, by not crediting the photographer or linking back to him), it's copyright infringement.

AFI @ The Roxy

Photograph ©2009 Nic Adler. http://www.flickr.com/photos/whoshotya/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

If anyone has any questions about an image I post. ASK ME. Don't listen to trolls on the internet who are accusing me of things in order to act out a personal grudge. Photography and publishing is MY JOB, and I take it very seriously even when I'm posting things on a site where people frequently assume everyone is 14 years old or posting strictly as a fan.

An annual event in Santa Monica, the American Film Market is a film industry event of networking activity, production and distribution deals, running till November 11, where The AFM transforms The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and the Le Merigot Beach Hotel into a center for activity with 23 screens on the Santa Monica Promenade and the surrounding community put into play for festival activity. Held within the time period of the American Film Market, the city of Santa Monica also hosts the Santa Monica International Film Festival, through November 7, a competition independent film festival that showcases the work of independent feature, documentary and short films filmmakers from around the world. Waterford Film Festival in Greyfriars Waterford, will showcase a wide range of films from feature films, documentaries, animation, short films, experimental and student work. Academy Award nominee Feature Documentary 'No End In Sight', directed by Charles Ferguson, will have its Irish premier at the Festival. Distribution strategist Peter Broderick and journalist and author Scott Kirsner join forces to present a crash course on the new rules of marketing and distribution, especially tailored to the needs of independent filmmakers and artists, at a workshop in Los Angeles, November 7. BMI's 57th Annual Country Awards honors the songwriters and publishers of the top BMI country songs from the past year. At the ceremony, BMI will honor Kris Kristofferson as a BMI Icon in Nashville, November 10. The 43rd Annual CMA Awards takes place at the Sommet Center in Nashville, airing live on the ABC Television Network. The CMA Awards represent the pinnacle of achievement for Country Music artists, musicians, producers, publishers, songwriters, video directors and industry executives.

Hosted by the Nielsen Company and Dow Jones, and guided by the combined editorial teams of The Wall Street Journal, Private Equity Analyst, Barron’s, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek and Editor & Publisher, the Media and Money conference, coming up on November 12 & 13, reveals new strategies for profitability through dynamic panel discussions and high profile keynote interviews. GameSoundCon features two concentrated days of seminars and panel sessions by the industry’s experts on the unique creative and technical challenges of creating audio for games, November 13-14, in San Francisco. The October 16 Video Production for Real People workshop, will go through a typical video production kit (complete with lights), cover camera basics, visualizing your idea (pre-production), shot selection, and ways to shoot so that you won’t have to "fix it in post." Nokia Mobifest Toronto Symposium and Awards is an independent leaning, made for mobile film festival, started by Nokia to distribute mobile films under revenue sharing agreements, and to take a role as well to produce and commission made-for-mobile films. BMI is a sponsor of The Copyright Alliance's Third Annual EXPO taking place on in Washington, DC. This November 17 event will showcase new products and economic benefits of America’s copyright industries that provides a platform for artists, trade associations and companies to exhibit creative work and discuss the future of copyright and its impact on local economies.

Folded into the established Streaming Media West, the new Online Video Platform Summit is a two-day event designed to help organizations of all types — not just those for whom video is their core business — debuting in San Jose, November 17-19. An online expo, produced by Sony, seeks to educate its participants through firsthand online interaction, on new and existing HD solutions based on your budget, through an Interactive Exhibit Hall, product demos, presentations, how-to videos, real-world success stories, group chats, networking, happening November 19, as a web only event at: pro.sony.com/bbsccms/ext/vtsnewecohd/index.shtml?
XID=E:VTS09_register:vtsnewecohdpage. CTN Animation Expo, November 20-22 in Burbank, is hosted by Creative Talent Network® to provide highly focused conference programming, workshops, recruiting, presentations and networking opportunities designed to connect animation artists, studio executives and industry leaders both locally and internationally. The Music In Media Interactive Conference, happening in Hollywood, November 20-22, is designed to inform, educate, entertain and create opportunities for conference attendees, and is specifically focused on conveying what (and who) you need to know to get your music in film, TV, video games, movie trailers, commercials and other forms of contemporary media. Imaginaria Film Festival, in Conversano, November 25-29, is attempting a new experience and new connection between international and independent cinema of a digital nature, through innovativeness fused through technology and creativity in an array of works including, feature film, short film, film and digital, music video, web video and video art installations.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the "Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events" page at actorschecklist.com/news.html. Video and podcast versions of this news summary are also available at popular video sites around the Web like MySpace, YouTube, Daily Motion, as well as on The Actor's Checklist podcast blog at actorschecklist.com/loudblog. Follow the posting of the news summary on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/actorschecklist. This month on the video news summary you will again see a dynamic array of artists in performance of film, music and documentary. These videos are now available on the Free Home Video Showcase at http://www.actorschecklist.com/video which now serves as an archive for all past video presentations but without the audio news narration. The Actor's Checklist is proud announce the return of the photo gallery which you can visit at http://actorschecklist.com/coppermine to upload  head shots or other suitable pictures of your choice, create profiles, and use your pictures or others found on the gallery as ecards which you can email to friends and associates.

OMG I can't believe the numbers!  There have been 38,493 visits / views on my Buzznet Journal posting:  "How did you meet your spouse, significant other,?". LINK  http://artsysf.buzznet.com/user/journal/14451/

The reason I was checking on my Buzznet Journal postings is because I may be adding a blog on Facebook. I haven't looked at my Journals here for ages. Today I deleted almost all of my Buzznet Journals.

When I got to "How did you meet your spouse, significant other,?"  posting I nearly fell off of my chair when I saw the numbers 38,493.

So, obviously I couldn't delete a Journal with that many views, or delete the wonderful responses that people shared how they met their spouse, partner, or significant other. The question was posted was in March 2006.  I did not expect such a responsive viewing audience! I will KEEP that Journal posting for sure!

Thanks for all of your views and for people sharing their stories of how they met !

To READ the stories just CLICK on "OLDER" at the Top Right corner above.  That will take you straight there!

ArtsySF

November 2, 2009

I've posted blogs about "predatory" artist contracts and shooting restrictions in the past...

First Three No Flash, Oh yeah and give us all your pictures for free…

The dying art of gig photography: Today's concert photos strangled by restrictions

as well as one's about other artists who afforded greater creative freedom to their fans...

NIN relaxes policy on audience cameras/recording equipment

and an ongoing current discussion on Flickr's concert photography group

Photography releases are a pressing topic both to concert photographers, and managers trying to protect the band but ensure that they receive press coverage and high quality promotional material is run when they release a new album and start a touring cycle. Most releases I've seen simply state that photographs will be used for editorial purposes only... Some limit use to one publication and require permission before any photos are used elsewhere (still, for editorial use. I've only encountered one of those). 

I have never been presented with the following but was aware of it's existence with several other bands, and was dismayed to find out another band under the same management, who I intended to photograph, is now using this contract on their new tour. 

Note: Without a model release, in the US I am already only able to use photographs of a person for editorial (news) coverage and possibly limited print sales. In no case could I legally use their images on commercial products or advertising, print t-shirts or other merch etc. That's even without having a photo pass to a concert.

PHOTOGRAPHER RELEASE

Dated:________________________



I, __________________________________ (name of photographer) hereby agree to the following with respect to the photographs that I will take, or cause to be taken, of the musical group collectively known as (BAND NAME REMOVED)("you") on the date ______________, 2009 (the "Photos"):

1. I have the limited right and permission to use certain Photos that have been approved by you solely in connection with one (1) article about you contained in ________________________________ [State name of publication].
The Photos may be used only in an article, publication or other medium initially disseminated to the public within one year of the date of this agreement. I shall have no right to otherwise use or re-use the Photos in whole or in part, in any medium or for any purpose whatsoever, including, without limitation, promotion, advertising, and trade, without your written consent therefor.

2. I hereby acknowledge that you shall own all rights in the Photos, including the copyrights therein and thereto, and accordingly, I hereby grant, transfer, convey and assign to you all right, title and interest throughout the universe in perpetuity, including, without limitation, the copyright (and all renewals and extensions thereof), in and to the Photos. I agree that you shall have the right to exploit all or a part of the Photos in any and all media, now known or hereafter devised, throughout the universe, in perpetuity, in all configurations as you determine, without obtaining my consent and without any payment or consideration therefor. I understand that you will give me appropriate "photo credit" where possible. I understand further that all aspects of said "photo credit" shall be determined by you in your sole discretion and that failure to a ccord said "photo credit" shall not be deemed a breach of any obligation, express or implied. I further grant to you the right to use my name, likeness and biographical xxdata in connection with the distribution, exhibition, advertising and exploitation of the Photos. I will, upon request, execute, acknowledge and deliver to you such additional documents as you may deem necessary to evidence and effectuate your rights hereunder, and I hereby grant to you the right as attorney-in-fact to execute, acknowledge, deliver and record in the U.S. Copyright Office or elsewhere any and all such documents if I shall fail to execute same within five (5) days after so requested by you.

3. You may assign my rights under this agreement in whole or in part.

4. I hereby waive all rights of droit moral or "moral right of authors" or any similar rights or principles of law which I may now have or later have in the Photos. I warrant and represent that I have the right to execute this Certificate and that the Photos are and shall be new and original with me and shall be capable of copyright protection throughout the universe, that they do not and shall not violate or infringe upon any common law or statutory right of any party, or constitute unfair competition and are not now and shall not be the subject of any litigation. I shall indemnify and hold you, and your employees, officers, agents, assignees and licensees, harmless from and against any losses, costs, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses arising out of any claim by a third party which is inconsistent with any warranty or representation made by me in this Certificate.

5. This Certificate contains the entire understanding of the parties and will be governed by the laws of California in the United States of America applicable to contracts entered into in California in the United States of America.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed this Certificate effective as of this ______ day of ___________________, 2009.


ACCEPTED AND AGREED:
By: __________________________________________ ________________________________
Photographer Print or Type Name Here
(BAND NAME REMOVED)
By: __________________________________________
An Authorized Signatory o/b/o (BAND NAME REMOVED)

While this may indeed protect the artist (except from criticism over the contract!), there is no reason under the sun that any photographer in their right mind should sign this contract.

Even if you're not a professional photographer, just a fan of the band, and are dying to be able to photograph them with a real photo pass, you need to realize that:

1) You would not own any rights whatsoever to the photos taken at this show.

2) You could not post any of these photos on your personal website, myspace, or anywhere else.

3) You could not use any of these photos in your portfolio (if you wished to someday be a professional photographer or show your work.)

4) You could not print them out and give them to your friends and family.

5) You could not use them as reference to do drawings or painting based on them, or allow others to do so.

6) They could be published on websites/magazines without crediting you.

7) They could sell a poster or other merch with your images without paying you a fee or even crediting you as the person who took the photo.

8) They can use your name, photo and personal xxdata (including commercially or for advertising purposes) without your permission or compensating you.

9) If someone infringes on the rights you've granted them via this contract (example: you got a fan in one of the shots and they don't bother to get a release from that person before printing a poster, so they get sued) YOU are responsible for the legal fees/damages resulting from the lawsuit.

10) In the US Copyright lasts for the lifetime of the owner plus 50 years (70 years in some other countries). You may love a band, but the band's MANAGEMENT is the one administering this, and 10-15 years from now the person holding the rights to their material might not even BE the band, or anyone who you want to support in any way (example: Trent Reznor lost the rights to "Pretty Hate Machine" because of a bad business manager. Would you want your photographs potentially supporting someone other than the band?)

The only way to make these contracts go away (and hopefully be replaced by ones that respect both the band and the photographer) is if you DO NOT SIGN THEM.

http://75.101.210.210/tos

"As a SPIN Earth registered individual/user you may submit content. User submitted content includes videos, photos, text, and comments and are collectively referred to as "User Submissions." For clarity, you retain all of your ownership rights in your User Submissions. However, submitting your material, for good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency and receipt of which you hereby acknowledge, you hereby grant to SPIN Earth (SPIN Media, LLC) and its affiliates a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to edit, telecast, rerun, reproduce, use, create derivative works from, syndicate, license, print, sublicense, distribute and otherwise exhibit the materials you submit, or any portion thereof in any manner and in any medium or forum, whether now known or hereafter devised, without payment to you or any third party."

Seriously, I can sign up to your site, write reviews/posts or blog photos, and you'd be able to print them in your magazine and elsewhere FOR FREE, FOREVER?

Just no.

Websites need to stop pulling this crap, and keep their "use" of your posted content to that necessary to publish the site... which used to be the norm for user agreements... instead of exploiting their users for the possibility of adding to a media archive they can use as free crowd sourced content down the road on their other projects/sites.

WOODLAND HILLS, CA. Music Reports Inc. ("MRI"), the leading provider of music rights administration services in the United States, today announced that it has distributed more than $5,000,000 in statutory mechanical royalties on behalf of its digital music service clients. These royalties have been calculated at the rates applicable to on-demand streams and limited downloads, as determined by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board in 2008. Statutory mechanical licenses from MRI now cover more than 1 billion plays of digital music per month.

"Publishers are reaping great financial benefits from our statutory mechanical licensing program for digital music services," said Douglas J. Brainin, President and CEO of Music Reports. "This program continues to be a critical component of any licensing strategy for digital music services."

MRI now pays statutory mechanical royalties to more than 12,000 music publishing administrators, representing over 50,000 individual music publishers. MRI clients use the statutory mechanical license to obtain rights from the tens of thousands of independent music publishers who do not license through the Harry Fox Agency.

About Music Reports
Music Reports, Inc. (www.musicreports.com) is the leading provider of music rights administration services in the United States. The company's proprietary systems and applications set the standard for technology in the music industry. MRI also maintains the largest database of music copyright information in the world, the Songdex® database. The company offers a full spectrum of music rights administration services, including: copyright research; music clearance; sales data consolidation; music usage reporting; royalty accounting; and royalty payment. MRI clients include the world's largest television and radio broadcasters, digital music services, background music services, record labels, mobile carriers, and consumer products companies. MRI is a portfolio company of ABRY Partners, one of North America's leading private equity investment firms, which is focused on media and information services.
http://www.musicreports.com

Received on Youtube after I complained about the crashlove.com site reposted my and others copyrighted AFI photos (many of which were taken off of Buzznet)... I had earlier worked things out with the site Admin, Jason, in private messages, and he was nothing but helpful, courteous and apologetic. I explained that part of my reaction was due to issues I had with one of the other people on the site

"And sorry about the DIAF. I have issues with Pablo dating back to his video collecting/posting other people's footage without credit/permission on the old AFI series site and seeing a lot of unautorized photos reposted on a site he works on spelled bad things to me. :"

who pretty much illustrated EXACTLY why I dislike him by sending me this on Youtube after Jason presumably relayed that to him.


"TheSecretNinja337
Well hello there!
Hey there whatsyername,

It's really fulfilling you're still pretty butthurt about me. Come on, get over it.

I find it very hilarious that you're bitching about your pictures being uploaded without your permission, when YOU uploaded rips of mine without my permission, and I asked you to remove them. You replied in a very dickheadish way. Ripping is way harder than hitting a camera button, y'know.

You recently bitched about me on the OMB, that I don't credit the people who record the videos and I rip them without their permission. I find it funny, because you have THREE AFI videos uploaded, and no, you do not credit or even have permission from the people who recorded them, and you don't credit the people who spent their time to rip them (even though some of them are watermarked, like your pictures). So don't bitch I don't do it, cause you don't do it.

Just so you know, I do not credit the people who record videos because most of them are fucking 10 years old, and I never received the info. Secondly, I need no permission as the person who recorded them did NOT have the permission to record them in the first place, hence the name "BOOTLEGS", stupid bitch.

Also, you should stop caring about people infridging other photographer's copyrights. You're not a fucking lawyer. DIAF.

tl;dr - your pictures suck."

I especially love the "your pictures suck" at the end. 

And this is why I usually just send a site's webserver a DMCA takedown notice and don't bother contacting people involved with fan sites.

For the record, I've NEVER been contacted by Pablo about reposting "his" videos (I'm 100% sure I know who he's referring to, and it isn't me. She's blogged about his behavior multiple times on her Buzznet, tho). He contacted me twice trying to get copies of videos from AFI in Mexico that someone had let me post on Buzznet and I referred him to her to ask her directly. Instead, he got them off a torrent someone made of her Yutube videos without contacting her. That is the only contact I've ever had with him...and it was a LONG time ago. My opinion is based on seeing him interact with other people.

The BANFF World Television Festival, opening this year in Alberta from June 7-10, is a not-for-profit event produced by Achilles Media Ltd., an international events management company serving the television and digital media industries. Among various sessions programmed into the festival, the Broadcaster Briefings get inside information on what broadcasters from around the world want. In these open, informal sessions, international Program Executives will provide insight into their schedules, outline production priorities and biases, discuss potential partnership deals, and answer questions. The second World Copyright Summit kicks off this year with an opening night party and reception in DC, hosted by the U.S. Rights Societies and Guilds members of CISAC on June 8. For the duration of the Summit running through June 10 the shape and impact of the new creative, economic, technological and legal environment will be addressed. Beginning June 10, industry networking and career guidance group URNetworking Alliance (meetup.com/urnetworkalliance) will be part host to a playreading series in New York, and, the group is also conducting the Casting Director Workshops and the Power Lunch Series in other venues as well. A think tank like event gives shape and substance to the 2009 Lake Placid Film Forum, running June 11-13, whose programs throughout the years have provided opportunities for filmmakers, screenwriters and actors to come together to exchange and obtain information related to the creation, production and distribution of film and other electronic media.

At this year's CineVegas Film Festival, happening June 11-20 in Las Vegas, CineVegas will honor two actors, two directors and two video game design pioneers, including Jon Voight who will be given the Marquee Award, and Willem Dafoe honored with the Vanguard Actor Award. InfoComm International will host an International Reception, one of many, when it stages its annual convention in Orlando, June 13-19, which serves the professional AV communications industry worldwide. When TeatroStageFest: the Third Annual Celebration of Latino Arts and Culture opens June 15-28 in New York, it will present 19 events featuring 23 theater, dance, music, and comedy performances, family programming, workshops, artist panels, youth awards, and an all-day conference, with performances in English or Spanish. During Broadcast Asia 2009, in Singapore, solutions will be offered for broadcasters, cable and satellite operators, content providers, new media operators, vendors, IT and multimedia providers, to gather and discuss latest trends, business strategies and technology updates over a four day run starting on June 16. The DISCOP Organisation, which facilitates audiovisual content distribution and coproduction business in 87 countries located in Central, Eastern Europe, Eurasia and Africa, presents its annual convention to an audience of International suppliers of finished programs, packaged TV channels and formats; Programming, acquisitions and coproduction executives representing TV Stations, Pay-TV operators, DVD and theatrical distributors, broadband and telco operators, and others, from June 17-19 in Budapest.

North by Northeast Music & Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) is a Toronto-based conference and showcase taking place June 17-21 for new music and music-related films, where listening and mentoring sessions assist career planning for future considerations, programmed screenings of hand-selected music movies, from concert classics to the latest indie docs from Rio to Rwanda, nightly music showcases, and on June 20, Wu-Tang Clan founding member and creative engine, GZA will be interviewed by hip hop historian Fab 5 Freddy. Opening June 18-28 for its annual event, the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival features s varied offering, and such unique signature programs including the exclusive Filmmaker Retreat - hosted by the Festival's annual Guest Director - and the Spirit of Independence Award ceremony and gala. Cinema Expo International is a pan-European convention and trade show happening in Amsterdam this year, June 22-25, dedicated to the needs of the movie theatre industry where over 1,250 cinema exhibition and distribution professionals from Europe, the Middle East and Africa come to view the latest major cinema releases and extensive product reels and more. At this year's American Black Film Festival, running June 24-27 in Miami, the Festival hosts The Star Project, an international acting competition, and now in its 12th year, the HBO Short Film Competition, showcasing five short film finalists selected from hundreds, including Derrick Anthony's 'Popous Pane and the Kids He Love to Hate' starring Alfred Rutherford. This year Brussels Film Festival is conducted over nine days, June 27 to July 5, with open air screenings, free concerts every evening, and parties. Los Angeles based career service, Talents Connection, has invited performers to the family oriented Orange County Market Place on June 28, and has announced the formation of its Roller Derby Team, Rolling Vixens, for which it is seeking sponsors (talentsconnection@yahoo.com).

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the "Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events" page at actorschecklist.com/news.html. Video and podcast versions of this news summary are also available at popular video sites around the Web like MySpace, YouTube, Daily Motion, as well as on The Actor's Checklist podcast blog at actorschecklist.com/loudblog. Follow the posting of the news summary on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/actorschecklist. This month on the video news summary you will again see a dynamic array of artists in performance of film and music. Last month's video news summary showcase featured Russian film music composer, Edgar Arens (http://edgararens.com) and Dutch video editor, State 209, who have produced graphic game video 'Deadly Pursuit.' Freelance bass guitarist of the RagaZZ style, Jayen Varma (www.jayenvarma.net), considered one of the fastest bass guitarist in the world. Excerpts from the web series of comedy performer Maija DiGiorgio whose documentary feature, 'Hollywood Outlaw' (www.hollywoodoutlaws.com), is playing out in episodes over the Web. These videos are now available on the Free Home Video Showcase at http://www.actorschecklist.com/video which now serves as an archive for all past video presentations but without the audio news narration.

Adam (known ‘round these parts as BulletProofHeeb) is a fan of the subversive. His love of comic books and the heroes within has inspired his life as an artist, a photographer, and his interest in “real” piracy. Find out what comics have to offer the disenchanted, why Adam started snapping photos in the first place, and who really wins that whole DC vs Marvel thing.

Find out more about BulletProofHeeb inside...