Or How to Ensure that Man on the Street Interviews Don’t Turn Into Lawsuits

Imagine you’ve recorded one of the best videos in the history of video production. The lighting was perfect, everybody and everything looked pristine, the sound quality captured was crisp like a soft stream springing down a mountainside. You were even able to grab some amazing interviews from people in your relevant demographic. The video got delivered and even the client was thrilled! 

Four months down the line you get a call from one of the people in the video – and they found their face on a public YouTube channel talking about a topic they didn’t want the whole world to know their opinion on. And they want to remove the video!

Well, this is where it gets interesting. Choose your own adventure:

Mega Happy Ending

If you had obtained a signed video release from that individual – you are absolutely in the clear. You may apologize to him or her and explain the legally binding nature of the contract they had signed. 

OR

Disastrous Ending

You never got a signed release form from that person. You will have to call the client and explain the situation and most likely get the video removed – unless you want legal ramifications.

When should you get video release forms? 

At Snippies, man on the street interview videos are some of our most-requested videos. Because of this our video crews in multiple cities around the world will always get a signed release form from all participants. Even if the video’s purpose seems to be research-only, some content may end up being so good that a brand wants to use it as a testimonial on their public presence. 

As long as you follow this guide for when a release form is necessary or not, you will always be able to avoid turning a great video into a great headache.