It is important to consider copyright from the moment you start to plan your Visualise Your Thesis entry, as it will guide your choice of images and audio. Including audio or images in your entry that are not copyright-compliant could lead to disqualification so we're here to help you navigate copyright!
You're probably very familiar with the principles behind referencing - you can include a small part of another person's published work, such a quote, as long as you attribute (reference/cite) it properly.
Where this becomes more difficult is an image, song, or poem - these are regarded as entire works in their own right. This includes stills from films, photographs of paintings (even though the painting may be hundreds of years old, the photograph is still a complete and new work) maps, graphs, and more.
This video from the University of Melbourne team is a useful introduction to copyright and the issues you need to consider with your entry.
You have three ways to approach selecting material for your creation.
1. Make life easier by choosing media that has a Creative Commons license. Creative Commons licenses are used for media designed to be used and/or adapted. Find out more in this clip from the University of Melbourne Library.
2. The other option is to use media that is already in the public domain (aka already out of copyright and available for reuse).
3. A third option is to request permission from a creator to use their image or audio in your entry. Find out how in this short clip from the University of Melbourne Library.
Want some images and music for your video? Here are some sources for both, but remember, check the copyright license is appropriate and make sure you attribute them for this competition (even if the site says you don't need to!)
Images
Audio
It is also important to think about protecting the intellectual property you've created in your VYT entry.
The first thing you should do is choose a Creative Commons license. Find out more in this short clip from the University of Melbourne Library.
Protecting your work
1. Choose a Creative Commons license
Creative Commons licenses are a mechanism by which you can stipulate to what level others can use your work, and what kind of credit you would like in return. By making your work more available, you can find that people use your work in unexpected ways, much as you used other's work to inform your own. Find out about the six different Creative Commons License options and choose a Creative Commons license for your entry. (Nb. The term and conditions of the VYT competition require you to select a Creative Common license).
2. Get an ORCiD
Your name is not necessarily unique to you, and you may use variations of your name (Smith, J; John Andrew Smith; J.A. Smith, Smith, J.A. etc.) in your work. ORCiD aims to solve this problem by giving you a unique identifier that distinguishes you from everyone else in the world - a unique, 16-digit ID that you keep throughout your career to connect you with your research outputs and publications. You can register for your ORCiD online: https://orcidhub.org.nz/. Further information about ORCiD can be found on our website. (Nb. The term and conditions of the VYT competition require you to have an ORCiD).
Part 1. Finding your "why"
Part 2. Show, don't tell
Part 3. Your video lab at home