Iconic Productions in Australia has not used Social Media Platforms to promote their stage 1, 2 and 3 events. Over the years business research has shown that increase business sales are productive with active Social Media PR advertisement.

From the beginning of 2020 Iconic Productions will commence the use of advertising on Social Media Platforms to promote stage 1, 2 and 3 events and also to keep a diary log of events similar to a yearbook.

This policy requires all Workers to use the Social Media Advertising Form and take pictures of the travels, tours, events and interesting things that our customers, users and potential new clients and associates may enjoy whilst the worker is working at an event or while travelling or being on tour. To do this the following requirements need to be in place to ensure efficiency of the photos taken and the quality and use of the photos.

1. The stage department supervisor can elect any worker (who is on the event or tour) to take use the form and take the photos.
2. It is recommended that the selected worker changes on a daily basis or an per quarter day to increase the feel of the photos and dynamic impressions. What this means is that if the same person takes the photo every day at every event, their creative ability might always be the same or their creative juices might be limited. By changing who is taking the photos and when, the impressions of the tour become more marketable.
3. The stage department supervisor can also elect themselves to take photos.
4. The photos must follow all appropriate laws in that:
   1. No nudity or pornography is taken.
   2. No compromising positions.
   3. No violence or intended violence is taken.
   4. No attempt to defame or derogatory photos be taken of any person.
   5. No attempt to edit, deface, filter or alter the photo after it is taken. This does not include the marketing team and the graphic designers who may need to edit the photo for marketing persons or blurring out children's face.
5. In taking the photos consider the following for the best possible marketable photo image (these are only tips as we do not expect you all to be professional photographers):
   1. Under good illumination
   2. Photo taken not too close to the camera
   3. No blurred images. Only clear photos are allowed.
   4. Use the rule of thirds.
      1. This rule helps you take eye-catching pictures by using one of the most effective rules of composition.
      2. If you want to take pictures that have a “wow” factor built in them, the Rule of Thirds is the composition secret you need to take advantage of!
      3. To use the rule of thirds, imagine four lines, two lying horizontally across the image and two vertical creating nine even squares. Some images will look best with the focal point in the center square, but placing the subject off-center at one of the intersecting points of the imaginary lines will often create a more aesthetically composed photograph.
      4. When a photograph is composed using the rule of thirds the eyes will wander the frame. A picture composed using the rule of thirds is usually more pleasing to the eye.
   5. Avoid Camera Shake.
   6. Learn to use the Exposure Triangle
      1. To get your photos looking their best, you need to master the three basics: Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.
      2. You also need to understand the relationships between these three controls. When you adjust one of them, you would usually have to consider at least one of the others, to get the desired results.
   7. Create a Sense of Depth
      1. When photographing landscapes, it helps to create a sense of depth, in other words, make the viewer feel like they are there.
      2. Use a wide-angle lens for a panoramic view and a small aperture of f/16 or smaller to keep the foreground and background sharp. Placing an object or person in the foreground helps give a sense of scale and emphasizes how far away the distance is.
   8. Don’t Use Flash Indoors
      1. Flash can look harsh and unnatural especially for indoor portraits. Therefore, there are various ways you can take an image indoors without resorting to flash.
      2. First, push the ISO up – usually ISO 800 to 1600 will make a big difference for the shutter speed you can choose. Use the widest aperture possible – this way more light will reach the sensor, and you will have a nice blurred background.
   9. Choose the Right ISO
      1. The ISO setting determines how sensitive your camera is to light and also how fine the grain of your image.
      2. The ISO we choose depends on the situation – when it’s dark we need to push the ISO up to a higher number, say anything from 400 – 3200 as this will make the camera more sensitive to light, and then we can avoid blurring.
      3. On sunny days we can choose ISO 100 or the Auto setting as we have more light to work with.
   10. Pan to Create Motion
       1. If you want to capture a subject in motion, then use the panning technique. To do this, choose a shutter speed around two steps lower than necessary – so for 1/250, we’d choose 1/60. Keep your camera on the subject with your finger half way down on the shutter to lock the focus and when ready, take the photo, remembering to follow them as they move.
   11. Experiment with Shutter Speed
       1. Don’t be afraid to play with the shutter speed to create some interesting effects.
       2. When taking a night time shot, use a tripod and try shooting with the shutter speed set at 4 seconds. You will see that the movement of the object is captured along with some light trails.
       3. If you choose a faster shutter speed of say 1/250th of a second, the trails will not be as long or bright; instead, you will freeze the action.
       4. Try shooting other compositions with moving objects or backgrounds such as waves on a beach, crowds of people walking, cars commuting, with different shutter speeds to either capture blurred movement or snapshots that freeze everything sharply in time.
6. In taking the photos the idea is to create a diary of the touring events and marketing the events. To do this photos taken can be of the following, but they don't only have to be from the list. Your creative justice is well-accepted and the marketing team would love to see new ideas of where the photos were taken and of who and how they were taken.
   • Photos of the travel on tour, bushes, national parks the tour has driven through, cane fields, ocean drives.
   • Photos of the stop-overs, meal breaks, the company vehicles parked at the stop-overs.
     • For legal, security and privacy reasons NO PHOTOS, for the purpose of the Social Media Advertising, are to be taken of the accommodation house, hotel or inside the property or the rooms.
   • Photos of setting up the event.
   • Photos of packing down the event.
   • Photos of the event where the performers are on stage performing. This can be done by the crew mostly. We would love to have many photos of different events, times of the events, different scenes be taken. This would be a perfect diary year book that can be created and used.
     • Where a person asks about the reason for taking the photos, especially where children are involved, explain to the person who is asking the question, that the photos are being taken for training purposes and a diary of the troupe's tour. All photos where children faces may be visible will be blurred out, if permission is not received or granted by the relative party.
   • Photos of cast/crew/workers dry rehearsing or being prepared for microphones to be setup.
   • Photos of cast/crew resting (please ask for permission).
   • Photos of cast/crew funny behaviors or actions or eating are always marketable images.
   • Photos of providing autographs or high-fives between the audience and the cast or crew (if allowed).
   • Photos of cast/crew in costume at the venue at different locations, such as, at a large tree at the venue grounds, or in front of a historical statue, or at the front of the venue doors.
   • Photos of the Venue front doors, entrance displaying the venue name.
7. No less than 3 photos and no more than 5 photos per day should be taken by one person or the allocated person.
8. It is allowed for multiple workers to take photos of that tour or event.  Nothing stops everyone on tour to take photos and upload them on the form.
9. Photos must be taken on every day on tour and at every event by the allocated worker.
   1. The exception to this is:
      1. On allocated days off.
10. Photos must be marketable and relatable to the company, Iconic Productions and Iconic Performances Pty Limited and/or the event or travel or tour.
11. Workers are allowed to use their smartphone to take the photo and upload it on the form, however, must delete it from their phone after uploading.
12. All photos taken will be checked to comply with legal laws and will after approval be the exclusive property of the company.
13. Photograph and Image Release:
    1. The WORKER who took the photo irrevocably, consents, authorises and grants a non-exclusive licence and permission to the COMPANY and the Producers/Directors of the COMPANY, which includes its successors and assign them the right to using the photo being filmed, photographed, recorded, simulcast or broadcast (‘ARTWORK”) from a theatre or other place of entertainment during the course of such entertainment owned, operated or managed by the COMPANY (known herein as EVENTS); the right to create/draft/design/use/edit the ARTWORK into video, video clips, sketches, illustrations, paintings, images, photographs, cgi, vfx, sfx and other related work for the purpose of advertisement, programming, filming and/or TVC, and/or other visual reproductions (“PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL”) which may include other artwork and material; the right to use and to license others (where applicable) to use the ARTWORK and the PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL in all media throughout Australia and the world including for the purposes of recordings, publicity, advertising, sales, and promotion of the EVENTS (“PERMITTED PURPOSE”). 
    2. The COMPANY shall have the exclusive right in owning the photo and its Use for and in connection with the PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL, the soundtrack (including a soundtrack album), trailers, and documentary and/or "making of" productions, and all advertising (including sleeves, jackets and other packaging for soundtrack albums, video cassettes, videodiscs, compact discs, DVDs, written publications and the like), merchandising, commercial tie-ups, publicity, and other means of exploitation of any and all rights pertaining to the EVENTS and PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL and any element thereof.
    3. The WORKER indemnifies the COMPANY from any monetary compensations, reimbursements, and payments for use of the ARTWORK and PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL and acknowledge and agree that they release and waive their right now or hereafter to request or receive royalties, payments, compensation or other financial gain from the COMPANY based on the use of the ARTWORK, the PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL for its PERMITTED PURPOSE.
    4. The WORKER further releases the COMPANY from any infringement or violation of personal and property rights of any sort whatsoever based upon the use of the ARTWORK and the PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL.
    5. The WORKER acknowledges and agrees that the COMPANY will own any and all rights in and to all literary works, dramatic works, artistic works and musical works arising from or in connection with the ARTWORK, the EVENTS, the PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL, including all files, illustrations, drawings, sketches, images, video, video clips, animation, cgi, vfx, sfx, documents and other related work at the completion of all PERMITTED PURPOSES, but not limited to the Copyright therein, and all renewals, extensions or reversions of Copyright now or hereafter provided, and the Producer shall be deemed the author thereof.
    6. The WORKER must provide, using the company form, to the COMPANY all unmodified and original ARTWORK, that they may have taken or asked another person to take of the EVENTS at any time during the course of the agreement.
    7. The WORKER further acknowledges that the COMPANY is not obliged to use the ARTWORK.

To access the Social Media Advertising Form, click here.

Questions Asked and Answered:

1. David Phillip | 21-May-2020 12:31 |
   Fully reread and understood. Question: Why do we not allow photos of Rehearsing?
   1. answered by @ian.roberts on 24-May-2020 15:40
      1. Photos can be taken during rehearsing.  Where do you see you cannot?  At number 6. "Photos of cast/crew/workers dry rehearsing or being prepared for microphones to be setup.".  I found it at number 9 it said Exceptions.  This is incorrect and I removed it.  Taking photos during rehearsals and a good behind the scenes shots.
         

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2. Shannon Rossiter | 14-Feb-2020 04:47 | 
   One question. Is there any protection to the actor/crew of the images get stolen or used in another matter than intended? For example: used to promote or advertise any forms of other work not related to the company?
   1. Answered by John Khoury (company Solicitor) | 14-Feb-2020 16:50
      1. The images are stored on an encrypted and protected site using the allocated form.  While all measures are taken to secure the site and images, if the images were stolen this would be reported to the police for prosecution of the offender.  Your query as to the advertise any forms of work not related to the company, if the company was to use the images that breached the permitted purpose, the person who misused the images for such other purposes would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  The company protects and secures the use of all images.  The company is not responsible for the actions of a worker and this is why the company has security measures in use to ensure that only specific and approved workers with access to the images use secured logins and each view or access is logged.  All workers are protected by the law relating the misuse of their image and face.
         

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3. David Phillip | 12-Feb-2020 07:58 | 
   I have fully read and understand this FAQ. I have a question and major concern as actors captain and currently supervisor for the level 1 educational shows in Australia and specific to the clause where it states: "Where a person asks about the reason for taking the photos, especially where children are involved, explain to the person who is asking the question, that the photos are being taken for training purposes and a diary of the troupe's tour. All photos where children faces may be visible will be blurred out, if permission is not received or granted by the relative party" As i read the faq and as confirmed by supervisor @Ian Roberts today on slack, is we do not need to get formal permission from the schools prior to taking photos. I am concerned with the ambiguity in this clause where it states "All photos where children faces may be visible will be blurred out, if permission is not received or granted by the relative party" exactly what does that mean if permission is not granted? If a school objects only after finding out about photos being taken especially with children involved I think is very risky to Iconic from a legal and professional standing and in this regard am please seeking clarification as current supervisor on the level 1 educational shows in Australia.
   1. Answered by Steve Baltzois | 12-Feb-2020 18:22
      1. You do not need formal permission to take photos of an event that we own the rights to.  Do not confuse yourself with a complete stranger taking photos of children.  When any of our customers and venues book any of the events we manage and produce our terms and conditions is that we are allowed to take photos of the event for marketing and training purposes.  This is written in the program guide, is in the terms and conditions and also if you read our policy on photos and video it states that the crew or cast can take pictures of the event for the rights of the company.  So the answer to your first concern, of if permission is not received, we do not need to ask or seek permission to take photos of our shows.  If someone questions what we are doing, the response is that we are taking photos for training and to create a diary of the troupe's tour.  That is the purpose.  Where in the photo it shows a child's face, we will have that photo blurred.  It is rare to be questioned or asked by one of the persons at the venue,  however that is all you need to tell them.  The photos are secured and all faces of children are blurred.
      2. The second part of your question of "what does that mean if permission is not granted".  If we were to find a photo where we want to use it for marketing and the picture is picture perfect we would be asking the venue and then the parents of the face of the person in it, if we can use.  If they said to us NO, meaning permission not granted than we would blur the photo of the person's face from all images of the marketing.  It has nothing to do with taking the photo.  It has more to do if the photo was used for more extensive marketing.  A person can deny the use of their image or face, but they cannot deny anyone from taking a photo.
      3. This policy has been drafted and past through legals to ensure we are complying with all legal issues.  It is not at all risky from a legal or professional standing point to take a photo at event for company purposes.
      4. I think you need to read up on the company policy and the terms and conditions of video and photography for events to help you with your concerns.
         

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