Licensing Process
Send us an email and identify the shot.
We need you to identify the series, program and actual shot and where it appears in the program.
Give us in and out timecode.
In order to determine this precisely, you may need to order a digital file with burned-in time code and give us exact in and out times with a shot description.
We confirm the shot is WGBH footage.
Many of our documentaries contain third-party materials, so we have to confirm we own the material so we can license it to you.
Get a rate quote.
Tell us what you are producing your project for: the market, distribution, and term and we will quote you a rate.
Sign our license agreement.
Once we receive a signed license agreement we can release master material to you.
Make your payment.
We will issue an invoice to you and prefer credit card payment whenever possible. We can provide you a link to pay online upon request.
Specify your master format.
We can deliver in a wide range of formats. Most popular are Pro Res HQ and Pro Res 422.
DONE!
We will return a signed and executed agreement to you for your files.
Rates and Policies
Screeners
We can provide a digital file with visible timecode: Cost is $50 per recorded hour, to be prepaid by credit card.
License fees for all other media
License fees are quoted on a per-second rate and based upon the rights, licensing term, and the territories you need. We require a 30-second minimum on all licenses and we have a 3-second per shot minimum. Bulk discounts are available. We also license online articles, interactives, timelines and other web content.
Please contact us for a quote.
Research
The first 30 minutes are free, then $60 per hour. Research fees include searching our databases and staff time required to preview footage, locate production records and investigate rights.
Source Disclosure
Copyright information about material not owned by WGBH may be provided for a fee of $50 per shot, to be prepaid by credit card. We maintain the right to withhold or limit source information in certain cases. Often we have limited information available which may not include source reference numbers, especially for older programs.
Permissions
You may be required to obtain written permission from persons appearing in the footage or pay any union and/or guild fees required under applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Masters
We will provide only your final, licensed shot selections as digital files. The costs generally range from $150 – $300, depending upon the amount of material or the condition of the source. Larger orders may incur larger digitizing costs.
