Video/film

Trying to find the perfect video or film to show?

Video found on the internet can have the same copyright protection as a film being shown in a cinema. Copying, reusing or distributing this material will infringe copyright unless the copyright owner has given you their express permission, however, getting this permission can be difficult. A list of websites has been compiled which provides ‘copyright friendly’ videos, but please remember to check the specific terms and condition of each. Always remember to credit the material unless specified otherwise.

 Resources

  • BFI online – film clips cannot be downloaded due to copyright reasons however, they can be ‘streamed’.  
  • Black and White Movies – Provides access to old movies where either the copyright has expired or they have been shared legally.
  • BUFVC - British Universities Film and Video Council.
  • Creative Commons Search – Use Creative Commons (CC) to search for videos with CC licences on YouTube. Learn more about Creative Commons.
  • EU Screen – this database provides free online access to videos, stills, texts and audio from European broadcasters and audiovisual archives.  It allows you to explore selected content from the early 1900s to the present. Please do not copy the content but instead provide a link to the website.
  • Moving Image Archive – free movies films and videos which are in the public domain (copyright expired) or available on a Creative Commons Licence.
  • Nasa eClips – short educational videos for kids on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

ERA+ and Open University Licences

The University also subscribes to licences from the Educational Recording Agency (ERA) such as Box of Broadcasts. The ERA+ licence covers its members to record broadcasts from all BBC channels (but excludes Open University broadcasts on television and radio), ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and S4C. It also includes all digital TV and radio channels operated by these companies. 

Prepared to pay?

Independent Cinema Office – provides information about the licences you need to screen a film to the public and how to get started. You will need to check your host venue has a PRS and/or PPL licence.

Please note that the external website links have been compiled to help you highlight the range of websites available but are not endorsed by the University.

For more information please contact the University Copyright and Licensing Manager.