DEMO MATERIAL POLICY
Stargate Studios Malta will provide artists with original plates and final renders of shots to be used for personal demo reels showcasing their work.
SHOT SELECTION
It is the responsibility of the artist to keep copies of these shots whilst the show is still active. Requests for these shots are to be made to the VFX Production Manager via the online submission form below. These shots need to also be presented in an export, with the Stargate logo burn in on the lower right corner of each shot.
Special attention should be given to reel shot selection:
- Artists are to select shots that appear in the released version of the project. Shots omitted from the final screening should never be publicly released.
- Lead actors in film and television projects may have clauses in their contracts that give them final approval over how their images are used. Any unauthorized use of an actor’s image by an individual artist could result in legal action or industry blacklisting of both the visual effects company and the individual artist. Original plates of a lead actor cannot be shown in demo reels without the written consent of the show’s VFX Producer.
- Artists are to select no more than 10 shots per project/season. This is enforced to encourage artists to choose their best work for use in their reels. Too many shots also puts an unnecessary strain on our VFX editorial department when sourcing and sending material.
SHOT DELIVERY
Whilst working at Stargate Studios Malta, it is the artist's responsibility to organise copies of the shots they would like to add to their demo reel (source file and render) in their ‘people’ folder in the ‘P’ drive, to facilitate the process. Artists should never offload copies of material, shots and/or elements onto personal drives. The Stargate Studios Malta workflow and working files are the property of the studio and are not to be taken without permission.
Once the selection is approved, the VFX Production Manager will organise the distribution of the files. Shots will be distributed to artists once the episode/project in question has been publicly released. All shots that are sent out need to be watermarked with the Stargate Studios logo provided, using the reference supplied for the positioning of the Stargate logo. This is to ensure that shots in personal reels have been approved by Stargate Studios Malta. The watermark should always be featured in the individual’s demo reel.
Shot Breakdowns that are scheduled by the show’s VFX Production Manager and created during office hours remain property of Stargate Studios Malta and can be used for official company showreels. Any additional “builds” or shot breakdowns that utilise intermediate materials to demonstrate how a shot was executed should be worked upon at the studio after office hours and must be approved by the show’s VFX Production Manager before distribution.
Material will be backed up on LTO tapes once the project comes close to an end. It is important that artists organise material and plan ahead of time if they wish to create VFX shot breakdowns for any particular shot to make sure that elements are still available on the network.
Failure to communicate clearly with the VFX Production Manager regarding shots taken from the Stargate Studios Malta network will be considered as withholding of information and in breach of the Confidentiality Agreement and Employment contract signed by the employee with Stargate Studios Malta.
Artists are to sign the Policy Declaration and fill the online submission listed below.