Brand Standards: Videos

Model Release

A model release agreement is a professional and responsible way for a videographer or photographer to get permission to film, record, or photograph a person (“model”) for a media project.  A signed model release agreement should be collected whenever possible and retained in the media project folder for downstream reference and access.  Sometimes, collecting a model release is not necessary or practical.  For example, it would be impractical to collect a model release from each person in a large crowd of cheering fans at a football game or in a panoramic shot of the quad during a class break.  However, a signed model release should be collected under the following circumstances:

• The model is under 18 years of age (note that the parent or guardian must sign the agreement and the “Minor” version of the agreement must be used);
• The media will focus on a specific person/group that will be used in a main marketing design/project;
• The media will be presented with personal information about the model(s); e.g. name, major, year in school or hometown;
• The media will be presented in a campaign with potentially sensitive subject matter (e.g., sexual harassment, addiction, or mental health campaigns). Please also ensure models are informed if their images will be used in a subject-sensitive campaign and be as specific as possible.

MINORS

For those under 18-years-old, use the release forms for minors, and save release forms with your project file so they can be recalled easily if a conflict arises. An example of this would include filming a college student or graduate working at a school. A model release would need to be obtained from every student in the classroom.

CLINICAL SERVICES

USU has areas obligated to abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) when patient Protected Health Information (PHI) is involved.  Photographs and recordings of patients are defined as PHI under HIPAA.
 
When photographing or videotaping individuals receiving services from a USU clinic that are health-related, the clinic providing the services is responsible for obtaining a valid HIPAA Authorization from the patient or their personal representative in addition to the USU Media Release form.  Reach out to the clinic Privacy Officer before using PHI for marketing and public relation purposes.

FAQ

Am I okay to show minors in photo/video?

Yes, but obtain permission from the parent/guardian prior to taking a picture. If you're capturing a large area and a minor is visible and not the focal point, it might not be feasible to collect model releases.

I found a great image of a USU student(s), are there any restrictions to how I use it?

It's in everyone's best interest to use images appropriately and not misrepressent USU or the individual. It's not recommended to use an unknown student in marketing content that may imply they are a business student when you don't know that is indeed true. It's also best practice to reach out to the individual and make them aware if you intend to use the for any paid advertising if you are not aware of any model release being obtained. Even if it was obtained, it's still a good idea to communicate with the student. Every reasonable effort should be taken to assure all parties are happy and aware.

The image/video contains a logo or shows a company outside of USU, are there concerns with brands being present in our marketing content?

Logos and brands can be shown in content although it's advisable to not use other brands in a manner that portrays them as sponsoring the university. A few things to consider is that Athletics has an agreement with Nike and the Univerisity with Pepsi. If you are planning a photo or video shoot, advise the participants to not wear clothing with large and noticeable branding.