Yesterday an actor emailed me to let me know that a clip from my website was also on a website belonging to another showreel company. She thought maybe our sites were linked in some way, but was warning me just in case.
We were, of course, not linked in any way.
I think it’s one of the biggest fears for any creative person — having someone else take credit for your own work.
At first I referred to what they did as ‘stealing’. But it wasn’t that. Piracy is stealing. Plagiarism is something completely different.
I felt robbed on two levels. On an artistic level and on a business level.
They had taken a showreel sample from my site and claimed it was their own.
Here is a screenshot of their site, featuring my work with Selina Brathwaite
Of course, it’s very flattering when someone thinks your work is good enough to pretend they created it — but it was also a horrible thing to experience.
The particular scene they stole is one I’m hugely proud of. It’s a subtle scene, full of quiet moments and emotions. I am proud of it because it took me many years to be able to create scenes like that. The result of years of learning my craft; of figuring out how to write concise dialogue, and learning how to lead actors comfortably towards subtle performances.
To have a scene that good on my site was the source of great pride. And to think someone else would just place it on their site and claim they did it — ouch! If they can prove they did the ten years of graft like me, maybe I’ll forgive them, because I know what you have to sacrifice to do great work.
The problem on a business level is obvious — anyone who went to their site could have hired them, trusting they would produce the type of videos they had seen on their site — the type that, actually, I had created.
I’ve never marked my showreels in any way to prove they’re mine. No logos. I don’t even put my name at the end. I’ve always believed that my showreel work would spread by word of mouth, without me plastering videos with my name, and I am lucky that it has; most of my work is based on recommendation.
But now I feel a certain apprehension, a need to protect my work. I can live with someone not knowing something was created by me, but to allow someone else to take credit, and to use it to better their business interests? I can’t be having that.
The website who stole my content took it down shortly after I contacted them, and soon after they took their entire website down. They were a new website — only registered their domain in early December, a brand new business (although not officially registered as a business). My guess is that they wanted to start a reel business but didn’t have the content to showcase their work, so they borrowed clips they liked hoping it would get them work.
Scene I wrote, directed & edited with Selina Brathwaite.
Friends have been telling me to name and shame them to protect other people in the industry from being exploited, and I have contacted a lawyer, but my feeling is to let it go — they are no longer a threat to my interests as they took the material down. And now that they were found out, I’m confident they realise the gravity of their mistake, on a personal, ethical and let’s not forget — legal level. They won’t make the same error again.
This event kept me awake all night. It might seem a small matter to most, and of course, compared to many things it is. But as a creator, your work is a sacred thing. You own it. It Speaks on your behalf. It’s how you reach the world. When someone threatens that, you’re left in a vulnerable place.
I can only imagine what it’s like to have an entire screenplay or novel plagiarized. It’s a fear I’d managed to bury and forget for many years. Now, it’s right back at the forefront of my mind.
Protect your work in any way you can!
Email Me: dj@danieljohnsonfilms.co.uk.
Tweet Me: @danieljohnsonuk
