Q&A: I Want to Show Casablanca in My Short…What Are My Options?
By MATT GALSOR
Q: I want to shoot a short film in which a couple is on a date to the movie Casablanca in one of the scenes. I know I can’t use it without permission from Warner Bros. So I have three questions really:
1. Is it possible that Warner Bros. would grant me permission to use a few short clips of Casablanca for a small or zero fee? If so, who would I talk to at WB about this?
2. Can I use an out of focus shot of the film playing in the background without rights?
3. If I have actors rerecord the lines, imitating the voice of Bogart and Bergman, am I still in any trouble?
I know the easy answer is to spoof a generic romance movie, but it would pack a better punch if I could use Casablanca.
A: What about this elegant solution — why not spoof a generic romance movie instead? Can my answer be in a form of a question?
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