Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money.
This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.”
The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground–while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more. It also provides an in-depth look at artists who have been sampled, such as Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown’s drummer and the world’s most sampled musician), as well as commentary by another highly sampled musician, funk legend George Clinton.
Produced by Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod.
CREDITS:
Director, Producer, Editor and Cinematographer
Benjamin Franzen
Executive Producer, Writer and Music Consultant
Kembrew McLeod
Additional Cinematography
Ross Gabriel Šebek
Additional Editing
Sarah Franzen
Video Rahim
Motion Graphics and Effects Editor
Dave Willadsen
Audiovisual Remix Sequences
Eclectic Method
Graphic Design
Dubelyoo
John Freyer
Camera Operators
Hugh Braselton
Bill Burton
Nate George
Matthew Hurley
Alex Orr
Jay Raabe
Michael Schneider
Steve Shepard
Sound and Music Mix
Don McCollister
Music Soundtrack
El-P
RJD2
Additional Music
Dermes
DJ Food Stamp
Mr. Len
DJ Spooky
Clyde Stubblefield
Legal Services
Law Offices of Alan Korn
Copyright Consultant
Peter Jaszi
Clearance
Annie Lin
Brooke Wentz
Finishing Consultant
Alvaro Fernandez
Colorist
John Petersen
Production Consultants
Cognito
Sasha Waters Freyer
Sarah Price
Production Support
Lane Wooder
Interns
Meredith Baxter
Daniel Pelt
Aimee Rydarowski
Research and Production Assistants
Mike Mario Albrecht
Puja Birla
Evelyn Bottando
Susan Ericsson
Gina Giotta
Paige Nelson
Kristen Norwood
Kim Robinson
Rachel Avon Whidden
Nathan Wilson
Zane Umsted
Jennifer Zoller
Special Thanks
Biz 3
Chris Brenneman
Bob Burns
Center for Social Media
Jeff Chang
Creative Commons
Michael Dalton
Charles DeLeon Franzen
Definitve Jux Records
Future of Music Coalition
Kennan Gudjonsson
Jason Gross
Krispin Harker
Liz Lazzari
Thom Monahan
Lynne Nugent
Nina Nastasia
Negativland
Pitchfork Media
Prelinger Archives
Public Enemy
Ashley Simpson
Jeremy Smith
John Sorensen
David Terry
Jenny Toomey
Amaechi Uzolgwe
Clay Walker
Alex Weis
Funding provided by
Ford Foundation
University of Iowa
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Executive Producer for ITVS
Sally Jo Fifer
Copyright Criminals 