A Proposition

[tealin]

My next Big Purchase is making louder demands for attention, but it's also raising doubts. I really need to get a working copy of DigiCel, an animation line testing program, in order to get any further with my attempt to re-learn paper animation. I've got the 'student' copy, which was billed as fully operational but with a watermark – I didn't know until after downloading it that the watermark is actually a big block of opaque text that makes actually seeing the animation almost impossible. To get rid of it I need to purchase the 'key,' which runs at about $300 or so, last I checked. Normally this wouldn't be too big an impediment as I've been working steadily for more than a year, and after rent and groceries my expenses are practically nil, but I've got two (possibly three, if I find myself moving south of the border) other things poised to make a large dent in my bank account this year and an extra $300 seems more and more like something to avoid.

SO. Here's the thing. I'm going to do some sort of Animation Fundraiser ... but what? I was thinking of putting together a 'sketchbook' as numerous internet artists have done which I can then sell copies of at a fixed price. However, most of my artwork (and almost all my best artwork) is fan art; I don't know what the copyright regulations might be on that but the idea frightens me. I was also considering opening up for commissions, but my upcoming period of voluntary unemployment needs to be devoted to the production of a portfolio, and I'm already behind on gift art, so there's the guilt factor as well.

What's a poor girl to do?

Comments

[sopophorous.livejournal.com]

Tealin, I'd TOTALLY buy your fanart!!! I'm sure if you just asked Jo, any permission she'd give would completely overrule any thing the lawyers at WB would say....

Maybe if you just put YOUR name on the cover? Not mention anything about "Harry" and "Potter" at all? But then you'd want to put in captions....hmmmm. Dunno. Or you could just ASK for donations from your fans, such as myself. We'd be more than willing to help you!

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness no, I have to earn the money; I'd be absolutely laden with guilt otherwise whether it's warranted or not. I wouldn't put any captions in the book at all, because those buying it would probably already know what the scenes and characters were. That's the loophole exploited for fanart commissions, but does it hold to something that's offered for general sale rather than a work-for-hire? Where's a copyright lawyer when you need one?