The definition of “clear” can be ambiguous, but if we think about it in the way it’s most commonly used—usually by someone stressed with a lot on their plate—it’s essentially shorthand for:

“Can I put this on camera without getting in trouble?”

Repeat business: how to monetise your back catalogue without causing a crisis!

Audience expectations, attitudes and sensibilities change over time: what the nation thought amusing or acceptable in the past can be unbroadcastable now.

Essentially, clearances are the process of ensuring that any copyrighted material included in a production has the appropriate permissions secured, with all the paperwork signed and logged. Sometimes this means obtaining a formal release signed and countersigned, with fees paid. Other times, it might mean a lawyer has approved the use of a copyrighted item without additional permissions.

When set dec budgets are tight and a request comes in for a “densely decorated and charmingly bohemian” sitting room, it might seem like eBay or local vintage markets are the best place to start looking. However, these can sometimes take you down blind alleys where you end up losing more time and money than you save.

This question comes up quite a bit. There are multiple layers of clearance in graphics made for film and TV - some are easy to spot and others a little harder to untangle. This post runs you through all those concepts so you can get clear on what can - and what can't - be reused across productions.

For true crime producers, in most cases naming the perpetrator will be a given. They will have been arrested, charged and convicted by a court of law, usually to a lengthy custodial sentence. But what happens when the person is still a suspect and, for whatever reason, there is no conviction on which to hang the allegations against them?

Comedy is a rich and wonderful thing, especially in today’s bewildering world. It offers a light-hearted escape from the daily stresses in our lives. It helps moderate the latest news from across the pond. And it is an answer to the futility of existence (this is one interpretation of Samuel Beckett’s oeuvre, anyway).

Good journalism depends on facts and credibility, and artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and challenges in this regard. The real priority, however, is understanding that human insight is key to making the most of AI while avoiding pitfalls.

On 18 January 2024, the UK Government released The Generative AI Framework for HMG, which offers insight on using generative AI (primarily Large Language Models, or "LLMs") safely and securely.

Spare a thought for algorithms… They will be at play in the visibility of this post. R&C’s CEO, Alex Wade, is now more enlightened having reviewed Kyle Chaka’s excellent and thought-provoking ‘Filterworld’ for The TLS.

Welcome to the Triple Exposure Presents Podcast. This is the first edition of a new podcast by Triple Exposure exploring Financial, Insurance and Legal aspects of media production.

As this year comes to a close - the 10th anniversary year of Reviewed & Cleared, the business having been set up in August 2013 - I might have found the answer.

What is fair dealing? Is it the same as fair use (sort of, but not quite)? Is it anything to do fair comment (not obviously)? Is it fair if there’s no credit (not really). And is all fair in love and war?

The Rt Hon David Davis MP nailed it in his introductory speech to the House of Commons on SLAPPs on 29 June 2023:

R&C is proud to work with Cartoonists Rights, which safeguards the right to freedom of expression around the world for cartoonists. In the UK, we have a robust cartooning tradition: satire and parody are part of the fabric of our democracy.

We had a great night at the PPA Awards at City Central at the HAC on Wednesday 28 June. Great to see so many friends and clients at an event that showcased the vibrancy of the UK’s magazine industry.

If the person answering this question says ‘not much – someone points a camera and that’s it’ – chances are, for this individual, Apocalypse Now is not a brilliant reimagining of Joseph Conard’s novella Heart of Darkness but a boring, if noisy, search for an obese person who lives up a river and chops cows’ head off.