How does one purchase runway videos for commercial use?

[model_couture]

I plan to develop a digital magazine over the next few years.
I'd love to be able to implement high quality clips from runway videos, directly into the magazine itself. Is Firstview the only option for buying videos? They seem terribly expensive. For personal use, 1 single show costs $75. I can't honestly imagine how much it would be for commercial use.
Besides... their photos aren't that great in quality. I'd be surprised if their videos were much better. Especially considering that they don't offer previews on their site.

Would it be foolish of me to contact designers directly, asking to use their content? Do designers even own the content? This is all new to me, any information would be greatly appreciated = )

 

[BetteT]

Usually the videographer or the company who hired him to take the videos would be the owner (copyright holder) ... so that may or may not be the designer. That is all I can offer ...

 

[model_couture]

Hmmmm interesting. Its a shame that copyright holders are so unaware of the selling potential their product really has. If there was a website that offered dvd quality downloads of runway shows, I would pay a great deal just to be able to watch them at home. But the only way to get that currently - is to pay $75 per show, for PERSONAL viewing .

Does anyone remember shows like "fashion trance" on the style channel, that showed full runway shows and interviews? Why have great shows like this failed? The style channel has become a joke. Perhaps they just gave up, because its too expensive to host good content.

If copyright holders made videos affordable to the average consumer, they could make far more of a profit than they currently do from the failing magazine industry. Magazines can't afford to spend money on video content, so its time to bring content directly the consumer.