Licensing educational films: what to ask for

Short educational films get licensed by publishers, curriculum and edtech teams, museums and anyone building lessons. Then & Theory, the history brand at Alterra Editions, makes short films about the past. Those films are cut for the feed. A licensee needs a different package, and it helps to know what to ask for before the first call.

What is a clean master, and why do you need one?

A clean master is the film with nothing added on top: no on-screen text, no voiceover, no burned-in captions and no sponsor read. It lets you add your own narration, in your own language, at the pace your learners need, with your own branding.

When Alterra Editions licenses a film, the clean version leaves out text, voice and sponsor reads. If you need the original narration as a separate track, or the music and effects without the voice, ask for that by name.

What files should come with the film?

At minimum:

• The clean master, plus the published version if you want it as a reference.
• A caption file or full transcript of the narration. Classrooms and galleries need it for accessibility, and translators work from it.
• The source list for every claim the film makes.
• A rights record for every element in the film (more on that below).
• A short note on which production steps used AI tools.

Confirm the technical spec in writing: resolution, codec, frame rate and aspect ratio. Then & Theory films are made vertical for phones. If you need a widescreen frame, a shorter cut or a loop for an exhibit, say so in the enquiry and we’ll tell you what is possible for that film.

What does a rights chain look like for a film?

A film is assembled from many parts, and each one has its own license. For a history film that usually means:

• Scenes, sets and props built in Blender by our own team and agent crew.
• Museum scans and photographs. Some are public domain or CC0, from open-access collections at institutions such as the Met and the Smithsonian, and need no attribution. Others are CC BY, from museum and university scans, and the credit has to travel with the film wherever it is shown.
• Narration, music and sound effects, each made under a specific tool license.
• Motion for people, from capture libraries or animated by hand.

The rights record should list each element, where it came from and the license it was used under. CC BY items matter most to a licensee, because the attribution duty passes to you. Ask for the credit lines in a form you can paste into your own end credits or catalog record.

Should the license be exclusive or non-exclusive?

Educational licensing is usually non-exclusive. The film can be licensed to others too, and the original stays published. That keeps the price down and suits classroom use, where the goal is to reach learners.

Exclusive terms make sense when the film will carry your brand, sit in a paid product or anchor an exhibit. Exclusivity should be specific about what it covers. Name the territory, the type of platform and the term, and say whether the original post on Then & Theory’s channels stays up. Exclusive terms cost more, because they rule out other licensees for the same film.

How is AI use disclosed?

Some steps in our production use AI tools, and we list them in how we source 3D history (retired pipeline). Ask any studio you license from for the same list. If your institution has disclosure rules, a vague answer becomes your problem once the film is in your catalog. We will not sign a “made without AI” claim.

What should the agreement cover?

Beyond the files, agree in writing on platforms (classroom, LMS, website, app, gallery screen), the term in years, the territory, whether you can edit or trim the film, whether you can translate it, and what credit line appears. If the film was sponsored, ask whether the sponsor credit has to stay on your version. The clean master leaves sponsor reads out by default.

How do you enquire?

Email [email protected] and start the body with “License”. Include your organization, the film or topic you want, the platforms, the length of use, the date you need it and any rights questions. The partner page has the licensing offer alongside the sponsorship options in how to sponsor an educational film.

In short:

• Ask for a clean master with no text, voice or sponsor read.
• Get captions or a transcript, the source list and a rights record for every element.
• CC BY scans carry an attribution duty that passes to you.
• Agree on platforms, term, territory, edits and exclusivity in writing.
• Ask which steps used AI tools.