Student Short Film Music Cue Clearance Log

Track each music cue from source and intended use to written evidence, scope questions, review owner, and a release hold; this working log documents a decision trail but does not grant rights or establish legal clearance.

1. Inventory every audible music source

   Review the locked cut with the editor and sound lead. Include score, source music, a performer singing or humming, music captured from a device, and music already embedded in stock or archival material. Give each occurrence a stable cue ID even when the same track returns later. Record the original media filename and where its unaltered copy is stored. If the source is uncertain, label it unknown and assign an owner to identify it; do not infer ownership from a download page or a student's memory.

   PeopleEditor and sound lead

   PlaceCue inventory beside the locked cut

   Duration / triggerDuring the cue inventory pass

   Skill checkedFinding unlisted music occurrences

2. Anchor the cue to the current cut

   Record the export name, version date, scene, and sequence, then mark cue in and out using the project timecode convention. Note the visible action and whether the music is foreground, background, performed on screen, opening, or closing. Recheck the marker after any recut. A cue sheet that describes an older edit may no longer describe the delivered film, so preserve the old row as superseded and link the replacement row rather than silently overwriting it.

   PeopleEditor and picture reviewer

   PlacePicture review workstation

   Duration / triggerAfter each edit revision

   Skill checkedMatching markers to the active cut

3. Separate the composition from the recording

   Identify the musical work and the specific recording as separate source questions. Record the title as supplied, writer or composer names if confirmed, performer, recording owner if confirmed, and any identifier printed in the evidence. A student who wrote a melody may not own every recording of it; a purchased track may still have separate composition and recording terms. When a field is unknown, state who will verify it and which document or authorized contact can answer.

   PeopleMusic source lead and reviewer

   PlaceAsset folder and project notes

   Duration / triggerWhen a source is identified

   Skill checkedDistinguishing work from recording

4. Describe the exact intended use

   Write the film use in plain words: scene context, cue type, approximate duration in the current edit, and whether the cue is altered, looped, excerpted, or heard from a source inside the scene. Record planned exhibition and distribution contexts from the project brief, such as classroom screening, festival submission, or public web release. Keep each context explicit. Do not treat "student film," "short clip," or "educational" as a permission category; route scope questions to the authorized adult or rights contact.

   PeopleProducer and authorized reviewer

   PlaceApproved use brief and edit timeline

   Duration / triggerBefore any use is approved

   Skill checkedDescribing use without assuming permission

5. Attach evidence without changing it

   For each permission or license record the original filename, received date, sender role, storage location, and a file checksum if the team has a standard way to create one. Preserve the original email, signed document, or license receipt unchanged and link to the working copy. A screenshot, invoice, streaming subscription, or attribution line may describe a purchase or source but may not answer the project's use questions. Mark the evidence type; let an authorized reviewer determine what it supports.

   PeopleEvidence keeper and reviewer

   PlaceRestricted project evidence folder

   Duration / triggerWhen evidence is received

   Skill checkedPreserving traceable source material

6. Map each evidence item to one cue

   Connect the document to the cue ID, named work or recording, and relevant version of the film. If one document covers several cues, list every cue and the exact section that applies. If a permission email names a draft title or a different cut, flag the mismatch. Do not copy one cue's evidence link into neighboring rows just because the same artist or library appears in both.

   PeopleLog owner and evidence checker

   PlaceCue log and source document

   Duration / triggerAt every evidence review

   Skill checkedLinking documents to exact cues

7. Compare requested scope with planned use

   Create one row per scope dimension that needs review: media or platform, territory, term, audience or exhibition, promotional use, edit or adaptation, and credit wording. For each, quote or summarize the relevant document section with a page or clause reference, then record "matches," "unclear," or "does not match" as a review finding. Leave the permission conclusion to the authorized reviewer. A missing answer remains open; it is not a pass.

   PeopleScope reviewer and supervisor

   PlaceScope review sheet

   Duration / triggerBefore planned exhibition

   Skill checkedFlagging scope mismatches

8. Record restrictions and expiry triggers

   Copy any stated limit into a dedicated restriction field: excluded platforms, festival-only window, no advertising, required credit, expiration date, edit restriction, or other condition. Add the event that would trigger another review, such as a new cut, added trailer, new platform, or changed territory. Store the source location for the wording. Do not shorten a restriction until its meaning changes; if the wording is unclear, flag it for review.

   PeopleRights contact and log owner

   PlaceRestrictions register beside cue IDs

   Duration / triggerWhen terms or cut change

   Skill checkedKeeping restrictions actionable

9. Track credits as a separate obligation

   Capture the exact credit text and where it must appear if the written evidence specifies it. Name the student who will place it in end credits and the reviewer who will compare the export against the source wording. Record the check time and result after export. A credit line documents attribution or a stated obligation; it does not by itself prove that every required permission was obtained.

   PeopleCredit placer and verifier

   PlaceEnd-credit preview and export

   Duration / triggerAfter credits are rendered

   Skill checkedVerifying credit separately from permission

10. Keep a question and contact trail

    Log each unresolved item as a specific question, not "clearance pending." Record the person or organization approached by role, the authorized sender, request date, reply date, and the file containing the response. Avoid posting private contact details in a broadly shared classroom sheet; point to the restricted project folder instead. Assign a follow-up owner and review date, and keep "no reply yet" distinct from approval.

    PeopleRequest owner and supervisor

    PlaceRestricted contact log

    Duration / triggerOn reply or follow-up date

    Skill checkedRecording unanswered questions accurately

11. Place a hold before use when evidence is open

    Use a visible hold state when the source, authority, scope, credit, or response is unresolved. State which export or action is on hold, who can release it, and what evidence must be reviewed first. Keep the original media and current edit intact. Do not mute, replace, publish, submit, or delete material solely because a worksheet row says so; those actions need the project's authorized decision maker.

    PeopleProducer and supervising adult

    PlaceProduction hold board

    Duration / triggerBefore a held use proceeds

    Skill checkedPreventing an open item from appearing cleared

12. Reconcile the log with the final export

    Before handoff, have a second reviewer compare every audible cue in the export with the cue IDs, current timecodes, source records, evidence links, restrictions, and credit checks. Record the export filename, reviewer, review date, unresolved exceptions, and the exact next owner. Produce a separate cue sheet only if the distributor, institution, or rights administrator requests its required format. Archive the approved log beside the version it describes and reopen it whenever that version changes.

    PeopleEditor and independent reviewer

    PlaceFinal export and archive folder

    Duration / triggerBefore final export handoff

    Skill checkedReproducing the final cue review