The MCZ, in general, is supportive of requests for on-site filming, still photography, and other digital media projects, especially for educational objectives. Permissions for this type of project must be obtained in advance and are based on multiple factors including the scope and purpose of the request, availability, certificate of insurance documentation, and copyright agreement.
MCZ Guidelines to Filming & Still Photography
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An Agreement Regarding Filming/Photography On Site form must be completed and approved before all projects.
- The “Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University” should be credited within the body of the video (if possible) and in the credits at the end of the film.
- The MCZ should receive a copy of the finished piece for its archives.
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Open Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Museum is closed all federal holidays and between Christmas and New Year's Day.
- All work must take place during normal business hours. Only under very rare circumstances are exceptions made.
- Availability is limited by collection protocol, research and teaching activities, etc.
- Access to specimens within the collections is strictly limited and must be approved beforehand.
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The MCZ must be informed of the lighting procedure and requirements including maximum amount of power. Building lights may not be turned off during filming unless approved beforehand.
- In order to minimize light and heat exposure to the items to be filmed, we request that you use LED instead of incandescent light.
- Film crews/ photographers are responsible for providing all of their own equipment and ancillary gear, such as props, cloth and extension cords.
- Delivery of any equipment must be arranged beforehand, and parking is the responsibility of the film crew/ photographer.
- All film crews/ photographers must provide a Certificate of Insurance naming the MCZ prior to filming.
- Due to the number of requests to film, all shoots must be scheduled ahead of time by contacting MCZ Collections Operations.
- Once approved by the MCZ, photographers and videographers must request a permit to film or photograph on campus from Harvard Public Affairs & Communication by filling out the form found at the bottom of Photographing and Filming on Harvard Property, which takes 2-3 business days to approve.
MCZ Guidelines to Radiography
- For information on facilities available to MCZ researchers and staff for CT-scanning and digital X-rays and specific instructions for use, please visit the Shared-Use Facilities page.
- General condition of use is that copies of images and other media, which should include the associated metadata, must be provided to the appropriate MCZ collection department for archiving. The MCZ provides a set of guidelines for all such media use and the associated metadata.
For more information on the required copyright permission, please view the MCZ Permissions & Copyright policy.
