question about using a photograph of a celebrity in a film

[tiramisushi]

i'm making a short film and i have an image of bill cosby and an image of bruce lee shown. their names aren't mentioned but the photos are props, and not part of the background. can i use those images or do i need a release of some kind? if anyone has an answer, thanks.

 

[Red Prince]

That depends. Did you take those pictures at a public place? If so, you probably can use them. If not, then you need the permission of whoever took the pictures (copyright). Additionally, if they were not taken in a public place, you probably need their (or their heirs') permission (model release). And if they are from a film, you need the permission of whoever owns the film (copyright).

 

[tiramisushi]

thanks for the info. what if i use a picture that either someone else took or from a movie, and then i alter it in photoshop and make it part of a graphic design? it would not look like the original photo but the celebrity would clearly be recognizable. do you think i would still need those releases?