Stock Footage Buyer's Guide

by Julia Camenisch
December 2006

Something Borrowed, Something New

You don't fully appreciate the beauty of stock footage until faced with a desperate need for cool skydiving footage but no budget to shoot it. What's a producer to do? Grab your nearest computer keyboard. It's time for some serious stock footage searching.

Desperate situations aside, during your editing career you'll discover plenty of times when your project needs extra footage. Examples? You're working on a documentary and need some footage of an old newscast; you're editing a promotional for a hotel chain and want some b-roll footage of Paris; or you're preparing a company video report and need some good general business footage.

With a few exceptions, you can find almost every shot you might need through one footage company or another. But it's not a painless process. Use the following guide to learn some rules of thumb that will lead down the yellow brick road to the perfect shot.

Count the Cost
First rule: know your budget. Like everything else in the video production field, stock footage is available - at a price. Footage costs vary from one flat fee to hundreds of dollars per second. The price disparities depend on factors such as how the footage was originally shot, what venue the final project is destined for, what type of medium you need it delivered on, what company you're buying the footage from, etc. Carefully consider all those details to make sure you don't spend more than you've budgeted.

But if you're working on a non- existent budget, check out the Internet Archives Moving Images collection (www.archive.org). You'll find an eclectic mix, containing both historical and current footage. Much of this footage is made available using a Creative Commons license. Be sure to carefully read the usage stipulations- just because something is offered free doesn't mean it can be used for any venue or purpose. Always read the fine print. And that goes for all stock footage. Not just the free stuff.

Quality Control
Our second rule: know what you need. You want to buy DV stock footage if your project originated on DV and will be output on DV. No need to break the bank by buying an HD shot, unless it's the only option available. If your project is strictly interlaced video, then avoid buying film footage when possible. The distinctive stuttery look of film will stand in sharp contrast to the smoother video look.

On the other hand, if you're going for a possible output to HD or film, then only buy HD or film footage. Remember, buy footage that fits your project's format specs and save yourself a headache.

It's All About Rights
Don't forget the third rule: know your rights. When dealing with stock footage, you're eventually going to run smack dab into the brick wall known as copyright. Just because you've paid some money to get a DVD of footage doesn't necessarily give you full legal rights to it. So before you charge the credit card, take a look to see if the footage is Royalty-Free or Rights-Managed.

Royalty-free means the customer pays a one time fee. This fee covers multiple usages of the footage without incurring further cost. In other words, you don't have to pay royalties every time it is shown. The licenses are often fairly broad, but as always, read the legal agreement carefully to make sure your desired usage of the video is fully covered in the contract. As a side note, ascertain whether the company has releases for all talent used in the shots, or whether you are responsible for that. Examples of royalty-free providers include Artbeats & Creatas.

Rights-managed footage works a bit differently. When you "buy" the footage, you purchase the right to use it in a specific project for a specific venue (such as broadcast, Internet, etc). Expect to pay for each second of video. While rights-managed footage is often more expensive than royalty-free, it is also likely to be top of the line stuff. Providers in this category include Getty Images and Thought Equity.

Purchasing Power
The field is wide open when it comes to purchasing options. Whether you want whole collections or just single clips, you should be able to find what you need. You can order and sometimes even download individual clips at these sites:

• www.hddvcuts.com
• www.motionzonehd.com
• www.revostock.com

Of course, a high-speed Internet connection is a must. And don't expect HD footage to be a quick and easy download. High definition download means high definition speed -- slow! If a collection of shots best fits your needs, then take a look at providers like these:

• www.footagefirm.com

• www.digitaljuice.com

• www.footagefirm.com

• www.rocketclips.com

• www.royaltyfreehd.com

The beauty of collections is that you have a variety of shots to choose from as you edit your piece together. You might not know what you need until you've tried various clips, changing from one to another until the perfect fit is found.

Do you need stock footage on a regular basis? Then a subscription plan is something you should seriously consider. One option for this type of plan can be found at www.filmdisc.com

So what kind of footage are you looking for? Current events, Himalayan peaks, 1960s protests, dancing bears? If you want it, it can probably be found. Just don't enter the process blindfolded. Know what you want, what you need and what you're willing to pay for it. And then you'll be the perfect shot of a smart consumer.

Julia Camenisch is a freelance producer & stock footage shooter from the Chicago area.

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