Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 29, Issue 12 - Index

Direction Home: Bob Dylan”; the CBS miniseries “Elvis”;
National Geographic’s “Inside 9/11,” as well as productions
for HBO and Showtime. Transactions are conducted via
“Wishlists”: customers compile lists of clips they might
potentially use and send them to GIW; GIW then contacts
the customers with prices. GIW also provides rights and
clearance services for its clips.
What is the general “health” of the stock footage market?
How is it faring in general?
Jessica Berman-Bogdan, President and CEO: Stock footage
use is definitely on the increase, evidenced by the growing
number of new web and digital content users. Although in a
state of flux with a variety of copyright and licensing to new
media issues in the forefront, there is an expanding need for
content. Even though many new microsites and royalty-free
stock shot sites are popping up we are seeing a burgeoning
use of the high-end and unique content to fill production
needs at all levels.
How is the year panning out for the stock footage market
with regard to the writers’ strike and potential SAG strike?
JBB: Although a bit off in the first quarter, there has been
a good rebound and we are seeing a surge in production
and requests for footage, especially in the nonfiction and
feature film arenas.
What copyright issues go along with creative uses of stock
imagery, especially with regard to Internet and “new
media” use?
JBB: Technically the new digital world enables easy copying
and downloading of footage often without legitimate
license, which has brought the issues of fair use and
moral rights (of both owner and those depicted in the
footage) front and center. However from the access
perspective, most productions need high quality footage
both technically and as content. Additionally, distributors
require a secured copyright license before transmitting or
distributing programming. Fair use and orphan films have
opened up major debates.
The Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors
(ACSIL), a stock footage trade organization of which Global
ImageWorks is a founding and charter member, has been
hosting several informative panels at markets and trade
fairs to address issues of licensing standards, and to educate
filmmakers as to copyright issues in the digital world.
How is the Internet shift affecting the stock footage business,
if at all?
JBB: From the perspective of new markets or as an
extension to traditional markets, the Internet has opened
major discussions regarding licensing issues and new
business models. The Internet has become a series of new
marketplaces, with every new online player a potential new
customer. Although technically limited by file size at this
time, the Internet does indeed have the potential to offer
wider distribution than television and movies currently. As
technology continues to advance, it is most probable that
all distribution will be online and will supercede the sale of
physical copies.
From the perspective of the stock footage content owner/
provider, for many the Internet has been a way of doing
business for almost a decade, but just growing more complex
as a result of the technology and the sophistication of the
Internet. The Internet shift has made it so now every footage
provider must have a website to be in the business. Easy
access to content – either viewable and/or downloadable
– is also becoming a must. The B2B stock footage business is
definitely flourishing. The social networking sites are a concern,
not because of loss of revenues, but because of copyright
protection issues. And because of such copyright issues,
there is a great deal of stock footage content (i.e. music,
a very unique collection or footage requiring clearance of
other third-party rights) that might never find its way to the
online market because of the ease in which content can
now be copied and/or mashed and re-used by anyone.
However, it is also important to point out that sometimes the
sheer scope and depth and cost that would be incurred to
digitize a collection and bring it online is prohibitive.
//www.globalimageworks.com
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Shutterstock Footage, a popular service from stock image
agency Shutterstock, offers standard as well as high
definition royalty-free clips. Offering high quality clips at
affordable rates in an easy-to-use web environment have
made Shutterstock Footage a favorite among stock footage
buyers. Clips are priced starting at $10 and run from $30 to
$50, depending on format and quality. Shutterstock Footage
currently has over 62,000 video clips, easily searchable
by keywords as well as arranged in categories such as
“Animals,” “Buildings/Landmarks,” “Holidays,” “Nature,”
“Objects,” “People,” “Food and Drink,” etc. Shutterstock
Footage also offers monthly subscription plans for even
greater value, offering 10, 25, or 50 downloads per month.
What is the general “health” of the stock footage market?
How is it faring in general?
Adam Riggs, President/CFO: Because of our dramatic
growth in a short period of time, Shutterstock sees the
market as quite healthy. Shutterstock Footage, launched
in 2006, is quickly revolutionizing the stock footage industry.
We offer a new option for footage buyers by providing
comparable quality at a fraction of the cost of traditional
stock footage companies. We review hundreds of new
video clips daily from a broad base of videographers,
from the experienced professional to the skilled amateur,
and we accept the best ones to add to our library.
Submitters are motivated to upload their best work, thanks
to the significant income they can generate from customers
downloading their clips. Besides providing an alternative for
the traditional stock footage buyers, a lot of the clips we
offer serve new markets such as producers of corporate
videos, PR videos, web content, and smaller budget film
projects. In addition, Shutterstock recently made footage
available by subscription, providing even greater savings
and downloading ease by following the model that made
our image site such a success.
How is the year panning out for the stock footage market with
regard to the writers’ strike and potential SAG strike?