American Cinematographer - February 1988 - 85

Stock

Footage:

a

Vital Link

by Anthony Slide
The use of stock footage
television production can
almost to the beginnings

in both film and
be traced back
of both media.
Today, although it is often overlooked and
seldom discussed, stock footage continues
to play an important role in the production of
television programs and commercials, as
well as a lesser part in independent feature
film production.
The creation and

use

of stock

footage illustrates how the efforts of one
producer can benefit another. Studio li¬
braries retain footage which they generate,
not only for their own use, but also for the
use of outside producers. Independent stock
footage libraries generally acquire their
holdings from consignees, producers who
place film shot for but not utilized in a
specific production with the library. In return
for so doing, they receive a portion of the
license fees charged by the libraries for the
use of such footage, have the film cata¬
logued at no charge, and free access to it for
future projects. Thanks to the foresight of
the original producers, other filmmakers can
utilize this footage at prices which are
minimal compared to how much it would
cost to recreate the production shots they
need.

Many free-lance cinematogra¬
phers also work in tandem with stock
footage libraries, shooting film wherever
they happen to be. Certainly, any library will
welcome footage of exotic locations, but it
also appreciates what might, at first, seem
mundane film of, say, an Eastern home in
the rain, or a small American town with
snow on the ground, for stock footage is far
more than establishing shots of foreign
cities. Producers are far more likely to ask
for sample matching shots of homes at day
and night or of an East Coast, expensive
restaurant. At the height of summer, they
will need footage of snow scenes or Christ¬
mas decorations. Certainly, there will be
calls for cars or helicopters exploding, but
there will be a greater demand for a 747 jet

flying by day

or
suburban street.

night,

or a

taxicab

on a

Among the footage licensed by
Library Service, for instance, dur¬
ing the past year was the mountain cabin in

Producers

episode of Stingray; establishing shots of
Phoenix for an episode of Starman; the
fraternity lodge where Cliff went for his

Bobby stayed as he tried to solve the
mystery as to whether his father was really

Situated on the East Coast, The Film
Library (as it was called) suffered from the
Westward migration of the film industry,
and by the Thirties was more concerned
with the production of series utilizing its
own stock footage, notably Flicker Frolics.
Because The Film Library was

dead in Dallas.

some

initiation in Cheers; B52 bombers for The

Wizard; aerials of Hawaii for Magnum, PI.;
aerials of the Pentagon for Scarecrow and
Mrs. King; and the South American hotel
where

Some television series, such as

McGyver and Stingray, make heavy use of
stock footage, while situation comedies,
such as Golden Girls or Cheers, may use the
odd shot in occasional episodes. Major
feature films today seldom, if ever, utilize
stock footage, while independent features
still rely heavily on it.

the snow, in which the heroes of Perfect

The earliest known stock foot¬

Strangers were stranded for two episodes;

age library was created by Abram Stone in
1908, and it remained in existence until

a

deserted carnival at

night

seen

in

an

World War II. Its card index has survived and
is presently housed at the Library of Con¬

February 1988

gress.

3,000 miles removed from Los An¬

geles producers, a method had to be de¬
vised to provide viewing prints which could
not be pirated. The answer was the
"scratched print," which is still in use today.
As Stone's daughter, Dorothy, recalled:
"This was a print made from the negative,
usually a selection of scenes, and much
more footage than that required by a sce¬
nario. This work print was scratched from
end to end through its middle, so it could not
be used. The director

American

or

editor who needed

Cinematographer

83
American Cinematographer - February 1988

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