TV Show Previews Will Sometimes Use Footage From The HD Stock Footage
Stock footage, otherwise known as archive footage, is used for many different purposes. A lot of film is shot in the making of a movie or shot but it’s not all included in what the audience sees. Sometimes a lot is cut, or sometimes actors need many takes to get the scene right. There are mistakes and long shots for the background. Rather than throw this all away, studios tend to save it all for years. The property rights on this film can differ depending on companies, contracts, and content.
This much film is needed for lots of reasons. First, filmmakers never know when they have enough, so they tend to shoot much more. It gives them lots of options to complete their artistic vision. Even after the film is completed, they like to keep all the extra around in case of the unplanned. Many movie channels also have sneak peeks at upcoming movies. This footage is used so the audience can see what is in store for a particular film without showing much of the actual film itself.
DVD’s have revolutionized the use of this footage. Many DVD’s offer special features, which contain similar behind-the-scenes specials, outtakes, and cast interviews. This is all stock footage. It lets the audience be privy to the inner workings of a film and understand how things were done. Sometimes the special footage can be more memorable than the film.
Big historical moments can be considered archive footage, too, if they are video taped. Most of this is public domain or the property of the government. It makes it easy when someone wants to make a biopic; they then have all this real footage of their subject at their disposal. It adds credibility to the film because it shows the filmmaker did his or her research.
This is not just limited to public figures though. There is stock footage of almost any iconic momement, even moments from other movies. The latest trend on some playful television channels is to do movie or celebrity countdowns, where a bunch of people sit around and talk about great moments in entertainment. This is when stock footage is often used from other films – to show the audience at home exactly what the person on TV is talking about.
Not all footage is very interesting. It is most commonly seen in movies when characters are driving or walking somewhere. Someone in real life video taped out of the back or side windows of a car and then had the images put on film outside the actor’s car, so it looks like they were really going somewhere, not just sitting in a studio.
Though this is not as provocative as other behind-the-scenes looks, the type of footage outside the car window can give clues to the quality of the movie or important scenes in the film. The small details of the footage can make or break a movie.
The stock video footage can also become very useful for shows with low budgets. If a similar action happens a couple of times in a film, the film makers can get away with showing the same stock footage from an early part of the movie. Children’s shows do this constantly since kids tend not to notice.
