Scope of Stock Footage?

How flexible is Stock Footage? Is it restricted to both (a) footage from the franchise itself being repeatedly used and (b) external footage that is generated and sold for the expressed purpose of being used as easy filler material?

• What about footage from older movies used just once? Example from Raiders of the Lost Ark:
  • Stock Footage: The footage of the airplane flying over Asia is taken from the 1973 version of Lost Horizon. The Establishing Shot of 1930s Washington, D.C. is from The Hindenburg.
• What about archive TV news footage? An example would be Three Colors Trilogy which uses footage from a real ferry disaster making it look like it was a news feed for the movie's ferry disaster.

Would these be a misuse of the trope?

Edited by eroock on May 4th 2024 at 12:03:52 PM

Thanks for starting the thread! I feel Stock Footage should be divided into three categories:

• Stock footage for the work itself.: That means a footage made with the work that can be repeated when needed. This would include all sorts of transformation sequences, shots at some locations etc.
• Stock Library footage: Basically, clips of various things that are added or released into an archive (or or its equivalent) rather for being made for specific work. Think it as a video equivalent to stock images.
• Historical stock footage: Clips that were taken a long time ago, often during important events. Unlike stock library footage, they were not made primarily for the purpose of used in works.

Edited by artman40 on May 9th 2024 at 11:05:21 AM

I used Google Gemini to clean things up.

Here it is:

Stock Footage

There are three main categories of stock footage used in productions:

• Internal Stock Footage: Pre-recorded clips from the production itself, used to save time and resources during filming. This can include transformation sequences, establishing shots of frequently visited locations, or reaction shots of background characters.
• External Stock Footage: Pre-produced and readily available video clips from libraries, offering a vast selection of generic or specialized content to enhance productions. Think of it as the video equivalent of stock photos. This can include everything from cityscapes and nature scenes to explosions and animals.
• Archival Footage: Footage captured in the past, often during historical events. While not originally created for use in specific works, it can add authenticity and depth to productions.

Edited by Nen_desharu on May 10th 2024 at 6:10:52 AM

Thanks! Should I add it?

Edited by artman40 on May 11th 2024 at 3:17:58 AM