Access to free stock video can make or break the budget of an independent movie. Every movie has those shots that establish the scene, be it a block party or building exterior. These shots generally are filmed by a secondary unit, usually the least experience of the photographers working on the film. The director decides that something is needed to fill in a shot or that an establishing shot is needed, and that film is rarely shot while the rest of the crew is one the scene; to get the shot as naturally as possible in order to make the part that is carefully being manipulated to seem that more natural. With stock footage the need for a secondary unit is negated, and that helps the producer of the film save money.
There are a number of different organizations that provide some form of free stock video for various production companies. The organizations have a number of reasons for offering the video for free. The first is that it allows them to create a reputation for themselves, with the eventual hope that it someone will seek to obtain their services for an actual movie or series and not just the filler shots. They can also use the creation of stock video to test cinematographers and see what they can do without needing to pay them. As this creates a lot of footage, the organization can lend it to other production companies for movie credit.
Looking at this as a test of cinematographer ability, it can show the organization what the cinematographer’s style looks like, as well as if that person has any talent. It takes more than just a video camera in order to take a good shot, and filming free footage allows the cinematographer to show off a little. Even though most people do not see the talent, and in fact the footage does best when it is not noticed, those who take film seriously and note every little detail do take note. However, there are those who rarely get beyond the point of filming stock footage, and some even create a career out of doing so.
Although it can seem like a pointless exercise, everyone has seen some films that seem to recycle footage of crowds and scenery over and over. That is because the stock footage is that good, that there just does not seem to be a point of filming it over and over; that the company does not need waste resources on re-filming the footage is the point. Free stock footage is one of the best things for those looking to save on filming expenses, and help make independent film possible.