How To Save Money With Archival Footage In Film?

Archival material can be tough to work with in film. But it can also transcend you back in time when incredible history was made with limited resources. I had the privilege of experiencing both ends of the spectrum when I landed a part-time PA (production assistant) gig on a film project that contained 90% of archival footage from our political history. It was during this experience where I learned how expensive and costly archival footage can be. 

For this gig I was required to obtain the full licensing rights (all media, excluding theatrical, worldwide, and in perpetuity) for all the archival clips in the project. In this one instance, I submitted an order into an archival film company with no errors. Everything was correct. With archival footage, companies usually charge by the second and on average the cost can range from $55 – $85 which is why they usually require a minimum amount of seconds for an order to be considered for processing.

A day or two later, the executive producer receives an email back from one of the representatives of the archival company informing her that a certain portion of her order couldn’t be fulfilled because they were owned by another company.

So, we agree with their reasoning, proceed to look for alternate clips, and inform them to still proceed with our order. It was our assumption that since the archival company said they couldn’t license those rejected clips that they would remove them from our order. But in fact, they did not. They kept those clips in and charged us for them.

We were confused. We immediately began to plead our case because the amount was not minimal. Why would you advertise on your website that you were able to provide licensing for those rejected clips? Why would you charge us for clips that you said you weren’t the original owners of? Can you give us a refund? Can you do exchanges?

The responses to these questions astonished me. I felt like I had failed the executive producer. If I had known to resend our order back in without those rejected clips, she would have never experienced this type of disappointment.

It was in this moment I realized the importance of keeping a well-organized paper trail and to never assume anything because in film, at the end of it, it’s all about business. 

What crazy experiences have you had with archival material? Let me know in the comments below.

Other posts you may be interested in:

• How To Get Through Your First Table Read?
• What Happens As A Producer During A Film Production?

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Disclaimer: The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.