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July 27, 2022

The best stock footage resources for video production

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There is no question that video production companies and even brands with internal creative teams rely on quality stock footage to round out their commercial productions. They are a great way to get access to high quality content at nearly any budget range.

However, there are so many platforms to choose from that it can be a mind numbing process to find exactly what you’re looking for. So, we have gone ahead and saved you the time of swimming through endless libraries by providing you with our top 5 platforms of choice for quality cinematic footage for any commercial video, narrative or documentary films needs.

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There is no question that video production companies and even brands with internal creative teams rely on quality stock footage to round out their commercial productions. They are a great way to get access to high quality content at nearly any budget range.

However, there are so many platforms to choose from that it can be a mind numbing process to find exactly what you’re looking for. So, we have gone ahead and saved you the time of swimming through endless libraries by providing you with our top 5 platforms of choice for quality cinematic footage for any commercial video, narrative or documentary films needs.

1.      FilmSupply – Dallas | Ft. Worth, TX

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 “Filmsupply is the premium stop for licensing cinematic footage. As a full-service licensing agency, we’ve partnered with leading filmmakers to bring footage from their passion projects to you through our highly curated catalog.” 

If you’re from the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area, you most certainly know about them, or at least I hope you do. They are an incredible source for content and a global leader in cinematic footage for any video production company, cinematographer, filmmaker and freelancer. As a matter of fact, this is how Mercedes, Lexus and Lyft came to find Cardboard Spaceship’s content. We uploaded content on FilmSupply and it was later licensed by these companies.

FilmSupply is definitely the five-hundred-pound gorilla in the room. They’ve been in the industry and established much longer than most others. They are by far our favorite licensing provider of choice. And we’re not saying this because we are being sponsored or anything like that because we’re not. In our opinion, they are the best when it comes to finding that specific look and feel for the shot you need, and we highly suggest looking into them.

We choose FilmSupply for one reason: Quality. When you look at all the providers on the web, there’s a complete distinction between their library and others. You can tell FilmSupply’s footage has been created by filmmakers for filmmakers, not a freelancer with a Canon EOS trying to make a fast buck.

As a matter of fact, you can see some of Cardboard Spaceship’s work showcased on there too. They’ve launched an entire division of their company exclusively focused on filming content for Filmsupply. Some of the world’s leading brands like Mercedes, Lexus, Google and Apple have used our content. If you would like to see some of those clips, click here.

Now, we have to admit. They are relatively expensive compared to other companies on a per clip basis, but no one can compare to the quality of footage in their library or their customer service. How many stock footage companies can say they offer real film assets that have been shot on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm?! Right!

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 “Filmsupply is the premium stop for licensing cinematic footage. As a full-service licensing agency, we’ve partnered with leading filmmakers to bring footage from their passion projects to you through our highly curated catalog.” 

If you’re from the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area, you most certainly know about them, or at least I hope you do. They are an incredible source for content and a global leader in cinematic footage for any video production company, cinematographer, filmmaker and freelancer. As a matter of fact, this is how Mercedes, Lexus and Lyft came to find Cardboard Spaceship’s content. We uploaded content on FilmSupply and it was later licensed by these companies.

FilmSupply is definitely the five-hundred-pound gorilla in the room. They’ve been in the industry and established much longer than most others. They are by far our favorite licensing provider of choice. And we’re not saying this because we are being sponsored or anything like that because we’re not. In our opinion, they are the best when it comes to finding that specific look and feel for the shot you need, and we highly suggest looking into them.

We choose FilmSupply for one reason: Quality. When you look at all the providers on the web, there’s a complete distinction between their library and others. You can tell FilmSupply’s footage has been created by filmmakers for filmmakers, not a freelancer with a Canon EOS trying to make a fast buck.

As a matter of fact, you can see some of Cardboard Spaceship’s work showcased on there too. They’ve launched an entire division of their company exclusively focused on filming content for Filmsupply. Some of the world’s leading brands like Mercedes, Lexus, Google and Apple have used our content. If you would like to see some of those clips, click here.

Now, we have to admit. They are relatively expensive compared to other companies on a per clip basis, but no one can compare to the quality of footage in their library or their customer service. How many stock footage companies can say they offer real film assets that have been shot on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm?! Right!

2. Raw.Film – Las Vegas, NV

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“Stunning cinematic footage at your fingertips. At RawFilm, we pride ourselves on providing the most exceptional stock footage. Trouble is, most stock footage looks like, well, stock footage. What if you could find stock footage that was so good, no one would notice the difference? What if you could download it in the right format at the right resolution every time. What if it’s easy to match with the footage you already have. What would that do for your project?”

RawFilm’s doesn’t mess around. When we Texans say, “go big or go home”, we mean it. RawFilms took that literally. Even though they aren’t Texas, they sure act like it.

When they decided to hit the market, they wanted to differentiate themselves from everyone else. So, they became the industry’s first subscription-based stock footage platform to offers R3D RAW format footage shot on RED Digital Cinema Camera at 8k! All video files are available for immediate download in R3D RAW format.

Licensed Footage from Raw.Film

 

All of their footage is super high quality, but their subscription is pretty pricey. The only other drawback we see from this service is that you’re limited from a licensing standpoint.

You are limited to 20 clips a month, or unlimited clips a year on the annual subscription. The license also limits you to one clip per project at a time. If you want to use the clip in different variations, you’ll have to download it again with new license.

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“Stunning cinematic footage at your fingertips. At RawFilm, we pride ourselves on providing the most exceptional stock footage. Trouble is, most stock footage looks like, well, stock footage. What if you could find stock footage that was so good, no one would notice the difference? What if you could download it in the right format at the right resolution every time. What if it’s easy to match with the footage you already have. What would that do for your project?”

RawFilm’s doesn’t mess around. When we Texans say, “go big or go home”, we mean it. RawFilms took that literally. Even though they aren’t Texas, they sure act like it.

When they decided to hit the market, they wanted to differentiate themselves from everyone else. So, they became the industry’s first subscription-based stock footage platform to offers R3D RAW format footage shot on RED Digital Cinema Camera at 8k! All video files are available for immediate download in R3D RAW format.

Licensed Footage from Raw.Film

 

All of their footage is super high quality, but their subscription is pretty pricey. The only other drawback we see from this service is that you’re limited from a licensing standpoint.

You are limited to 20 clips a month, or unlimited clips a year on the annual subscription. The license also limits you to one clip per project at a time. If you want to use the clip in different variations, you’ll have to download it again with new license.

3. ArtGrid.io

Licensed Footage from ArtGrid.io

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“Discover story-driven footage from today’s top cinematographers from around the world. Filmmaking is our passion. So, we understand what today’s creative filmmakers need to produce amazing films. Not a marketplace full of random shots, but a catalog focused on footage that inspires creativity and brings impact to your film. No filler – Every moment should tell your story.”

ArtGrid is a really great choice too. They are a “new kid on the block” and offer great quality content and with licensing terms that are really competitive.

They are a subscription-based model versus the per clip purchase option at FilmSupply which is one of the only things we don’t like. Rather than just purchasing a that clip you feel works with that scene, you’re stuck with an annual subscription that ranges from $299-599/year.

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“Discover story-driven footage from today’s top cinematographers from around the world. Filmmaking is our passion. So, we understand what today’s creative filmmakers need to produce amazing films. Not a marketplace full of random shots, but a catalog focused on footage that inspires creativity and brings impact to your film. No filler – Every moment should tell your story.”

ArtGrid is a really great choice too. They are a “new kid on the block” and offer great quality content and with licensing terms that are really competitive.

They are a subscription-based model versus the per clip purchase option at FilmSupply which is one of the only things we don’t like. Rather than just purchasing a that clip you feel works with that scene, you’re stuck with an annual subscription that ranges from $299-599/year.

4. Filmpac – Eugene, OR

Licensed Footage from Filmpac

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“FILMPAC is a stock footage boutique consisting of themed 4k video bundles. First and foremost, it was created for the love of filmmaking, but also capturing spontaneous moments in an environment that is raw, genuine, real, that ultimately helps creative professionals tell their story more clearly, with more heart, and more clarity.”

“This is the only site we found that offers a 30-day free trial with access to hundreds of clips to download.”

Now, this company is really good. The fundamental difference between Filmpac and others is that they offer bundled services. This is a nice option if you’re looking for multiple sequences of the same shot for variation. Their website is really well done too.

They provide a really nice interface that allows for easy filtering and searching. It’s also worth noting that this is the only site we found that offers a 30-day free trial with access to hundreds of clips to download. If that’s not confidence in the quality of service they offer, then I don’t know what is.

They’re a subscription-based model as well, but more expensive than most out there. If you’re set on using a subscription to license content, this might be the best option for you.

The only downside to Filmpac is their licensing terms. You have to pay extra for certain broadcast rights or commercial usage. For example, if you’re a large established brand using the footage for a commercial broadcast nationally or internationally, you have to pay extra for that.

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“FILMPAC is a stock footage boutique consisting of themed 4k video bundles. First and foremost, it was created for the love of filmmaking, but also capturing spontaneous moments in an environment that is raw, genuine, real, that ultimately helps creative professionals tell their story more clearly, with more heart, and more clarity.”

“This is the only site we found that offers a 30-day free trial with access to hundreds of clips to download.”

Now, this company is really good. The fundamental difference between Filmpac and others is that they offer bundled services. This is a nice option if you’re looking for multiple sequences of the same shot for variation. Their website is really well done too.

They provide a really nice interface that allows for easy filtering and searching. It’s also worth noting that this is the only site we found that offers a 30-day free trial with access to hundreds of clips to download. If that’s not confidence in the quality of service they offer, then I don’t know what is.

They’re a subscription-based model as well, but more expensive than most out there. If you’re set on using a subscription to license content, this might be the best option for you.

The only downside to Filmpac is their licensing terms. You have to pay extra for certain broadcast rights or commercial usage. For example, if you’re a large established brand using the footage for a commercial broadcast nationally or internationally, you have to pay extra for that.

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“Getting your hands-on high quality, 4K+ content shouldn’t be complicated, nor should it break the bank. We solve both those problems with unlimited access to our catalogue and unlimited licensing. Distribute your film, TV or web creation globally with pricing that’s fair.”

In all fairness, the only reason we’re including this platform is because of their pricing. They boast having over 12,000+ all shot on RED or PhantomFlex cameras, but their quality just doesn’t seem to match that of FilmSupply, Raw.Film or others.

Having said that, you can’t ignore their pricing. It’s too compelling. Trust me, there are companies that work with smaller budgets that can find amazing content for their production.

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“Getting your hands-on high quality, 4K+ content shouldn’t be complicated, nor should it break the bank. We solve both those problems with unlimited access to our catalogue and unlimited licensing. Distribute your film, TV or web creation globally with pricing that’s fair.”

In all fairness, the only reason we’re including this platform is because of their pricing. They boast having over 12,000+ all shot on RED or PhantomFlex cameras, but their quality just doesn’t seem to match that of FilmSupply, Raw.Film or others.

Having said that, you can’t ignore their pricing. It’s too compelling. Trust me, there are companies that work with smaller budgets that can find amazing content for their production.

Next Blog: Video Production gone wrong and the three lessons I learned