Weathering the Changing Climate of the Stock Footage Industry By Blue Sky Stock Footage

Blueskyfootage.com of Beverly Hills, California, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Blueskyfootage.com has not only thrived, but also expanded while maintaining its high-quality brand identity in the wake of industry-wide mergers by corporate giants such as Getty and Corbis. They have accomplished this with a three-fold strategy:

(PRWEB) November 1, 2003 --
1. KEEPING UP WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The digital revolution" has been affecting everyone in the stock footage industry, but Blueskyfootage.com is no newcomer to this area. Whereas others are just discovering the benefits of the digital age, Bill Mitchell, owner of Blueskyfootage.com explains, We are on our third generation of systems that use the latest tools for previewing and delivering footage. Other companies envied us 5-years ago when we had our entire collection digitized onto a non-linear editing system which allowed us to make custom preview tapes immediately, in crisp digital quality. Then we were one of the firsts to make our library keyword searchable on the web. We were in the lead of offering Hi-Def footage. Now we have launched a new sister site called dvcuts.com where people can search, preview, test samples of all clips, purchase clips through direct download or have clips sent on CDs or DV tapes. Our office was recently equipped this fall with an entirely new edit and software system for making even better quality previews, faster."

Blueskyfootage.com preview tapes now show Hi-Def versions of all the shots that are mastered on 24P and 1080i HD format. A visible video window indicates framing for both standard and Hi-Def options for the same image. Clients may choose either type of master, but they can see the options clearly before deciding.

Another bonus of the preview tapes are the innovative show reels created by the Blueskyfootage.com editing team that are added at the end of the preview footage. Blending various effects with the images using cutting edge software and music, these reels have inspired new ideas for clients for their current or future projects. Clients often ask to license a shot from the show reel, even though it was not in their original request. It simply aided the idea they had originally come up with. Weve had several people tell us that theyve called a company meeting to use the show reels to spur an avalanche of creative discussions and alternatives."

Blueskyfootage.com was one of the first, and most users friendly, well-designed sites in the footage industry. Clients can search by categories (night and daytime skies, cities, international, people, time-lapse traffic, etc.) or they can input specific keywords to pull up and play all of the shots that apply to their search description.

Dvcuts.com offers QuickTime downloads that may be licensed on a royalty-free basis, free sample clip sections to test with your system or plug into your storyboard, and a variety of video and film images shot by some of the same award winning cinematographers as the original Blue Sky site. Prices start as low as $20.

There was a need, and growing requests from desktop video editors, small companies doing in-house pieces, web designers, game developers, independent filmmakers working in DV, and just about anyone else interested in motion graphics who did not have the budget of a broadcast or feature project. DVcuts.com was our answer to that need. Blue Sky.com still rules in the realm of broadcast projects and productions looking for unique images and high quality masters.

According to an October 2002 survey by Graphic Design USA, 37% of creatives responded that they had licensed moving imagery, up almost 15% from the previous year. More web applications and video editors increase the need for footage for smaller budgets with immediate downloads. The stock footage market can only get bigger, and the number of people looking for lower cost footage is growing accordingly.

2. MAKING AVAILABLE A CONTINUAL NEW STREAM OF HIGH-QUALITY FOOTAGE ON 35MM AND HI-DEF

The format standards are rapidly changing and Blueskyfootage.com is also changing with the times ensuring the highest image quality available for clients. Blueskyfootage.com continues to acquire new footage sourced on 35mm film. Film is the one medium capable of crossing most of the boundaries that exist in program delivery. It can be transferred to all present and future formats including current NTSC and PAL. Particularly, the use of 35mm film closely matches the high definition television formats coming into being. For dvcuts.com new footage is acquired on a 24p digital video camera that provides a film look" with digital high resolution and sharpness.

The blueskyfootage.com library is on film (predominantly 35mm, with a small amount of Super 16) and they have been busy re-mastering their original negatives to hi-def D-5 tape with RIOTs Spirit Datacine. Although about a third of the collection has been transferred to Hi-Def so far, basically the entire collection can be offered as Hi-Def, with individual transfers being arranged for clients.

As movie theaters change to using video projectors for showing feature films, undoubtedly when video projectors improve undoubtedly theaters will convert to video projectors and feature films requesting more stock footage on HD digital formats. Major networks are calling blueskyfootage.com in the 24p and 1080i HD format for broadcast of their prime time shows.

Blueskyfootage.com is also in the process of purchasing a Hi-Def camera which will be shared among our cinematographers, benefiting everyone in the process -- clients looking for fresh new HD images, and the shooters who go on location to get them."

3. CONTINUING TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT, IMMEDIATE, PERSONAL SERVICE BY PHONE. GOING THE EXTRA MILE WITH FREE RESEARCH, CUSTOM SHOTS WHEN FEASIBLE, AND INNOVATIVE SHOWREELS.

To answer a frequently asked question, do you have more than just skies? Of course -- everything from people, world locations, cities, time-lapse, natural elements, lightning, clouds, driving point of views... For example, Weve been to New York 3 times since 9/11 to get extensive coverage of the new skyline, and Manhattan in different seasons." Blueskyfootage.com provides the finest broadcast quality footage. A high quality preview tape can usually be sent out the same day as it is requested. Clients experience speedy turn-around time on master film and tape orders. People who call Blue Sky receive an experienced and knowledgeable staff that can assist in finding imagery and ordering the format needed. From start to finish the ordering process is fast, easy and professional.
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