Where would I find "stock" digital-video footage . . . for free or low cost?

[Ed Fiebke]

Hello! Just getting into the DV world! Just purchased a GL2 along with some basic peripheral devices to get things started.

Interestingly, I have my first video project!!! It's for the hospital where I work (I'm an ICU/CCU staff nurse). . . . in other words, it's part of my job expectation with regards to "healthcare education" (I'm on "education track" as a staff nurse and we're supposed to do healthcare-focused educational projects for the community.)

The focus of this particular project is recruitment (sp?)of males into the nursing profession. This includes de-stimatizing the many misconceptions of the "Male Nurse" and debunking the many myths of the Nursing Profession as a whole. And. . . . . it's geared towards 8th grade males. . . . . It's not my idea, I just do what I'm told.

Well. . .

To make a long story very short. I would like to incorporate stock DV footage if possible. One scene will involve an 8th grade boy having a snow-boarding accident while going down a steep ski mountain. The boy will end up in the hospital where he will come in contact with many male nurses in various nursing specialties.

I don't want to take my new GL2 camera down a ski slope. . . in the snow. . . and risk breakage. Would prefer to use pre-existing footage instead.

Any place on the web where I can either down load fairly good quality stock footage or purchase (hopefully for a bargain price) DVD license-free stock footage? (Am I making sense?)

The specific stock footage would be a snowboarder having some kind of accident.

Even if I can't find this specific footage, it would be cool knowing where I may find other stock DV footage for future projects.

Thank you in advance.

Ted Fiebke, RN

[Ed Fiebke]

I just typed in the words "stock video footage" on one of the search engines which resulted in at least a half dozen companies that offer stock footage. . . for a fair amount of $$$$$.

Does anyone know of any way of obtaining video stock footage that doesn't cost $$$$$? Am I dreaming?????

Yikes! (I did say that I was new to this video thingy. . . .)

Cheers! :)

Ted

[Rick Spilman]

What you are looking for sounds awfully specific for stock footage.

Take your camera to the slopes. I just got back with my PD150 from Colorado. Had no real problems. I have some good snowboarding shots. I don't think I have any good wipeouts though. Haven't captured the footage yet. I'll let you know.

Rick

[Ed Fiebke]

<<<-- Originally posted by Rick Spilman : What you are looking for sounds awfully specific for stock footage.

Take your camera to the slopes. I just got back with my PD150 from Colorado. Had no real problems. I have some good snowboarding shots. I don't think I have any good wipeouts though. Haven't captured the footage yet. I'll let you know.

Rick -->>>

I'm also thinking that I just may have to go to the slope and hope to catch a wipe out. . . or at least stage one (don't really want anyone to get hurt!).

I work for a small rural hospital nestled in the Massachucettes (sp?) Berkshire Mountains where there are plenty of ski resorts. The other day I was working in the ER (I normally work in the ICU/CCU, but it was closed that day. . . no patients!). That evening I must of cared for about 3 different people who were involved in snowboarding accidents (all with sprained and/or broken wrists which are common with snowboarding accidents).

I'm JUST discovering the world of stock video footage. . . TODAY! As I type this message!!!

Well. . . it most certainly seems to be a costly venture purchasing stock video footage!

Please share your experience(s) with searching, working with, paying-for, stock video footage. I will read and learn.

Ted

[Ken Tanaka]

Ted,
As you've discovered, stock footage worth buying is not cheap, at least as compared to free. But from a producer's view it is cheap when compared to wrangling-up a union crew to shoot one minute of footage. So you see the pricing is value-based from a professional standpoint.

[Bob Zimmerman]

Does it have to be snowboarding? Why not skateboarding? Find some kid with a skate board and pay him $10 bucks to fake a accident.

[Chris Hurd]

Be sure to get a proper legal release before hiring some kid to fake an accident. Otherwise you're just asking for serious trouble.

[Ed Fiebke]

Ken Tanaka: Yea, I know. Your point is well learned. Just seemed like a cool idea using "already filmed footage" of someone having a snowboarding accident rather than risk getting my new GL2 camera accidently tossed in the cold, wet snow. (That last sentence just doesn't sound too compassionate, huh!) I'm already thinking of ways on how this particular "action" scene can be safely filmed. . ummm. . . for both the "actor" and the camera. (There, that's better!)

Zimvg304: Skateboarding would work just as well, quite frankly. Unfortunately, the deadline to have this small production finished is April 1st of this year. And, unfortunately, we've got to work with what we got. . . which is a lot of snow! :(

I just want to say that I really appreciate your feedback. I didn't know what to expect when I asked this question. I also want to say that I am having so much fun just learning the whole process of video production! ! ! A long time ago I studied film composition. Twenty years later I'm actually fulfilling a very, very old dream. I'm savoring each moment of learning. . .which, right now, includes posting these questions and reading the responses.

My gratitude and respect to you all . . . .

Ted

[Ed Fiebke]

<<<-- Originally posted by Chris Hurd : Be sure to get a proper legal release before hiring some kid to fake an accident. Otherwise you're just asking for serious trouble. -->>>

That never crossed my mind! Ironically, it's the hospital I'm working for . . . as a nurse. . . that's "producing" this video project. This issue will need to be discussed! Healthcare professionals are really weary about getting sued! YIKES! !

Ted

(Please know that I'm not getting paid for this. It's considered part of my staff-nurse job expectation to do some kind of educational project for the community!)

[Ken Tanaka]

Ed (or is it Ted?):

"I'm already thinking of ways on how this particular "action" scene can be safely filmed. . ummm. . . for both the "actor" and the camera."

Ahh, therein lies the magic and chicanery of editing! Making the audience think they see something that they really did not see! I guarantee that you can build an absolutely bone-breaking, jaw-dropping "accident" sequence with no fall harder than the one you take into bed each night, and not a drop of moisture or scratch on your camera! No lawyers involved, either!

[Chris Hurd]

Ken brings up a superb point about editing. Recall one of the most frightful sequences ever in film history, the "shower scene" in Hitchcock's "Psycho." At no time did the killer's knife ever contact the victim's body on screen -- yet you *thought* you saw it.

Don't show it -- imply it. Not only is this approach powerful, but it's economic as well.

[Ed Fiebke]

Thanks, folks! Got a few ideas brewing on how to go about making that scene seem "horrific". . . but be as safe as lying on the ground.

Ted

[Jeff Donald]

Search snowboard(er) on the site and you find several threads with plenty of active snowboarders. I'm sure in the next day or two several will pop in here and post the availability of someone falling on a snowboard that they have filmed.

So here is how your edit looks.

Cut one: stock footage of snowboarder (possibly falling)

Cut two: snow flying up and a snowboard high in the air (remember it's 8th graders, make it look dramatic)

Cut three: "injured" boy laying on ground moaning while buddies in background come running. Lots of background audio, man what a crash... did you see that?... Wow, is he OK? Somebody get the ski patrol.

Cut four: boy being attended by ski patrol coming off the mountain.

Cut five: ambulance doors close and the ambulance leaves with siren blaring.

Piece of cake, you can do that.

Jeff

PS: Shoot lots of cut-a-ways

[Scott Silverman]

Sorry, but what are cut-a-ways? Just a normal cut between two shots?

Thanks.

[Ken Tanaka]

Yes, basically that's correct, Scott. You build-up a "sequence" with a series of clips "cut" into each other. The actual term "cut-away" often refers to a short secondary shot that's placed within more primary clips as either (a) a transitional medium to enable you to move between primary shots smoothly, or (b) an emotional medium. For example, in the case of this snowboarding accident, Ted might interject short (15-20 frame) cut-aways of peoples' reaction to the accident; nothing sells the sequence like the human face.