ARTICLE: PROGRAMMING TRENDS & THE USE OF ARCHIVE FOOTAGE
The way we consume media in this ever changing digital landscape is one of the many transitions we are noticing in broadcasting today. Programming formats are also evolving and adapting for the vast array of digital platforms on offer.
One of the most noticeable trends over the past decade is the rise of short form documentaries and content. In this internet and digital age, there is a real appetite for bitesize content, quick and easy to consume. Short form content reaches a wider, younger audience preferring less involving but more immersive experiences with engaging stories and a way to share their reactions online at a click of a button. Greater global audiences can also be reached as they engage and react online, sharing unique perspectives with others across the globe.
Historic wars like World War II and famous Battle scenes dating back centuries have always provided a rich array of material for filmmakers, best told through the use of archive footage. With the rise of short form, there is a focus on more recent events affecting younger generations and society. Stories to relate to, content for future generations to consume and remember as part of our living history. Alongside this content, there has been a greater demand for archive footage to help narrate these stories. Archive footage provides an array of diverse content, ranging from news footage capturing the moment or stunning aerial cityscapes, landscape drone footage which can be blended in to create the setting, blended in and crafted smoothly creating a vivid reality to absorb and engage audiences.
Digital technology plays an ever more prominent role in the way productions are filmed. Through the Covid pandemic, drone photography has been able to capture stunning cityscapes of empty cities during lockdown. This is one of the many narratives being told through short form content, for audiences to relate to whilst providing an important historical record to look back on for future generations. Drone photography can also record remote locations which are hard to reach on foot or by film crews or capturing spectacular crowd scenes of mass events of important historical events from above. As digital technology has risen, access to high resolution images on mobile devices increases providing great content, snapshots of life and the ability to capture the perfect moment of a scenario which may become part of history making for future generations.
If you’d like to find the perfect archive footage for your production, or need help locating footage, you can contact us here and one of our team will be in touch.
Originally published: 24/05/2022