Video pros in search of footage from the BBC Motion Gallery “need to know what a shot really looks like,” Michael Albright says. “The more resolution you can give them, and the bigger and better-quality the previews are, the more they have the information they need to make a decision.”
Once they’ve selected their footage, customers work with a Motion Gallery rep to finalize licensing. Master footage is available in delivery formats including DigiBeta, HDCAM, BetaSP and, in some cases, film. If needed, customers can purchase exclusive-use rights for specific market segments such as cosmetics or footwear.
Branded Entertainment
The BBC site fills a need, says Albright. “Ad agencies get projects that require super-high production values, unique subjects or exotic location shoots. They often don’t have the time or money to go out and capture original footage. Plus, we have customers who are creating content for new media like mobile micro-programming — watching TV on your mobile phone. The diversity of our subject matter is fantastic for emerging media because you can make these unique short-form programs, whether they’re celebrity-focused or funny or historic or whatever.”
BBC footage is often used for interstitial broadcast programming: two- to four-minute pieces used by TV networks as filler or standalone mini-programs. The network offers packages of short programs on specialized topics like Animal Antics or This Day in Sports. Or customers can licence the sequences and create their own story arcs.
“We love our Macs.... Let’s say a client calls needing footage of The Rolling Stones, volcanoes and a CGI dinosaur by 5:00 p.m. We can throw together a comp reel in Final Cut Pro and send it right over.”
Sponsored programming (sometimes called branded entertainment) is another new application. “Ad agencies and brands are trying to deal with the long-predicted demise of the 30-second commercial,” explains Albright. “Branded entertainment embeds advertising inside programs by placing products in important scenes or making brands intrinsic elements of plot lines. Because we have so much material in both clips and sequences, BBC Motion Gallery is a unique resource for this new form.”
BBC Motion Gallery footage also finds its way into projects created by corporate customers, museums, feature filmmakers and TV production companies. The hunger for video content seems unlikely to abate any time soon.
Mac Lovers
The BBC Motion Gallery uses Power Mac G5s, Final Cut Pro HD and DVD Studio Pro, among other tools, to prepare show reels, sales presentations and marketing materials, as well as customized motion image collections to fulfill client research requests.
“We love our Macs,” says Albright. “We’re using them more and more. Let’s say a client calls needing footage of The Rolling Stones, volcanoes and a CGI dinosaur by 5:00 p.m. We can throw together a comp reel in Final Cut Pro and send it right over.”
They’re also developing content for the BBC’s strategic partners in new media. “We’re starting to use Final Cut Pro to create micro-programming programs for wireless, DVR [digital video recorder] and online applications,” says Albright. “And we’re excited about what we can produce in-house using Motion.”
Now that they’ve caught the Mac bug, the BBC team is eager to take advantage of every advance. “We’ll keep enhancing the site and using the most leading-edge technology to get closer to our goal of giving our customers instant access to any image they want,” says Albright.
