World War Two archive film footage

[Ian Woodward]

I’m planning a film where I’d like to use, here and there, about one minute’s worth of WW2 archive footage of foot solders in combat in France.

British Pathe possess an amazing collection of such footage, but when I wrote to BP and explained that I was a member of the IAC and that I would like to use one about 60 seconds of footage from their archive, I was sent the email below:

“The downloads available on our website are for private and personal use only and do not come with a licence to use the footage publicly. BPFor this reason, the downloads are of medium resolution only and have a watermark to prevent breach of copyright.

"With this said, if you would like to use any of footage within your proposed amateur film, you would need to purchase a licence. Our licence rates vary considerably, depending on how much footage (in seconds) you wish to use and how you intend to use the footage. Our rates start at £432, which covers the use of one minute’s worth of footage for one year.

“In addition to this licence fee, there is also a technical fee for delivering the high resolution versions of the films to you. For delivery as MPEG2 digital files, this costs £60 for 1-3 items.”

The BP writer made no distinction between a professional film-maker making the enquiry and my own status as a non-commercial film-maker – that is, someone who has never worked as a professional in the film-making industry.

For public use, for just one year, the cost for using 60 seconds of archive footage in an amateur film would be nearly £500.

Can anyone suggest a film-archive organisation which could provide the sort of material I am looking for, but at a more reasonable rate in terms of amateur/non-commercial use?

Ian Woodward

[ned c]

Try the Imperial War Museum; they have film holdings and copies are available but check the conditions of use.
ned c

[Ian Woodward]

I forgot to mention, Ned, that I also considered the Imperial War Museum (IWM) but I was put off by the following stipulation in their Terms & Conditions:

“Please note that the Imperial War Museum's User Agreement is explicit regarding the use of material.

“Specifically any item purchased under the 'non-commercial' category is only for private and personal use and no other use.”

However, your answer has prompted me to write to the IWM, explaining the use for which the proposed 60 seconds of archive footage is intended.

I have also informed the IWM of the IAC Copyright Clearance Schemes – namely, the licences the IAC has brilliantly negotiated for its members with the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).

I finished by saying: “I do hope the IWM can be as generous and sympathetic to keen non-commercial film-makers such as myself and other IAC members as Britain's recording industry has demonstrably proved to be.”

I’ll let you and other IAC members know how I get on.

Ian