Inclusion in the Film Industry – The Story of Black Stock Footage

It was 2020, when a video storyteller, Imani Lee, and an image-maker and wordsmith, Zebrina Edgerton-Maloy collaborated and came up with an inspirational idea. They decided to create an online platform or stock video platform. But, this platform was unique as it only contained stock video footage with black representation. Like there are many documentaries about this such as A Man Named Scott, but there wasn’t any stock footage to download videos.

The idea revolves around Black Lives Matter and was a tribute to all the similar events. It all started when Lee was creating a video for his client. The client asked Lee to include Black representation in the video. As Lee went through different platforms that offer stock video footage, he was surprised to find that only little stock footage was available.

He immediately recognized the problem and contacted his fiancé, Edgerton Maloy. Maloy and Lee came up with a solution and created a platform that included stock video footage only representing Blacks. If you don’t know what stock video footage is, you can check this blog.

The First Phase Creating Black Stock Footage

While both worked on creating an online stock footage platform, they also started a GoFundMe campaign. The campaign helped them gather the funds needed to recruit videographers and shoot films. They planned to publish the site by fall 2021.

Black Stock Footage holds two major strategies to success. The first was to supply content and distribute videos according to the client’s needs. They reached for independent content creators around the country to meet the demands. Furthermore, they encouraged content creators and other professions such as marketing agencies, media outlets, and designers to sign up with their platform. That way, anyone looking for stock video footage could download it from the platform without any hassle.

The Second Phase Promoting Black Stock Footage

Their goal was only to fill the void in between stock footages rather than targeting the competitors or replacing them. The primary goal was to create a platform that works as a creator’s toolbox. So, whenever a video or filmmaker wanted footage that represented Blacks, they had a dedicated platform. Here are some tips for creating documentaries with stock footage.

Right now, Lee and Edgerton-Maloy are creating a team of 25 video content creators and helping the film industry. They are also collaborating with numerous organizations to reach their goals. According to Lee and Edgerton-Maloy, Black Stock Footage is a social platform that will facilitate multiple beginner and professional video makers. Their aim is to create:

• A platform that destroys cultural biases about black representation and their appearance. Furthermore, they want to promote their platform so people would know where they can download footage with Black people.
• A website that empowers people in the film industry to normalize black representation. As a result, people on the streets, public places, and jobs will accept cultural diversity.
• A platform that creates access to video footage that includes black representation.