Is stock footage ''cheating'' ?

[RED ROBOT]

I just won an Award for my short film and about 30% was stock footage and bunch of great animations and now I feel kinda guilty for wining an award for that when nobody else in the competition used Stock Footage .

I payed for it but ... Well .. What is your opinion ?

 

[knightly]

If it's in the rules that all footage must be newly collected, then yes... otherwise, no.

You can also build up your own stock footage throughout the year, would that be cheating? You captured the footage without any specific projects in mind.

It depends on the rules of the specific competition / festival.

 

[RED ROBOT]

If it's in the rules that all footage must be newly collected, then yes... otherwise, no.

You can also build up your own stock footage throughout the year, would that be cheating? You captured the footage without any specific projects in mind.

It depends on the rules of the specific competition / festival.

Hello.Thank you for your fast answer !

The rules were that we should create a short film in 3 days but nobody ever mentioned about using stock footage. And now that I used some great footage I feel kinda guilty about it .. -_-

 

[knightly]

I've done a bunch of these timed competitions and the ones I've been in have mentioned specifically that all video must be shot within the time limit.

 

[RED ROBOT]

I've made one for Film Riot's monday challenge using stock footage as well , do you think it's allowed there since Ryan haven't mentioned anything or you never heard of the competition ?

 

[bird]

See, here's my opinion: Stock footage is part of a moviemaker's *tools* just as readily as pigment is part of a painter's.

IMO, incorporating any stock footage, or composing an entire piece of stock footage, into something new is a much harder proposition than filming an entirely new work. The stock footage artist has even stricter parameters within which to compose a coherent, and artistic, piece. I salute stock, and found footage, artists everywhere!

 

[bird]

Oh, and congrats on your win!

 

[knightly]

Film Riot has specifically stated that the piece needs to be made for their challenge. It can't be something older.

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

Yep, most of the timed competitions like the 48HFP have specific clauses in their rules about it - generally you can use existing photography, and special FX stock footage that is composited into your original footage, but anything else needs to be shot during the competition period. If the competition you participated in doesn't have that rule then there's no issue.