Footage is a term that’s become synonymous with film – but what is footage? And where did the term originate? Today, we’re going to get to the bottom of those questions by exploring the history of the term and by outlining a definition. By the end, you’ll know where “footage” came from and what it means.
Video Footage Meaning Explained
What is the meaning of footage?
Back in the early days of cinema, long before the advent of digital, movies were made with… well… film. Literal rolls of film. Film stock was measured in a myriad of ways; but one of the easiest identifiers was length. Film editors, like renowned Soviet Montage Theorist Sergei Eisenstein (pictured below), cut their film stock by amount of frames.
What is Footage? • Film Footage in the Hands of Sergei Eisenstein
The amount of frames on a certain-sized film stock – say 8mm, 16mm, or 35mm – directly correlates to its length. Thus, some editors began referring to their stock by indicators of length: meters, inches, and yes, feet.
FOOTAGE DEFINITION
What is footage?
Footage is raw recorded video that is typically edited for visual, narrative, or continuity purposes. Historically, “footage,” or the length of total film stock, served as the foundation of data for film production.
Film Footage Defined
What is footage regarded as today?
Footage began as a term to explain the length of film stock as measured in feet. Over the years, the term transcended its original meaning and became a moniker for all recorded video. However, today, footage is usually used to refer to “real” video that has not (yet) been altered for visual, narrative, or continuity purposes.
For example: one might say that a nature documentary uses “footage” of animals. Or that a police helicopter chase uses “live footage” of a crime.
Filmmakers have historically used this alternative meaning of “footage” to add realism to their films. For example: examples of this technique can be found in sports films like Fever Pitch in which the editors blend archived footage (typically from broadcasts) with freshly-shot cinema footage.
Alternatively, some footage is reproduced entirely; the HBO show Chernobyl is a great example. This next video compares and contrasts the show to archival footage.
What is Footage? • Chernobyl Show vs Reality - Footage Comparison by Thomas Flight
Of course, no visual media can ever serve to be a literal reflection of reality, no matter its maker’s noble intent. Ontologically, footage seeks to separate the art of film from reality; but this is merely an illusion. Both archival footage and reproduced narrative video are distortions of the past. Still, footage is a term that many regard as more “real” than the pure fictions we see in narrative movies due to the fact that it is unedited.
There is also found footage filmmaking, which uses the aesthetic of unedited video to build themes of horror. This technique – used in movies like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield – puts us into the shoes of the characters as they discover nightmarish truths.
So: what is footage? Footage is 1) film that was historically measured in feet and 2) unedited recorded video that is (usually) regarded as more “real” than fiction; filmmakers sometimes approximate this style for aesthetic purposes.
Up Next
What is Stock Footage?
Footage may be a catch-all term used to refer to recorded video, but there are a few sub-types that add nuance to its meaning; stock footage is one such example. Want to learn more about stock footage? Check out our next article where we break down stock footage with examples, resources, tips and tricks. By the end, you’ll know what stock footage is, and how to properly utilize it in your own projects!
Up Next: Stock Footage: Where to Find it and How to Use It →
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