Have you noticed any shifts in how filmmakers and productions are using archive? Are people coming to you looking for different things now?
There’s always a degree of predictability in how world events drive archive demand. Recent developments in Iran, from mass protests followed by the conflict with US/Israel, have led to increased interest in material from the region. Similarly, with the Men’s Football World Cup taking place in the United States this summer, we’ve seen a noticeable rise in demand for our football content.
Anniversaries also play a major role. With the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaching, there has been significant interest in our newly digitised content from our New York bureau covering the tragedy.
Beyond those patterns, there have been broader shifts across the industry. During the Covid pandemic, restrictions on filming meant many productions turned to archival footage to underpin their storytelling, which led to a surge in archive use.
More recently, there was some concern that the rise of generative AI might reduce reliance on traditional archives. However, in an era of rampant misinformation and fabricated imagery, filmmakers are increasingly turning to trusted archives to lend authenticity and credibility to their productions.
