The Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors (ACSIL) and
Thriving Archives have released the results of the ACSIL Global Survey of Stock Footage Companies 2 (AGS2). The AGS2 is a comprehensive examination of current business conditions within today's footage industry, providing strategic, action-oriented information and insights to footage industry leaders.
"Assessing the overall health and well being of the footage industry was our top research priority," said David Seevers, Thriving Archives Founder and President. Based on the performance of the 73 companies in our sample group, the footage industry appears to be in stable condition. Total industry revenue has increased from an estimated
$282 million in 2007 to an estimated
$394 million in 2010.
AGS2 Research Objectives
• Assess overall industry conditions based on the performance of individual footage companies.
• Gauge general confidence levels in the current state and future prospects of the footage business.
• Determine how footage companies manage, present and deliver footage to the end user.
• Determine who is buying footage and what sort of rights they are requesting.
• Determine how footage companies market, promote and reach out to customers.
• Examine threats and opportunities.
"ACSIL and Thriving Archives worked together in 2007 to produce the original ACSIL Global Survey of Stock Footage Companies 2007, the first publicly available study of the stock footage industry," said Max Segal,
ACSIL President and Director of HBO Archives. "Since its publication, the AGS 2007 has been widely used and highly valued by business leaders both inside and outside the footage industry. We're thrilled to now have not only an update of this groundbreaking market research, but a study that takes our understanding of the footage business to the next level."
A great deal has changed within the stock footage industry since 2007. For example, the standard transaction paradigm is evolving from a rights-managed model to a rights-managed/royalty-free hybrid and both the demand for and supply of HD footage are on the rise. Digital technology continues to drive shifts in the management, presentation and delivery of footage to the end user. Broadcast-quality digital holdings are increasing and more companies are seeing the light at the end of the digitization tunnel. Workflow at the majority of companies is increasingly digital, meaning that for the most part they do not need to access analog footage at any point in the process, including storage, retrieval, screening or final delivery of footage to the client. The footage business continues its migration to the web, and websites are improving as companies get more clips online and add more e-commerce functionality. As might be expected given the levels of investment in digitization, footage companies have become more productive and average headcount has declined since 2007.
The AGS2 is available to the general public through
Thriving Archives for
$795. Footage companies with five or fewer employees and AGS2 participants are eligible for a 50% discount on the full price. The 177-page report includes an extensive charts section, providing a granular view of the market research data.
The AGS2 is based on an anonymous 76-question survey completed by a group of 73 stock footage companies, launched in early December 2010 and closed on March 3, 2011.