Storytelling with Stock Media - A Filmmakers Workshop for the AAMA & APFE, presented by Getty Images
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the Asian American Media Alliance (AAMA) and the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) hosted a virtual documentary filmmaker workshop presented by Getty Images, to provide background on how to utilize the world’s largest private archive of images for projects.
The one-hour session began with Milton Liu (interim Executive Director, AAMA) welcoming the audience by introducing AAMA. The Asian American Media Alliance is a national network of civil rights and media activism organizations founded in 1999 to empower the Asian American Pacific Islander community by advocating for full inclusion and representation in visual entertainment and media. Since its first chairperson, former U.S. Secretary Norman Mineta, the AAMA provides an annual assessment of the major television broadcast networks’ programming and evaluating AAPI representation in front of, and behind the camera. AAMA is also a member of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, alongside Kollaboration, David Magdael & Associates, Visual Communications and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment). Since the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, APFE brings artists, creators, and industry insiders together in celebration of our experiences and our stories. We recognize our community’s talents and compelling filmmaking that shifts the landscape, changes hearts and minds, and announces our presence.
Milton then introduced Heather Tanning (Senior Manager, Regional Marketing, Getty Images) who first asked the question, what is Getty Images? While many would be partially correct in saying they are behind the red carpet photos or the news photos seen on CNN, Getty Images is much more. They are a living and breathing archive, dedicated to preserving the past, capturing the present and impacting the future. As a creative partner to filmmakers, Getty helps filmmakers and storytellers to discover, license and share Getty’s powerful visual content from the world’s best photographers and videographers.
After a brief overview, Lyndon Umali (Director, North America Production, Getty Images) then introduced a deeper dive into Getty Images and the Production team. Founded in 1995, Getty Images employs over 1,700 people globally, along with 115 staff photographers and videographers. Getty Images offers a growing library of over 538 million visual assets that delivers unmatched depth, breadth and quality. Getty Images has an extensive and comprehensive archive with over 135 million images dating back to the beginning of photography.
Getty Images also pioneered the content partner model and now serves as the distribution partner for more than 310 such relationships. These partners rely on Getty Images as their primary distribution channel for commercializing their digital content. Impressively, new content is added daily, with over 10 million new assets added each quarter.
Getty Images also has a long history with major film and television studios, streamers and independent production companies thus setting a legal standard in indemnification and coverage, creating a multitude of trusted film and TV partnerships.
Umali also spoke about his team being tasked to serve the broader film and television community and to cater to the needs of filmmakers and projects of all genres, subject matter and budgets. Plus, the staff is well versed in commercial licensing, everything from scripted television shows, shorts to trailers to documentaries.
Tanning then spoke about Getty Images Archive, as custodians of the world’s largest privately owned archive, Getty Images has analog facilities in London, Paris, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, with access to over 135 million images — from world class museums and media partners to unique individual content holdings.
Getty Images’ media partners include Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, Sony Music, Billboard, CBS, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, Kyodo, Toronto Star, NBC News Archives, The Walt Disney Company, BBC, Warner Bros. Discovery, Smithsonian, NHK, Law & Crime Trial Network, and more.
Getty Images also has exclusive partnerships, particularly in sports and entertainment from The Oscars, The Met Gala, Vanity Fair, The Grammy Awards, Major League Baseball, and more.
Tanning reminded the audience of the various ways Getty Images’ content can be used for — including B-roll, establishers, set design, props, playback, title/end sequences, key art, promos, and more. She added that their team are experts in usages. Most importantly, the Getty Images team is here to guide filmmakers through every aspect of the production cycle as it relates to licensed content, from proof of concept to final cut. No project is too small. It is also recommended to bring in Getty Images early to avoid issues during post, including approvals.
Then the audience was guided through an interactive search process with Eric Simon (Senior Product Specialist, Content Overview / Search, Getty Images). Simon presented a search tour of images/stills and videos, editorial and creative, background music and collections or curated sets.
Following the search demonstration, online content versus offline content was covered by Dina Elsayed (Senior Product Specialist, Offline Materials / Search, Getty Images). Elsayed explained that offline content is from a partner that houses their own content versus being on GettyImages.com. NBC News Archives, BBC, ITN, TV New Zealand are examples of offline partners. She also reminded the audience on how to get started, which is to reach out to Getty Images and provide project details and to be as descriptive as possible. Then, a Product Specialist will contact you. To reach the Getty Images team, send an email to na.prod@gettyimages.com.
Finally, the session ended with an audience Q&A, where questions were asked about budget minimum (Getty has none) to the AANHPI content offerings Getty has. Getty also launched a Black content collection with historically Black college and universities (HBCUs) under its corporate social responsibility efforts with plans to launch additional marginalized and underrepresented communities, including Native and Indigenous.
Watch the session replay on YouTube and learn more at GettyImages.com or email na.prod@gettyimages.com.