In film and stock media, it’s important to ensure that the stories that are being told are authentic, representative and inclusive in nature. The stock media and film industry have pipeline issues. We’ve identified three reasons why the industry needs to change, and we challenge our fellow filmmakers to follow suit:
1. Underrepresentation
The film and stock media landscape is overwhelmingly white, with not enough diverse representation. As filmmakers, we have the ability to influence stereotypes and paint a realistic picture of the environments that we thrive in on a daily basis. This means providing a platform for different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and more.
2. Lack of Authenticity
The majority of creators and filmmakers are from primarily white European countries. As filmmakers, we have the ability to expand the depth of diverse, representative content that will tell the stories of today and tomorrow. It’s our job to ensure that the stories we share with the world represent truth, validity, and authenticity.
3. Accountability
It’s our responsibility as a community to commit to change. We have the ability to build a crew and hire on-camera talent that’s embedded with racial diversity. Not only can we put them in front of the camera, but we also can commit to hiring a diverse and representative crew to make sure that underrepresented groups have their chance at visibility in the media industry.
These exact reasons are why Storyblocks created the Re: Stock campaign. We heard from so many of our members that more diversity in our library was needed, and in response we took it upon ourselves to rise to the challenge and hire filmmakers to capture footage of those underrepresented in stock. Our mission through this campaign was to feature the layered experiences of underrepresented communities and create content that more accurately reflects the world that we live in today.
The seven videographers and one film collective that we hired through our Re: Stock campaign are all part of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and LGBTQI+ community. Each creator was commissioned to create authentic collections for our stock media library ranging from topics such as “staying active and fit outdoors” to “familiar and loving scenes of life at home.” As an organization, we’re committed to having 20% of our footage with people contain Black, Indigenous, and people of color by 2022, with plans to expand our scope to include more underrepresented groups in the future.
To access the Re: Stock collections and additional diverse stock content, sign up for an account at Storyblocks by visiting storyblocks.com/FilmThreat. At Storyblocks, you’ll find everything you need to keep up with the growing demands for modern video content, so you can bring all your stories to life.
