In a bid to keep up with growing online competition, HBO Archives has launched a searchable website (hboarchives.com) allowing filmmakers to view clips in high resolution, download them in low res for rough cuts, then buy the high-res clips and receive them via ftp or on hard media.

Current content includes: historical 35mm newsreel footage from the series The March of Time (1935-1951); boxing, football and tennis footage from HBO Sports; establishing geographical shots; and wildlife. The collection also includes ‘entertainment news’ footage covering red-carpet events, celebrity appearances and behind-the-scenes ‘exclusives’ – all of which can perfectly dress up the ubiquitous celebrity bio programs.

Although some of the footage is royalty-free, most is licensed on a sliding scale.

‘It all depends on what you are going to use the footage for,’ explains Max Segal, HBO’s director of licensing. ‘We don’t like to lock ourselves in on price, but it is fair to say that we charge less for festival films and other ‘passion projects.”

Another benefit to Canadian producers looking to do business with the New York-based HBO Archives is that, as of press time, the loonie stood at $0.94 against the greenback.