Using existing aerial footage in your event video

Existing aerial footage can add scale and a sense of place, but only if you know who made it, you have permission to use it, and it truthfully fits your event. Answer those three first, then decide how to credit it.

Where did the footage come from?

Start with the source, because it decides the rest:

• Your own organisation: filmed by staff or a supplier for an earlier project.
• A previous videographer: filmed for a past event at the same venue.
• The venue, a sponsor or a partner: supplied for promotion.
• Stock libraries: licensed clips of a place or landscape.
• Unknown: found online or passed along without a record.

We use footage only when its origin is known. A clip with no known owner is a risk to you and to the film.

Do you have permission to use it?

Who owns a film is a legal question, and the Malaysian Copyright Act 1987 is the starting point. These are the questions to settle:

1. Who owns the footage?
2. Does the original agreement allow reuse in a new film?
3. Does the licence cover your use, such as screening at the event, posting online, or advertising?
4. Is there a time limit, or a credit you must give?
5. Does the footage show identifiable people? The Personal Data Protection Act 2010 may matter if it does.

Get the answers in writing. The filming and publication responsibilities checklist helps you keep track.

Does it fit your event?

Permission is not enough. The footage must be right for the film:

For example, an aerial shot taken before a new wing was built should not open a film about an event held after it opened. That is an illustration, not a real case. Send a sample clip and we check each of these points before editing.

How should you label it?

Viewers should not think old or borrowed footage was filmed on the day. A credits line such as “Aerial footage courtesy of” the owner, or a short on-screen note, is enough. This matters most when the event itself had no drone coverage.

What we confirm for your event

• The quality and format of your clips, checked before you commit.
• Where the footage sits in the film, and for how long.
• How it is credited.
• Ground shots to fill the gap if a clip is not usable.

If you would rather have new shots, read how early to plan a drone application and our page on event drone footage. To send clips for use in a film, see event video editing.

When existing footage is the better choice

Sometimes old aerial footage is simply the sensible option. The approval time may be too short, the venue may not allow flying, or a good, properly licensed clip may already exist. In those cases, a short establishing shot from existing footage, labelled honestly, serves the film well and adds little risk on the day.

Who keeps the records?

Keep a copy of the agreement, licence or permission email with the project files, and give us a copy too. If anyone later asks where a clip came from, the records answer quickly and protect you.

For a legal question about your footage, ask a qualified adviser.