STOCK FOOTAGE: ARTBEATS RESPONDS TO TRENDS

In terms of customer growth, the Internet and other new media applications are definitely leading the way, according to Phil Bates, president of Artbeats, creators of royalty-free stock footage. He estimates that the number of customers buying stock footage industry-wide is growing by 10 to 20 percent a year, mostly due to the Web. In response, Artbeats is catering simultaneously to Internet users and feature film users alike. It is going upscale with extremely high-quality Red One, Sony HDW F900 and Phantom HD camera footage suitable for film, while offering the same clips in smaller versions for new media.

As Artbeats celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Bates says the biggest change he's seen recently is the conversion from film to digital. "I really don't have a need to shoot on film anymore. I can actually say that now, where I could not say that two years ago," he says. "Now if I need slow motion, I can shoot it with the Red. Or if I need ultra-slow motion, I can shoot it with the Phantom, which is also digital."

Artbeats has cultivated a reputation not only for high-quality royalty-free footage, but also for unique subjects, such as gyro-stabilized city aerials or the brand new "Birth of a Baby" collection. "As the industry expands, we are catering to all users, with a broader and deeper library that is available at every resolution," Bates concludes.