About FootageWorks
Real news. Real Los Angeles. Caught on tape, 1984–2019.
The FootageWorks Archive is built on more than 50,000 raw, unedited breaking news stories. From those original stories, we’ve cut more than 500,000 stand-alone, broadcast-ready stock video clips available for licensing.
Every frame was shot on the streets and in the skies of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities, covering 35 years of the city’s news history, from 1984 to 2019.
At a glance: 50,000+ original news stories • 500,000+ licensable clips cut from them • 1984–2019 • Los Angeles and Southern California
Featured by: ABC • NBC • CBS • FOX • CNN • BBC • Netflix • Hulu • A&E • National Geographic • Warner Bros. • Paramount
Our Story
Our story begins in early 1984. FootageWorks founder Jay Steinbrecher was a professional helicopter pilot who owned and operated Citicopters News Service, based at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles.
A member of SAG-AFTRA, Jay regularly flew camera-equipped helicopters for television entertainment productions, feature films and commercials. Then an opportunity came up to fill in for legendary LA news pilot Zoey Tur (then known as Bob Tur), flying the LA News Service helicopter in pursuit of the day’s breaking news. The fast pace of aerial news coverage hooked Jay right away.
Jay soon landed a contract with KFWB News 98 as the station’s Jetcopter News 98 pilot-reporter, on the air as “Jay Mitchell.” With the station’s agreement, he added camera crews and began shooting aerial news footage from the helicopter.
Before long, Citicopters had ground crews in news vans covering breaking stories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At its peak, the company produced more than 300 news stories a month, airing on all 11 Los Angeles TV news stations and supplied to national news outlets across the country.
Over the years, Jay acquired the ownership and copyrights of the news video archives of other prominent Los Angeles news outlets and stringers. Combined with the Citicopters library, the archive grew to more than 50,000 news stories.
In 2005, Jay launched FootageWorks to make this archive available for licensing as digital stock footage.
What Makes FootageWorks Different
Authentic, caught-on-tape news. This isn’t staged or re-created footage. It was shot in real time by experienced news camera operators who followed a strict code of ethics, and story details were verified with officials at the scene.
Every story is documented. Each original news story comes with a one-page story sheet listing:
- the day and date
- the location
- a description of the event
- the first-responder crews and agencies involved
- soundbite interviews
- a complete shot list
Every clip traces back to its original story, so the date, location and details behind any clip you license are on record.
This level of documentation is rare in the news footage business. For producers and clearance teams, it means faster, easier clearance, because the facts behind every clip are on record.
Our Footage Has Appeared In
FootageWorks serves clients worldwide. Our footage has appeared in hundreds of productions, including:
Network news and newsmagazines
ABC Nightline with Ted Koppel • ABC 20/20 • ABC Primetime Live • Dateline NBC • NBC Nightly News • CBS 48 Hours • CBS Up to the Minute • CNN • FOX News Channel • BBC • NewsNation • ESPN News
Documentaries and specials
Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008) • Sing Your Song (2011, Harry Belafonte) • Netflix’s Menendez Brothers documentary • Documentaries on the Menendez Brothers murders • Documentaries on The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur • NOVA • National Geographic specials • The Weather Channel specials
Studios and streaming
Netflix • Hulu • Warner Bros. • FOX • Paramount
Cable networks and series
A&E • MTV • VH1 • E! Entertainment • CMT • City Confidential • Real TV • The Justice Files • World’s Worst Drivers • World’s Dumbest Criminals • World’s Wildest Police Chases • Maximum Exposure
Talk and entertainment shows
The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno • Dr. Phil • Dr. Oz • Sally Jessy Raphael • Maury • Inside Edition • Extra • American Journal • TMZ
…and many more.
Work Directly with Jay
When you license from FootageWorks, you’re working with the person who built the archive.
- Questions about a clip? Jay can answer questions about the source footage and the details behind any clip.
- Looking for a specific story? Jay can help you search the archive for particular historic Los Angeles news events.