The footage a documentary needs is often the footage no one digitised, sitting in collections that were never catalogued. We know which archive holds what, who to ask for it, and how to clear it for your film. Our researchers know these collections by hand, they know what's been used before and what's rare and licensable. The right material, found and cleared.
What archival research with us looks like
We're based in Cape Town. That means we can physically walk into archives, review uncatalogued collections, speak to archivists directly, and find material that simply doesn't appear in any online database. Remote researchers are limited to what's been digitised. We're not.
We know which archives hold what, how to request it, and how to navigate the clearance process efficiently — saving your production weeks of back-and-forth and the cost of getting it wrong.
As Gallo Images' partner — Getty's South African representative — we can license Getty archival content at South African rates with worldwide broadcast rights. International productions going direct to Getty pay significantly more for the same material. That difference goes straight back into your budget.
The collections we reach
