Stock footage

Stock footage (also archive footage, library pictures or file footage) is any previously filmed shot which can be used either for free or for a very small fee in other productions. Most studios and networks maintain a library of stock footage, which often appears in documentaries. In television shows "stock footage" may also refer to footage shot for one episode which can be used multiple times throughout the series. These may often include establishing shots of sets or locations used in multiple episodes of the series or special effects shots, as in the case of the series Star Trek.