Authentic Home Movies
Dive into the World's Largest 8mm Home Movie Archive in 4k!
StockFilm Origin
In the bustling heart of the North side of Chicago, a unique venture emerged, grounded in family heritage, a passion for storytelling, and a desire to reconnect with the past. StockFilm.com, a company committed to preserving, digitizing, and sharing vintage 8mm home movies, was the brainchild of entrepreneur Phil Maher.
Phil's inspiration stemmed from a deeply personal connection to the medium of 8mm film. His grandfather, Lawrence Maher, was an amateur cinematographer who, along with his wife Patricia, meticulously documented the lives and adventures of their Irish-Polish Catholic family in Chicago. Using his trusty 8mm camera, Lawrence captured the family's everyday moments, holiday gatherings, religious celebrations, and vacations, creating a rich tapestry of mid-20th-century life.
After Lawrence and Patricia passed away, their precious collection of 8mm films was tucked away, largely forgotten, until Phil discovered the reels in the family attic. As he watched the films, he was transported back in time. He saw his family's history unfold in flickering, grainy images, and felt an immediate connection to his ancestors and their stories. But he was also struck by the fragile and transient nature of these celluloid memories. The films were deteriorating, their images fading, and with them, his family's legacy.
Drawing on his entrepreneurial spirit and a deep reverence for his family's heritage, Phil embarked on a mission to save these irreplaceable films. He began digitizing his grandfather's collection, painstakingly restoring the images and creating a digital archive of his family's unique story. But as he worked, Phil realized that there were likely thousands of other families with their own collections of 8mm films, their own fading histories.
And so, StockFilm.com was born. Phil envisioned a platform where people could not only preserve their own family's heritage, but also share it with others. He saw the potential for these films to create a shared understanding of our collective past, fostering a sense of community and connection.
Today, StockFilm.com stands as a testament to Phil Maher's commitment to preservation and storytelling. Rooted in the legacy of Lawrence and Patricia Maher, it embodies their spirit of exploration and dedication to family. It is more than just a company; it is a mission to ensure that our shared histories continue to inform, inspire, and connect us for generations to come.
1959 Chicago
Lawrence & Patricia Maher
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Footage Preservation
Why License Our Video Clips?
Unparalleled Authenticity: StockFilm.com takes pride in offering a vast, one-of-a-kind library of footage that is 100% unique, originating from rare physical media. No AI-generated content here - we're committed to preserving genuine history and delivering unaltered, true-to-life visuals.
Expertly Preserved in 4K Resolution: Our dedicated team uses state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to convert 8mm and Super 8 films into stunning 4K resolution. This meticulous process ensures that you receive the highest possible quality footage, ready for seamless integration into your projects.
Flexible Licensing Options: In collaboration with our esteemed partners - Pond5, and Shutterstock - StockFilm.com offers a range of licensing options, catering to your specific needs. Whether you require a standard or extended license, you can be confident that our footage is suitable for commercial use, as well as personal or artistic projects.
Incredible rescued rare footage
- Experience 100% authentic videos meticulously sourced from scarce physical media
- No AI generation involved - safeguard our genuine history and unaltered content
Preserve historic home movies
- Your support save fragile archival films before it degrades and lost historic perspectives
- All physical films are property released
- Actual master reels are stored in our long-term preservation vault
Best 8mm home movie footage
- Over 1,583 8mm physical reels & Super 8 film
- Worldwide footage from 1930s to 1980s
Innovations in video capture
- Manual speed adjustment with true speed time preservation technique
- Custom action crop movement
- Modern LED lighting, modified achromatic reverse convex lens
Post-processing excellence
- Professional cinematic retro color correction
- Original film degrain filters, exact first and last clean frame
- Artisan care goes into every video to make the finished clip the best it can be
- Preserving the integrity of the original vision from the cinematographer
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Top Highlights
Special Collections of StockFilm.com
- Cigar and cigarette smoking everywhere, with kids on laps during an outdoor summer family reunion
- People used to dance not only in weddings! They dance in basements too and during teenage formal dances in private homes. You name it, they danced it!
- Exotic travel to China, Japan, African Safari, South and Central America, Australia, USSR, Europe and all over the USA.
- Some of the best 1939 & 1964 NYC footage around, also 1967 Montreal, 1962 Seattle among others.
- 1968 Mexico City Olympics and World Class Gymnastics, with Rome 1960, Lemans Auto Racing in 1954, kids baseball, soccer, football, tennis, snow skiing, karate, etc.
- US Midwestern heartland footage of combines, horses, farms, and other rural life from the 1930s to 1960s.
- Soldiers from Vietnam and Korean wars on leave in places in Japan and elsewhere.
- Navy life on aircraft carriers, training at air force academy, west point and other school and training centers.
Featured 1960s
13
Giant Plastic Totes
1,500
Physical Film Reels
32
Lockboxes
Each is a unique storage container where there are notes and other information about the reels inside
Stock Marketplace
Edited, colored, meta data added clips licensing on top stock footage marketplaces
172,912
Videos
128
Hours
7.2
Terabytes
Raw Digital Captures
Film footage captured in 4k resolution from 8mm and Super 8 home movies
285
Hours
12.37
Terabytes
Physical Film Collection
Massive library of 8mm and Super 8 film home movies
1,583
Physical Film Reels
299,600
Est. Feet of Film
23,968,000
Est. Film Frames
405
Est. Physical Reel Hours
The Stock Photos
A collection of over 700,000 still images
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Contact Archivist
Dear Valued Customer,
We're delighted that you're considering our exquisite 4K resolution footage for your upcoming project. Our collection captures the beauty of life's most precious moments, and we're confident that it will add an unparalleled touch to your work.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or inquiries about our offerings. I'm personally committed to providing prompt and informative responses, ensuring that you have all the information you need to make the best decision for your creative masterpiece.
Warm Regards,
Phil Maher
Founder & President
StockFilm.com
© 2024