$149 flat license · royalty-free worldwide
These are authentic reels, restored from the physical film rather than recreated. Browse the 1980s collection below and license anything you need royalty-free.
Stockfilm holds 7,544 clips filmed between 1980 and 1989, 3,565 of them licensable directly on this site at $149, scanned at 4K from 7 original home movie reels. 3,315 clips carry a city and 7,443 a country, across 15 countries; United States, New Zealand and Kenya lead. Every clip page shows the reel it came from, its year and the confidence level behind that date. The 29 year and place collections below are the fastest way in; the tables list where and when the footage was shot.
- Clips
- 7,544
- Direct at $149
- 3,565
- Source reels
- 7
- Countries
- 15
- Cities
- 26
- Years
- 1980 to 1989
What people filmed in the 1980s
Subject counts come from the same keyword search the browse pages use, restricted to clips dated 1980 to 1989.
Where it was filmed
7,443 of the 7,544 clips carry a country and 3,315 a city. Each row links to the year and place collection for that place when one exists, otherwise to a search scoped to the 1980s.
| Country | Clips |
|---|---|
| United States | 3,179 |
| New Zealand | 787 |
| Kenya | 748 |
| Denmark | 582 |
| Tanzania | 376 |
| Thailand | 368 |
| Singapore | 354 |
| Hong Kong | 262 |
| Russia | 224 |
| Taiwan | 183 |
| City | Clips |
|---|---|
| Mara, Tanzania | 376 |
| Grand Teton, United States | 346 |
| Big Sur, United States | 342 |
| British Columbia, United States | 263 |
| Kilaguni, Kenya | 261 |
| Carmel, United States | 236 |
| Moscow, Russia | 166 |
| Mendocino, United States | 160 |
| Acapulco, Mexico | 150 |
| Lansing, United States | 132 |
Year by year
| Year | Clips | Direct | Collections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,265 | 956 | Grand Teton WyomingWyomingBig Sur CaliforniaMendocino California |
| 1981 | 1,651 | 1,297 | CaliforniaNew ZealandBritish ColumbiaLansing MichiganHollywood CaliforniaMalibu California+1 more below |
| 1982 | 1,565 | 733 | DenmarkNew ZealandCarmel CaliforniaTaiwanHong KongAcapulco Mexico+2 more below |
| 1983 | 1,661 | 236 | KenyaMara TanzaniaDenmarkRussiaLansing Michigan |
| 1984 | 1,310 | 276 | SingaporeCaliforniaHong KongSan Francisco California |
| 1985 | 92 | 67 | Daffodil Hill California |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | Search 1986 |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | Search 1987 |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | Search 1988 |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | Search 1989 |
Five highlights
The five 1980s collections with the most directly licensable clips, described by their own keywords.
1981 New Zealand
1981 New Zealand: 445 clips, 387 of them licensable directly, tagged animals, wildlife and forest.
Top seller: NEW ZEALAND-1981: Hippo In Water And Emu On Path At Zoo
1981 California
1981 California: 519 clips, 364 of them licensable directly, tagged sports, holidays and christmas.
Top seller: MALIBU CALIFORNIA USA-1981: Staring Out A Window With Christmas Tree
1981 British Columbia
1981 British Columbia: 353 clips, 263 of them licensable directly, tagged mountain, outdoor adventure and rocks.
Top seller: BRITISH COLUMBIA USA-1981: Sierra Magazine Video Cover Capture
1980 Grand Teton Wyoming
1980 Grand Teton Wyoming: 346 clips, 260 of them licensable directly, tagged outdoor adventure, wildlife and animals.
Top seller: GRAND TETON WYOMING USA-1980: Brown Butterfly Resting On Yellow Flower
1980 Wyoming
1980 Wyoming: 346 clips, 260 of them licensable directly, tagged outdoor adventure, wildlife and animals.
Top seller: GRAND TETON WYOMING USA-1980: Brown Butterfly Resting On Yellow Flower
Formats and gauges
By the 1980s both home movie gauges had been on sale for years: Standard 8mm since 1932 and Super 8 since 1965, with Super 8 sound cartridges since 1973. A 50 ft Super 8 cartridge runs about three minutes twenty seconds at 18 frames per second; a 50 ft Standard 8 reel runs about three to four minutes at 16 frames per second. The gauge of every source reel is recorded on its reel page, and the split for this decade is shown below.
Source reels behind the 1980s clips: 7 Super 8. Every clip page links to its reel.
How to license 1980s footage
Every one of the 3,565 direct clips is $149 for a royalty-free, worldwide license with no expiry and no attribution required. Checkout delivers the 4K master file, and the clip page shows the source reel and date confidence before you buy. The licensing guide covers editorial, broadcast and commercial use in detail.
Frequently asked questions
How much 1980s footage does Stockfilm have?
7,544 clips filmed between 1980 and 1989. 3,565 of them can be licensed directly on this site at $149 each; the rest are listed through marketplace partners. The clips come from 7 original reels and the counts update as more reels are scanned.
Is 1980s footage in color or black and white?
Both. Of the 965 1980s clips whose keywords name a stock, 208 (22%) are tagged black and white and 757 (78%) color. Each clip page and preview shows the actual stock.
Was Super 8 used in the 1980s?
Yes. Super 8 launched in 1965 and sound cartridges followed in 1973, and Standard 8mm reels from the same years also appear. Of the 7 source reels behind this decade, 7 are logged as Super 8.
Can I license 1980s footage for a documentary?
Yes. The 3,565 direct clips are $149 each for a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license that covers documentary, broadcast, streaming, education and commercial use, delivered as a 4K master. The licensing guide lists the full terms. Read the licensing guide.
How do you know the year a 1980s clip was filmed?
The year comes from the source reel and from what is on the film, and each clip page shows a confidence level for its date rather than an absolute claim. 3,315 of the 7,544 1980s clips also carry a city. The archive integrity page explains the method. Read about archive integrity.
Which countries does the 1980s footage cover?
15 countries and 26 named cities. The largest are United States (3,179 clips), New Zealand (787 clips), Kenya (748 clips), Denmark (582 clips) and Tanzania (376 clips). The tables above link every leading country and city to its own page.
How long are the 1980s clips?
Clips run from 5 to 30 seconds, with a median of 5 seconds. A 50 ft Standard 8 reel holds only three to four minutes at 16 frames per second, so home movies were shot as short scenes, and each clip is one of those scenes.
Which 1980s year has the most footage?
1983, with 1,661 clips, 236 of them licensable directly. The year by year table lists all ten years with their counts and links to the collections for each.