A documentary about a real event should show the real thing whenever it can: the newsreel, the photograph, the launch. Scenyn looks for that first, in collections whose work may be reused, and keeps track of where every picture came from so you can credit it.
Where to find public domain footage
- Internet Archive: newsreels, government and educational films, including the Prelinger Archives.
- NASA Image and Video Library: launches, missions and spaceflight photographs.
- Wikimedia Commons: historical photographs, maps, prints and scans from libraries and museums around the world.
- Library of Congress and Openverse: more photographs, prints and drawings.
- Stock libraries (Pexels, Pixabay): last of all, only when nothing real fits the line.
Public domain, CC BY and CC BY-SA: what each asks of you
Much of this material is in the public domain: free to use, with no conditions. Some of it is shared under Creative Commons licences. CC BY asks you to name the author. CC BY-SA also asks that what you make from it is shared under the same licence. Scenyn only uses pictures whose licence allows reuse.
How every picture keeps its credit
Each picture carries its source, author, licence and a link back to its page. Every video comes with a licence report listing every real photo and clip, when it appears, and where it came from, plus a ready-made credits block for your YouTube description.
One habit worth keeping: read the credits before you publish. Pasting the credits block into your description covers the licences that ask for a name. Our showcase videos each link their full picture credits, and the AI history video maker shows what a whole video made from the archive looks like.