Michigan USA-1961: Two Men in Life Vests in Open Water

$149 · CommercialDirect license: commercial and editorial use. $149 flat from Stockfilm. Royalty-free worldwide license for commercial and editorial use, delivered as the restored 4K master.

Year1961
Decade1960s
LocationMichigan, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD
Collection1961 Michigan

$149 · CommercialDirect license: commercial and editorial use

$149 USD flat · royalty-free worldwide · 4K restored master (MP4)

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Stockfilm licenses the rights identified in the applicable agreement. Additional use-specific review may be required. See the Licensing Guide and Archive Integrity.

Two Men in Life Vests in Open Water — Clip Details

Vintage 8mm home movie footage from Michigan, USA, in 1961, showing two men in life vests in open water. One man swims toward the other, who appears to be floating or struggling. The scene is captured through a dark frame, suggesting viewing through a window or doorway, with natural sunlight reflecting off the water. The film exhibits classic Super 8 grain, color fading, and slight motion blur, evoking a nostalgic, authentic mid-century American summer scene. The footage captures a moment of potential rescue or recreational activity on a lake or coastal area.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 121080822

Rights & Clearance

$149 · Commercial Direct license: commercial and editorial use. $149 flat from Stockfilm. Royalty-free worldwide license for commercial and editorial use, delivered as the restored 4K master.

Editorial use is the safest path. For commercial use, a clearance review is recommended for the flags below.

People visible: Yes
Minors visible: No
Logos / trademarks: No
Audible music: No

Flags come from automated catalog metadata, not a legal opinion. The source is an original 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie reel. For high-stakes commercial use, request a full rights review.

Source & Documentation

Source reel: Reel 2015 · 8mm · 3″ reel
Original reel label: xmas,linda communion,,d danielar
Reel-level year note: 1961-1962
Reel-level location note: detroit michigan,
Date: 1961 Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Date evidence: Catalog estimate. A reel-level note shows the same year, but the clip-to-reel link is itself a catalog match, so this is not counted as independent confirmation.
Location: Michigan, United States Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Location evidence: Catalog estimate. A reel-level location note is linked, but the clip-to-reel link is itself a catalog match, so this is not counted as independent confirmation.
Licensing route: Direct license available from Stockfilm

Confidence labels are defined on Archive Integrity. Fields without a recorded value are shown as not recorded rather than assumed.

View source reel context Open Clip Documentation Record Request source information

Topics & Keywords

Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: Useful for 1960s editorial projects needing real 8mm home-movie footage of open-water swimming, life vests, and a possible rescue or lake recreation moment in Michigan.
Period detail: The clip shows mid-century color home-movie footage with life vests and open water, with the 1961 Michigan setting supported by supplied metadata rather than identifiable landmarks.
Home-movie behavior: The value is in the unstaged distance and uncertainty of the moment, as one person in the water appears to move toward another floating person while the camera observes from behind a dark frame.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include two people in life vests, open rippling water, splashing near the foreground, a dark vertical window or doorway frame, sunlight on the surface, and soft handheld framing.
Film character: The 8mm image has soft focus, visible grain, muted color, uneven exposure, and slight blur that read as physical-film texture from a scanned home movie.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a brief insert, memory beat, or transition for lake recreation, water safety, summer travel, or ambiguous rescue-related storytelling.
Historical context: The footage reflects casual mid-century leisure near open water, while the exact activity remains uncertain because the figures are distant and the scene is brief.
Research note: People are visible but not identifiable in detail; copyright, likeness, and contextual use should still be reviewed separately before publication.
Research search match: Relevant searches include 1961 Michigan 8mm lake swimming, vintage home movie life vests, men in water rescue attempt, and 1960s open-water recreation footage.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with adjacent footage from the same reel, then other 1961 Michigan water scenes, and then broader 1960s home movies of swimming, boating, and lake recreation.

Still Frames From This Clip

1961 Michigan 8mm frame showing two distant people in life vests on rippling water, partially obscured by a dark vertical edge. — Two life-vested figures are visible in open water beyond a dark foreground frame.

1961 Michigan home-movie frame with one person splashing nearer the camera and another life-vested figure farther away in open water. — One figure swims or splashes toward a distant life-vested person on the water.

1961 Michigan 8mm frame showing a distant person in a life vest floating on rippled water, with splash marks near the foreground. — A life-vested figure floats in the water as splashes appear closer to the camera.

1961 Michigan home-movie frame with two people in life vests close together on open water and bright splashing in the lower foreground. — Two figures in life vests appear near each other while water splashes in front of them.

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