Beyonce's representative clears up Formation video footage controversy

Beyonce's representative has cleared up reports suggesting the superstar did not seek permission to use documentary footage in her new surprise video for Formation.

The Drunk in Love star stunned fans on Saturday (06Feb16) when she released the new promo, which featured footage from filmmaker Chris Black's 2014 documentary That B.E.A.T., about New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA)'s bounce music.

"New Beyonce video used hella (a lot of) clips from the doc (sic) I produced and directed by @abteen ...but why?!?!," Black wrote on Twitter.com.

"I'm not mad," documentary director Abteen Bagheri added. "It's the sad reality of the music business. Doesn't affect my friends' and my work, but not cool."

Black explained that he and Bagheri received emails seeking permission to use the footage, but he does not hold the rights and couldn't reach the original owners to pass on the request.

He went on to insist he is not interested in pursuing legal action and only wants their work to be acknowledged.

"All we want is respect and credit," Black told The Fader in an email. "They don't know what we sacrificed to make (the film). They just came along and took it without crediting us."

"I love Beyonce," he continued. "I still think she's dope and I have no ill will or feelings towards her or anybody but at the end of the day we have to respect other filmmakers who are working just as hard... Why use the footage from the doc we did? She has a larger budget than we did and they gave no credit to the filmmakers. If I hadn't said anything about this would you have known where it came from?"

Formation director Melina Matsoukas has since responded to Black and Bagheri's Twitter.com messages, writing, "Must give much love to the beautiful NOLA footage shot and directed by @abteen and @lkeber to make #FORMATION whole."

Beyonce's representative also cleared up the controversy by stating the singer properly obtained the rights to the footage.

"The documentary footage was used with permission and licensed from the owner of the footage," the spokesperson added. "They were given proper compensation. The footage was provided to us by the filmmaker's production company. The filmmaker is listed in the credits for additional photography direction. We are thankful that they granted us permission."

"It seems they've given us credit now, which is all that was important to me," Bagheri now writes on Twitter.com. "Thanks for the credit."