In this blog post I want to talk about some of the effective ways that you can create a video with stock footage. There are a number of tips and tricks that can be used to elevate stock footage and make it engaging to an audience.
Create a Sequence with Stock Footage
One of the limitations of stock footage is the lack of control over the footage you have. There are many situations where filming would be the best way to go to get the final look you’re after. If you find yourself limited to just stock footage there are a number of tricks you can use in order to elevate the video you’re making.
In a similar vein to filming in real life, you want to develop a series of different angles/ shots to create a sequence. This is done through varying camera angles or recording a mix of establishing, mid or close up of the same scene. With the choice of stock footage it’s important to make a careful selection as oppose to a random selection. This intentionality can help keep the video from becoming a bit monotonous or dull for the viewer.
Avoiding the Stock Footage Look
One of the problems you can come across when choosing stock footage is inconsistency between cameras and lighting situations. This is an issue when you need to edit a video with a consistent look. Below are a couple of techniques that can be used to help the footage match.
The first it to try and pick footage with similar lighting conditions. For example if you are editing a more moody sequence try and pick clips that use darker colours or environments.
Colour grading is another important tool to develop a consistent look. If you pick a a series of clips wit slightly different colour palettes or lighting conditions, using a LUT can help push the colours of each clip to be more consistent with one another.
Utilising Graphics and Sound Effects
Layering graphics and sound effects is an effective way of elevating stock footage. Adding motion graphics can add another layer of interest and help push the type of message you are trying to deliver. Sounds effects emphasise the footage and allow you to create more impact and emotion with the footage you have.
Pick Stock Footage to Represent your Story
Stock clips don’t always have to be a literal representation of what you are trying to show. You could pick key words or phrases from a voice over script to match stock clips too. For example a phrase like “the noise was deafening” makes you think of a noisy scene. The stock footage could show a busy street, crowds, alarms people shouting. Layer different stock clips together to create a busy or chaotic feel.
Here’s a great example of a video we’ve made using a mix of stock footage:
If you’re interested in a stock video please get in touch!