Stock footage clips are a great tool to create videos that engage, inform and entertain.
Stock Footage videos are cheaper than actually shooting your own footage, save time, and allow you the luxury of selecting from a wide range of footage shot across locations, ethnicities and even centuries.
Purchasing stock footage videos is easy enough but learning to integrate these clips seamlessly into your explainer videos or marketing videos is often hard.
Creating a stock footage videos is an art. It involves curating the right footage, thoughtful video editing, and making sure that the video flows well.
Follow these steps to create your stock footage video.
1. Concept Development and Theme
The first step is to establish the story line and determine the mood, tone and the visual language of your video. Do a quick online stock footage search to ensure that stock footage that fits your story is available and within your budget. Make sure that the voice over part of your script is finalized before you move to the next step. A good practice is to put in ideas for visual treatment in a column next to each line of the voice over.
2. Selection and Purchase of Stock Footage
Once the script is finalized, you can visit stock footage banks that offer stock clips in return for a royalty. Some stock clips may also be royalty free but free stock footage usually isn’t as good as paid stock footage. Be sure to input the right set of keywords to find relevant footage. When searching for stock footage, remember that you can pick from a diverse range of animated stock footage or live action footage across different industries, set-ups, and timelines in history. Once you pay for and download stock clips, they become part of your bank and you can use these stock clips again. However, make sure that you have the license to do so at the time of purchase.
3. Visual Edits
You will need to ensure that the each stock clip has a look and feel that connects well to the clip before and after it. You may also need to add supers and graphic overlays to tell your story more effectively. It’s best to get a professional editor to help with this aspect.
4. Visual and Audio Sound Post Production
Creating an effective stock video requires more than just perfect palettes and visual effects. Once you’ve selected, lined up and edited your footage, get professional voice over artists to record the voice overs. Next up are background music and sound effects. Good audio post production goes a long way in setting the mood and pulling your viewers into your story.
5. Miscellaneous Edits
You can leverage your stock footage video by disseminating it on several platforms. Create different formats and versions for use on different channels according to their guidelines. It’s also a good idea to overlay subtitles on your stock footage for viewers who prefer to keep their sound off.
Follow these guideline to capitalize on your stock footage video, and you’ll have a stock footage video that works. If you need an experienced agency to help you create a video that meets your objectives, visit Ripple Animation and fill out the form on the home page or email us with information on your requirement. We’d love to help you create your stock footage video.