When it comes to planning a new video for your business, there are always many factors to consider. Cost verses quality has to be thought through carefully. Compared to carrying out a shoot with high related expenses for items such as crew, camera, lighting, models, location and so on, stock footage can be a more cost effective approach.
However, there are a few points you should take into account before deciding to download any stock footage.
1. The quality of stock footage matters
You might find several stock footage banks which offer a variety of stock clips that suit your purpose. But keep in mind the resolution options of the stock clips that each bank has on offer. Depending on where you are going to show the video (screen size), you will need stock clips in a resolution that will not pixilate once you edit the clip. The video clips you download will also need to be processed to match the visual and colour tone of your video. When you string together many different stock clips, it’s important to match them perfectly so that your video flows well. You will need to download all your video clips in the resolution that’s best suited for your video.
It is, therefore, important to download stock footage videos that have a high enough resolution for your purpose. On the other hand, if you don’t need full HD for example, why spend more buying a stock clip with a resolution that’s not required? The best stock footage video libraries offer video clips in various resolutions and the pricing depends on which resolution you decide to download.
2. Choosing the right type of stock footage videos
When looking for stock footage videos, it is also important to consider what sort of video clips will suit your narrative. For example, if your video has a corporate meeting scene, you must consider the ethnicity of the people in the meeting. Whether your characters are Caucasian, Black, Asian, Indian or a mix, will depend on your target audience. If your target audience is Indian, then obviously Indian stock footage videos become important.
Also, remember to think about whether an animated video is be better suited to your communication strategy than live action stock footage videos. If you prefer the animated route, The best animation stock footage video clips are offered by Ripple Animation. They’ve created a variety of animated stock footage clips categorized by character, scene and style. Ripple Animation’s stock footage library also had a great selection of Indian stock footage.
3. Know your usage rights
Stock footage videos have different types of licenses. With ‘Rights Managed’ licenses, you can buy stock footage as per the number of times each stock clip you download will be used.
With a ‘Royalty-Free’ license, you can buy stock footage and use it as many times as you need. However, this license may have restrictions on how the footage is used i.e. whether it can be used in an ad on TV, in a film and so on.
So, make sure that you understand the terms of the license and whether it matches your own needs.
4. Edit For perfection
While the stock footage video clips you download may be of different types, the power of editing allows you to modify them to suit your needs. You can change the colour tone, add graphics, and slap on a voiceover & background music to create a compelling video.
Lastly remember that stock footage in itself is certainly a useful resource. But the journey from collecting various stock footage clips to creating a single, cohesive video that tells a story requires experience and high quality editing. At Ripple Animation, our team of experts has worked on many stock footage videos to craft brand narratives that drive business results. If you need a stock footage video, reach out to us via email. We look forward to telling your story!