How to Use Stock Footage Like a Pro
STOCK FOOTAGE CAN TAKE YOUR FILMS TO NEW LEVELS…
BUT IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO USE IT RIGHT, AND EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND GREAT STOCK FOOTAGE.
That’s why we put together these 5 simple tips on how to use stock footage to create films and videos that blow people away.
Here’s a short sample film we made entirely with stock footage from Artgrid.
1. Match The Vibe
The number one way people go wrong with stock footage is by not matching the vibe of the piece they’re trying to create.
Use clips that not only show what you want to be shown, but also give off the vibe you want your video to give off.
If it’s calm and serene, use calm and serene shots. If it’s intense and chaotic, look for shots that evoke those feelings.
2. Use Successive Shots
A great trick to making your stock footage appear more congruent with the rest of your film is to use successive shots.
Rather than using just one stock footage shot on its own, use two or more complimentary shots taken as part of collection.
Put them next to each other in your edit, and your entire video will feel a lot more cohesive.
3. Color Grade
A great tip for making your stock footage feel native to your piece is to color grade all of your shots together.
You can easily make your clips feel cohesive by matching the color grading across the entire video, or at least all the shots within a scene to each other.
This will give the illusion that everything was shot together, rather than being disparate pieces all jumbled together in post.
4. Use Sound, Music, and Narration
The single best way to integrate stock footage into your edits is to glue it together with great music, sound design, or narration.
We use all three in the above peice.
Not only do we use narration to tie together the whole concept and set the table,
We use sound design from our SINGULARITY and IMMERSION sound libraries, as well as beautiful music to tie it all together.
We think the final product is pretty stunning.
5. Find High-Quality Stock Footage
The most important factor for using stock footage well in your projects is… (drum roll)
Finding great stock footage.
This used to be easier said than done.
Now it’s just as easily said and done. We personally love Artgrid.
We rarely advertise products from other people here on FILM CRUX…
…unless we’re absolutely in love with them and use them ourselves.
Which is why we teamed up with Artgrid to give you 2 extra free months when you sign up for an Artgrid subscription.
As you can see by the clips from our video, their stock footage is absolutely phenomenal.
We use it in a ton of our videos, and it makes many of the projects we do a thousand times easier.
It’s perfect for when you can’t shoot on location, when you need to increase your production value, or when you just need to speed up your edits.
Get unlimited downloads with any plan. Just use our link below.
