Stock videos or stock footages are short clips that have been filmed to represent a generic idea, which means that they can be used in any type of video productions. Usually available for instant purchase and download, stock footage cover a wide range of topics – from difficult-to-film shots like natural disasters to cityscapes, space shots to nature shots, and much more – the licenses for these clips are either rights-managed or royalty-free, and there are many benefits to using stock footage in video productions.
Production Costs Are Greatly Lowered
Stock footage has become so well-received among amateur and professional filmmakers because it is a lot cheaper than going on location and shooting a required scene for the film. Shooting a scene on location means money has to be spent hiring the camera and production crew to film the shot and comparing this cost against the cost of just buying and downloading a stock video clip, the latter is significantly a lot lesser.
Also, as stock clips are usually generic, the flexibility of using the clip in more than one production means that the fees paid to download the clip will pay for themselves if the clip is used regularly. Using stock video clips that are royalty-free is also another way to reduce expenses incurred. A royalty-free license means that users only have to pay an one-time fee for unlimited access to and usage of that clip.
A Lot Of Production Time Is Saved
Stock footage provides filmmakers with instant gratification as the video clips are, nine times out of ten, immediately available for download. Also, if the stock video clips fit perfectly into the the flow of the video, filmmakers will find themselves saving up on a lot of production time as there is no longer any need to go on location to shoot a required scene. Gone are the times spent waiting around for the cast and crew to arrive, waiting for the equipment to be set up, or waiting for the video footage filmed to be processed. The time saved on filming can then be channeled into other things like the post production process of editing to bring the whole story together.
Stock Video Clips Help Tell The Story
Using stock footage in a video also allow scenes to be bridged from one to another, especially if there isn’t any appropriate footage shot that fits the story flow. For example, if the video requires shots of rain as a transition between two scenes, but the weather didn’t provide any rain during the production process, stock video clips of rain can be used in the video.
Also, as there is a wide range of stock video clips available, varying from wide shots to medium close-up shots to extreme close-ups, stock footage can help filmmakers convey a story to the audience. For example, it can be used to provide establishing shots to set the location for the scene (shots of the Eiffel Tower to tell audiences that the video is to be set in Paris) and can also be used as a way to get a point or an idea across to the audience (showing polar ice caps melting to illustrate the harmful effects of global warming).
Quality Is Definitely High-Definition
Often taken by professional videographers and cameraman, the quality of stock video clips are definitely in high-definition, with some clips also available in 2K and 4K resolutions. As all filmmakers aim to shoot in the best and highest quality available, this means that the clips can be used seamlessly in any type of video productions. For filmmakers who do not need the high-definition quality, there are options that allow you to downsize the clips to a lower resolution.
Access To Past Events And Hard To Shoot Clips
Stock footage provides filmmakers video access to many historical materials that cannot be duplicated today. Some examples include war footage, presidential speeches or news stories that cover some of the major events in recent history. Also, having real footage adds to the reliability and value of the video, rather than having actors recreate the scenario. For example, if the video has reference to World War 2, having real clips of the war footage will add overall authenticity to the video.
Stock video clips also give filmmakers access to places that they are not able to shoot where they are from. For example, a filmmaker in Singapore, with access to stock footage, will be able to use clips of the Taj Mahal in India in his video without actually having to hop on a plane and fly all the way to India to film the famous landmark.
Another advantage of using stock video clips is when clips of animals or wildlife are needed. It is common knowledge that capturing great footage of animals, whether in the wild or not, is really difficult and is something that requires a lot of professionalism and patience and time. Thus, stock footage allows the filmmaker the ease of using animals in the video without actually having to go through the hassle of filming them.
Stock footage also gives filmmakers access to many difficult shots that they may not be able to shoot. One such example is an aerial shot of a country or a place. As most filmmakers will not have the access or the capacity to hire a helicopter or a plane to film aerial shots, using stock footage will not only add great value to the video but the angles and shots covered in the stock video clip also heightens the professionalism and will only serve to make the video look better.
Buying Stock Footage From MotionElements
MotionElements offers over 100,000 royalty-free stock footages and video clips across many categories. Simply select the clips you want by adding them to your cart where you then log in to your account and checkout by paying via credit card or Paypal payments. After the transaction is successful, the download link to your selected clips will be sent to your email address you provided at the payment transaction and your clip will be instantly available for download.