5 myths about stock footage
Stock footage has seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the last 10 years. The reasons for this are many and varied, including the explosion of web video, advances in camera technology, and a rise in stock video publishers. As with anything that enjoys a sudden surge in popularity, there will be skeptics and critics waiting in the wings to focus on the negatives. This has given rise to a number of myths and misconceptions about the industry; Let’s take a look at some of the most common misunderstandings.
It is expensive
This is one of the most common misconceptions when it comes to b-roll, and it’s not entirely unfair. In the early days, stock footage was quite expensive due to the high cost of camera equipment and distribution; however, with advances in technology and higher internet speeds (at a lower rate), the price of stock footage has dropped dramatically. Of course, this is brilliant for the consumer, but not so brilliant for the videographers who film and sell it. Now there are even websites that offer completely free footage; it just goes to show that you don’t always get what you pay for, you can get so much more!
it is low quality
This couldn’t be further from the truth. The stock footage industry is one of the most competitive industries online, and this has forced producers to raise standards across the board. This, coupled with the fact that camera technology has improved dramatically, means it’s now easier than ever to get broadcast-quality video clips, sometimes at a fraction of the cost of filming them yourself.
customers hate it
I often hear from other filmmakers “we can’t use stock footage, because if our client found out, they would kill us!”. Unless the client has paid for a unique and personalized filming service, nine times out of ten they won’t worry about some stock clips showing up in their video. With our production company, our clients often expect us to include some kind of footage, whether it be in the form of footage, images, music, you name it. The fact is, stock footage can add to the overall production value of your video, which can only be a good thing. It also saves you a ton of time, but don’t tell your client that!
It’s cheesy
Okay, I admit, there are some pretty cheesy video clips, but don’t let your experience with a few clips cloud your overall opinion of an entire industry. Most of the cheesy clips included are the result of poor directing and poor acting. There are some very high-quality clips that get messages across effectively and aren’t cheesy; you just have to dig a little in the right places.
You could be sued!
This is a common one that stems from a misunderstanding of the footage license. There are several licenses that serve different purposes; Some websites even set their own license terms for their publishers. In general, stock distributors are very good at displaying license terms on clip download pages, or in their terms and conditions. Remember to get actor release forms for any clips involving people.
This completes our short list of myths surrounding the stock video industry. It’s easy to see how some of these misconceptions have arisen, but we hope this article has helped eliminate some of those misconceptions.