5 Tips for Creating Stock Video

Creating impressive and beautiful stock video that will successfully sell through microstocks is no simple task, but it certainly should be. In reality, there’s no reason you should put in less effort and attention to stock footage than you would when creating a feature film.

After all, your video presented on microstocks may very well be used in one of them in the future. Here are five helpful tips to keep in mind when creating stock video:

1. Collaborate with Professionals

Filming a movie has always been the result of teamwork, and that makes sense. You may be an incredible cinematographer, director, editor, and so on, but you still can’t dedicate 100% of your attention to each of these roles at the same time.

Find a producer who will pay attention to all the trademarks in the frame. Hire an experienced cameraman and fully focus on directing (or vice versa). Don’t just use friends; hire professional models!

And bring someone else to the set to help you out, if only to bring you coffee.

2. Organize and Plan All Phases of Shooting

You may plan to shoot with just three models, but that doesn’t mean everything will go according to schedule, and you won’t forget some important prop or remember that Lisa is arriving not at 11:30, but at 10:00 AM.

Get yourself a notebook! Write down all the information about them – addresses, locations, clothing, phone numbers, email addresses, and shooting schedules. It’s impossible to keep all this information in your head while recalling the necessary details on the fly.

And if you’re busy, your producer or personal assistant will always have access to the necessary information.

3. Creative Preparation of All Details Before Shooting

You need to know exactly what you want to achieve from the shoots before they begin to avoid conflicts.

Visit the shooting location, take a few photos, and plan the layout for each.

Work out the storyboard or script with your crew in advance so that you don’t end up squabbling in front of your models.

A director who knows exactly who does what looks more professional, and people will remember how pleasant it was to work with you.

4. Improvise from Participants on Set

So, you’ve followed the above rules and plan to stick strictly to the plan, right? No! Yes, you should know what you want, but at the same time, stay open-minded.

Sometimes, the funniest, most interesting ideas that come to life during my work come from the cast playing and improvising. And they turned out better than the scripts I wrote over six months.

Your cameraman might have a cool shooting technique you didn’t even think of. This is teamwork, and if you work with the right people, they’ll want to help you realize your vision.

5. Attention to Post-Processing

By now, you have successfully directed a well-organized shoot and are creatively satisfied.

Your right brain can take a temporary rest. But the work isn’t over yet.

Your edits are just as important as the shoots themselves – let your curator choose the most beautiful angles of the models, the best lighting, and don’t forget about the maximum clip length of sixty seconds.

Put in your best effort when editing, sorting, and creating a story from your video, just as you did when filming it.

And, dear videographers, please back up your work!

Then upload your clips to Shutterstock!

Author: Ashley Hefnawy
Link to the original text: www.shutterstock.com/buzz/5-tips-for-producing-stock-footage
Special thanks to Jorja Hudson for her contribution to this article.