What is Stock Footage in Film?
Stock footage can be an excellent resource for filmmakers and studio owners. In fact, pretty much anyone that works in the film industry knows the value and importance of stock footage. And most production companies will keep an entire library of stock footage at their disposal. Even if you’ve never actually used stock footage before. You’ve certainly come across it many times in your day-to-day activities online, on television, and in-person. But, what is stock footage in film? And what makes it so important?
What is Stock Footage?
Stock footage, sometimes referred to as b-roll footage or stock video, represents various forms of video content. Or clips that can be used for a variety of video production projects and needs.
Stock footage is not filmed for any specific production. But rather represents a library of random footage that has been captured over time for use as needed in future productions.
Perspective
Stock footage represents various clips and shots. That are generally taken from a rather generic perspective. They can be just about anything and everything you could imagine.
Stock footage might be an aerial view of the side of a build, a look out over a lake, a close up of a person, a wide angle shot of a farm, a speedboat crashing through the waves. Anything, literally ANYTHING, goes.
Where Does Stock Footage Come From?
Filmmakers get stock footage from a variety of sources. Mostly from their own stock footage libraries if they’ve been working in production for a while.
Sometimes filmmakers will acquire stock footage from outside sources. Such as through websites that provide open-source stock footage and clips or shots.
Most film studios keep clips, outtakes, and b-roll footage that they captured for various projects in an archive known as their “stock library.”
Why is Stock Footage Important?
Now that you know what stock footage is in film, what is it that makes it so important? Cinematographers can use stock footage for so many different purposes, as filler clips in various projects, to add value to existing shots or scenes, to introduce a segment, or to support a documentary.
There are many, nearly infinite uses of stock footage which is what makes a stock footage library so important for a production company.
Seamless Editing
You’re probably thinking about all the different shots you’ve seen in commercials, vlogs, films and television recently, and wondering which clips have been shot for the purpose of the project and which were stock footage.
If you’re also thinking to yourself, “I didn’t notice any stock video clips, specifically?” You’re most certainly right! One of the draws of stock footage is that it’s typically incorporated into the various productions we’re so used to seeing in a way that it just fits.
The idea is for it to fit seamlessly into the desired location, to provide visual flow while filling in where it’s needed. And, with the right editing, that’s exactly what stock footage will do!