5 creative ways people are using stock footage

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Stock isn’t just about stunning still photography, illustrations and vectors – Shutterstock offers a huge library of gorgeous stock video footage, too. This footage opens up a whole new level of creative possibilities beyond what a static design alone can offer.

In fact, Shutterstock boasts a catalogue of over 8.5 million royalty-free stock videos ready to be used in resolutions from web-ready all the way up to to Full HD and even 4K. Priced from just £19, and with Shutterstock’s footage plugin now compatible with Adobe Premier Pro, it’s the perfect time to access this store of high quality video clips.

Here are 5 great uses for video that you might not have thought of.

01. For Facebook

Sharing your work or services on social media is a key part of self promotion. As we shared in our article How to make social media work for you, Facebook’s algorithms give video top priority in people’s newsfeeds over all other types of content, so you can be sure that video footage will get you seen. So if you want to drive more potential clients to your portfolio site or let everyone know about a cool project you’ve been busy working on, think of what you want to say and choose an appropriate video. 

As external players such as YouTube and Vimeo no longer play in users’ Facebook feed, for the best results, you need a video you can upload directly to Facebook. The video clip like the sped up footage of a New York cab above can grab attention and complement a message about how you’ve been going the extra mile to finish your latest design on time, and are looking forward to sharing the results soon, for example.

2. For website landing pages 

Why use a still image on a homepage when you can embed a beautiful piece of footage that makes people get excited about who you are and what you do? Agencies such as WONDR, based in Dublin, use mesmerising footage paired with music on their website homepages to convey what they’re about. This dive footage carries you along the tropical reef with you, taking you on an exciting journey just like you do with your clients. Shutterstock also has a library of royalty-free music, by the way, so you could pair this clip with the almost ethereal-sounding Breathe at the Top of the City by Oliver Liu, or the more upbeat A Key to Happiness by Big Score Audio.

3. For conveying ideas

When mocking up app designs, web designs and even printed projects, sometimes a video demonstration is the easiest way to communicate your vision for the final project to clients and potential customers. So when A/B testing your designs, running user research workshops or pitching your concept, some stock footage of people interacting with ‘your design’ can help no end in showing what it can do. 

Shutterstock has heaps of videos like the one above with elements filmed against a green screen, which you can adapt with your own designs and even backgrounds.

Check out our guide, courtesy of Vimeo, How to green screen: create great video effects for some tips, as well as Rocketstock’s guides How to Realistically Replace Digital Screens in Mocha and After Effects and Advanced Spill Suppression Techniques in After Effects.

4. For inspiration and reference 

3D artists, animators, illustrators and other artists and designers seeking to capture the likeness of a creature that moves may find it difficult to find willing models to replicate a specific movement over and over again. 

Instead, affordable footage of magnificent animals moving at different speeds, on a variety of terrain, gives you reliable references that you can watch and rewatch while you plan your own composition. Investing in these video clips means you can build your own library of references that you can call on as often as you need to while you perfect your creations. 

5. For your own videos

When editing your own video projects, you might find that you need a little extra footage to lend context to the main action. Add cutaways, establishing shots, timelapses and crowd scenes such as this clip to lend perspective to the rest of your film, without the hassle of having to source a location, secure filming permissions, organise transport for the crew and kit.

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