Why a Filmmaker Needs Stock Footage

Have you ever tried using stock footage yourself? If you're a filmmaker then using stock footage can be really advantageous. There are various reasons why filmmakers use stock footage. Read on to know it has always been an integral part of film making.

Stock footage is a combination of videos, photographs or both. These clips are available for download online at nominal prices. The footage falls into two licensing categories namely royalty-free and rights-managed. Royalty-free licensed footage permits a buyer to use it multiple number of times with single purchase. While rights-managed footage is more exclusive and the buyer needs to specify why and where the footage will be used.

If you're a filmmaker then there are a number of situations where using stock footage can help you. Few of them have been listed below:

Impractical shots
Movies among other visual media have long been a fan of stock footage. One of the most famous examples of usage of this footage in film industry is of the Oscar-winning motion picture "Forrest Gump". In the movie, it was modified with computer generated imagery to show the lead character socializing with historic figures such as John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and John Lennon. Filming such scene would have been practically impossible in real life.

There are also times when shots are critical to the project but impossible to shoot, for instance, getting an up and close shoot of volcanic eruption or a ravaging tornado. Capturing such shots will not only put your crew in a life threatening situation, but will also increase your budget extensively. It is then a professional quality stock footage can come to a film maker's rescue, helping him achieve amazing results.

Budget constraints
Like we know purchasing a stock footage is much cheaper, especially when compared to on-site shooting expenses. As a filmmaker it comes as a big plus. To be honest every filmmaker prefers to take the trouble of renting a quality camera, traveling to the location, setting up lights and sounds to get that perfect shot. But harsh realities of truth may be that your budget simply does not allow it. This footage on the other hand is within reach for everyone. Anyone from a filmmaker to a student can get something within their budget.

Forgotten shot
This can be one of the most frustrating experiences for any filmmaker. Imagine traveling to a distant location, doing a shoot and coming back only to realize one shot was left to complete. Instead of going through all the trouble of traveling once again to the location to get that single shot, a filmmaker can buy a suitable footage. This will save him a lot of time and money on rescheduling trips.

Out of reach locations
Stock footage can help you incorporate specific background that your project demands. This is particularly useful when you are unable to visit the location yourself due to budget constraints. For example, if your project demands a shot of The Great Wall of China but you are unable to go to China. Then buying a stock footage showing the historic monument and mixing it well with your own shot to give an authentic look will serve the purpose.

Likewise there are many other situations in which the use of stock footage is considered a smart move. As a filmmaker, you just can't escape the charm of this vital resource.

The author of this article is professionally associated with MrFootage, a leading online supplier of Wildlife, War and Disaster and Sports footage among others.

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People in Large Mobs Do Crazy Things But We Can Use That Footage for Movie Making!

When Hollywood wishes to make an epic movie, they often need to hire hundreds, if not thousands of extras. This costs a lot of money to pay all the background each day the movie is shooting the various larger scenes. Often the Hollywood films run into the tens of millions of dollars. Of course, often it is possible to use news footage, or footage from actual events in the real world, and since it comes from the real world it looks more realistic often enough.

Would you like me to give you a couple examples? Well, let's say you are making a disaster movie, why wouldn't you use the CNN footage, probably for a fee, of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami? What if you were involved in the Zombie drama genre? Well, it just so happens that there was a gigantic get together where everyone dressed up like zombies, thousands of people in fact. Imagine having that footage for your futuristic scary movie?

In Mexico City there was a group of 10,000 people marching in the streets and set a world record in fact. An article on this appeared in the LA Times on December 30, 2011 by Ken Ellingwood titled: "In Mexico, getting into Guinness can seem like a broken record," which stated:

"In November, the living dead took center stage: Nearly 10,000 people smeared with fake blood lurched through Mexico City's central plaza in what organizers said was the World's Biggest Zombie Walk. The record-setting phenomenon is, in part, testament to the eye-popping scale of the Mexican capital, the venue for many of the record-breaking stunts."

Gee, no wonder Britney Spears decided to do a free concert in the park on her visit to Mexico City - after all, if 10,000 people will dress up like Zombies, they'd probably be crazy enough to buy her latest music too! In fact, I can hear Katy Perry singing about something like this;

"Walking in the Dark, Zombies in the Park, Last Friday Night!"

Or better yet, Rob Zombie singing;

"Dead I am the one, Aztecs in the Sun, Zombies in the street, bleeding from their feet."

Still, all jokes aside, it would be quite wise for someone to take 20-50 of their friends with them to Mexico City to film something like this, and capture all those images for stock footage to sell to Hollywood. Anyone that produces scary movies would be very wise to invest in creating their own footage, or paying people a small amount of money as citizen journalists for capturing the images and videos for them. In fact they might have a contest, then claim copyrights for anything posted on a giant website. And from that website they would have tons of stock footage.

The website would get tens of thousands of hits, because everyone who went to the event would want to see themselves in the videos which were posted, and people would put links from their Facebook pages to the various videos. The owners of the website would build the stock footage for free, and then could make a movie and thus, save millions of dollars in costs, and/or could sell the footage they didn't use to other people who were also in the industry. It's a very good business model, and I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

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Selling Stock Footage - Shoot, Upload And Cash In On The Growing Market

In order to lessen the overall cost of the production, most film makers turn to stock footage. These pre-shot videos are increasingly selling over the Internet for various productions like films, documentaries, advertisements and others. With a bit of know how of videography, you can shoot certain videos and sell them online.

Over the years, stock videos have become an extremely popular alternate for shooting new videos. Whether in films, television shows, commercials or short documentaries, stock footage is widely used for its convenience and cost effectiveness. Certain shots like fans cheering in stadium, a wild fire, an airplane taking off, a globally recognised festival and others are used time and again in various productions. Such videos require time as well as a competent team to do tasks ranging from setting up the equipment at the very beginning to editing the final shot as per the needs. That's why many film makers opt to buy stock footage, as this viable option helps them shave off the extra cost.

With most film makers turning to pre-shot videos, the stock footage market is consistently growing and people who have the skills needed to shoot are benefiting from the business. They shoot various kinds of videos ranging from wildlife to festivals to even famous landmarks and upload them online. So, if you have the passion and the equipment, you can also cash in on the expanding market of stock footage.

Additionally, you may have some footage lying around in your home like a football or hockey match which you video taped to watch time and again. If you are a traveller, getting the right kind of videos is whole lot easier for you. From the gi9gantic pyramids in Egypt to the magnificent Eiffel Tower in Paris, you can shoot the famous architectures of the world and upload them on the Internet as these are high in demand.

While any video camera will work, a DSLR will work wonders. Due to the high demands for HD footage in the current market, the camera you are using must be qualitative. The lens of the camera is equally important. Use a manual focus rather than an autofocus as it is far better for appropriate framing of the shots. Also ensure that the audio and lighting effects are right for that professional look of the video.

If you are new to the videography, learn some techniques such as tilting, panning and others. These are very helpful in capturing movements with precision. Likewise, editing is also imperative. However, you don't need to learn much of it because of several competent editing software. Easily available in the market, these software make editing a walk in the park. When you are through with editing and storing your footage in the digital format, you have to find a platform to sell it.

Over the Internet, you will come across a number of websites that sell stock footage. Prior to uploading your video on a site, ensure that it's a credible site. Each time someone downloads your footage, you will be credited with a percentage of its selling price. This amount varies immensely depending on many factors such as the website, video type and quality ( HD footage is relatively expensive), video category and more.

The category of the video plays a crucial role in getting your footage a selling quotient. Visit different stock footage websites and check out the popular videos as you will get an idea of the kind of videos in demand. Popular categories are sports, wildlife, nature, festivals and famous landmarks. Figure out what's selling the most these days and shoot a video on that theme only. Since a variety of good quality videos are available online, you have to ensure that yours doesn't get lost in the crowd.

This article is written by an expert associated with MrFootage that offers an extensive collection of stock footage on a wide range of subjects such as history, sports, nature, war and disaster, space and technology, bloopers, celebrities and many more.

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Watch Your Home Movies: Editing Your Video Footage Into A Film

One of the most important things I do in my job is editing. When people first think about sharing their life story, they are overwhelmed with the volumes of information to relate and recount. It's my job to help them focus, to record and produce a clear, concise and entertaining story.

One of the hardest things to do is edit your own family footage. In your eyes, everything that was filmed feels like it has great significance and meaning. But a larger audience may not feel the same way. This is why you MUST edit down your footage if you plan for others to sit and watch it for any great length of time. You must get to the heart of the story and eliminate all non-essential details.

While there is great skill involved in editing together an amazing film, for the average person, you need not have great skills to make something that's entertaining and watchable. Think of editing film as similar to editing a term paper using your computer's word processing program. You have lots of ideas. You just need to cut out the ones that don't add to your thesis and move the ones that do until they make sense and flow together.

And just like you need to find the right word processing software to edit your term paper, you will need to find the right film editing software that works best with your computer and your skill level.

There are many types of editing software out there for Mac and PC at varying price points. This article shares the top 5 software out there for novices and advanced alike. It's a great summary of the best that's out there and I strongly agree with their recommendations. http://lifehacker.com/5165944/six-best-video-editing-applications

Once you've chosen your software, the first step with editing your film is to CAPTURE all of the footage you shot and get it into your computer.

• If you filmed onto a removable drive, you can hook this up to your computer and find all the clips you shot ready for editing immediately.

• If you filmed onto digital tape, you will need to "digitize" your footage by hooking up your camera to your computer via USB or Firewire and then use editing software to convert the footage into files that can be read by the software.

• If you filmed onto a DVD, you will need to use software that breaks down the DVD into clips that can be used with the editing software. (I like MPEG Streamclip, for Mac or PC. It works well and it's free! http://www.squared5.com/ )

After you've captured your footage, you want to organize it into clips and bins that go with a theme or story, depending on how you decide to organize.

Once you've organized your clips, you will place them onto your software's timeline and start re-arranging them to create your story. Here is where you'll want to cut out all of those extra parts that aren't needed, such as the speakers' many "umms" and "ahhs," or the footage where you forgot to turn off the record button while you were setting up, or the footage from last year's Halloween party that was on the tape but isn't relevant to the story you are editing together about the family reunion. (You get my point.)

What will ultimately "connect the dots" and make your story flow is by using Cutaway Shots. A simple example is using photos or other non-interview footage to cover over the cut points from an interview. (When you edit down someone's interview and chop it into smaller pieces, it will end up being a series of "jump cuts." Cutaway or B-Roll shots cover these jump cuts.) The best cutaways are ones that are relevant to the story and enhance its meaning.

However you manage to edit down your footage, the key is to make it something that's shorter and even more meaningful than the original footage you shot. Your audience will thank you more than you will ever know!

DMB Pictures is a boutique video production company specializing in producing broadcast-quality personal stories for families, non-profits and small businesses. The company opened its doors in January 2006 led by Debbie Mintz Brodsky, a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with more than 20 years of experience.

Visit us at http://www.dmbpictures.com/

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HD Stock Footage - A Video Production Game-Changer

People who produce videos, whether for marketing presentations, indie films, amateur film makers or blockbuster Hollywood films have taken advantage of stock video footage for years. There are lots of ways to utilize stock footage, from direct integration into the video to using it as a background prop. Until recently, the only stock footage producers had access to was standard NTSC type clips but with advances in technology and the increasing popularity and availability of high definition, HD stock footage is becoming the "gold standard" for use in productions large or small.

Granted, standard video footage still has plenty of uses in both presentations and in movies. With the intensity and quality that HD stock footage has, however, those clips have fewer and fewer uses. Since HD has become so popular, most people now have access to widescreen monitors and TV's so putting together video presentations and shows for use on the web has become increasingly popular as well.

Anyone who has compared the video quality of HD versus standard video knows just how dramatic the differences are. Not only do you have the full aspect ratio you'd expect in a movie theater but the video quality is undeniable. By using stock HD footage from a football game, almost every blade of grass on the ball field can be counted, footage of animals in nature are more lifelike than ever before, and the cooking shows are so detailed that you start to drool. That's why incorporating HD video into your productions is so important.

The main point to any video production is to get someone to notice it then to stay put until you've gotten your "story" told. Even sales video presentations have that as their main goal, although their "story" is about the company's products and services. HD footage enables you to put together a very powerful, dramatic production without having to shoot every frame of it and have it edited down into something usable. With the great selection of high definition footage available, you won't have any trouble finding exactly what you need for your production.

Perhaps the best part of using stock footage is the fact that it saves. Not only does it save you time since you don't have to shoot all your own footage but it saves you money as well. Since all you have to do is basically drag and drop the clip into your production software, there are few, if any production modifications that have to be made to it. Reduced labor costs, reduced production costs and amazing footage makes utilizing stock footage in HD a total win-win for your video production.

Using HD video clips can make a world of difference when you are putting together a presentation you want to wow everyone with. Lewis Williamson found a great stock video library he could use anytime he needed a good clip.

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Camera Stabilizers - The Key to Production Footage

Ever wondered how the pros produce high quality production film time and time again while you struggle with shaky playback and amateur looking film? I am willing to bet it is because you are not using some type of camera stabilizer system while using your camera.

If you are new to the world of camera stabilizing, you will quickly see that there are many different types of camera stabilizers. Each stabilizer has its own advantages and disadvantages and each one can alter your production quality. Therefore, in order to choose the one that will work best for you, it would be wise to first decide what type of footage you aim to record and/or produce.

For instance, are you shooting events, documentaries, news, or something similar? If you are then you should be looking at a rig type camera stabilizer, as they are meant for capturing moments and not meant to be held for more than 30 min at a time. Do you plan to shoot a movie, reality series, and something that involves hours of footage. Then you should look at a shoulder mount rig stabilizer as they are meant for hours on end filming. Shoulder mount rigs, when used correctly, will look just as good as a tripod, producing production type footage and are quite easy to keep stable.

If you plan to shoot through hallways, up and down stairs, and through any type of terrain you will be in need of a dolly type rig. Although dolly rigs can be on pricey side, you can get the same effect a with a handheld type stabilizer such as a Steadicam or gimbal type of device. Handhelds are relatively affordable, but can get quite heavy overtime. Most of them also take some time to learn, but once mastered, they can be an overall great way to stabilize your footage. Handheld stabilizers are also a great way to shoot footage for "being in the film" effect and help to instill a sense of action.

Nevertheless, once you have your footage and it's roughly stabilized, you can even add more stabilizing effects and up the production value by using certain types of software. For instance, two of the most popular ones are: Final Cut Pro and Adobe Aftereffects, both of which will help remove excess up-down motion as well as left-right tipping which many amateur film makers struggle with. However, before you starting spending money one expensive software, it would be wise to first invest in a camera stabilizer, as software can only do so much.

You may be surprised at how much more professional your footage will look simply by adding some type of stabilizer system, especially if your just getting started. If your also hurting for cash, do a quick Google search and see how easy it is to build your own! Good Luck and Happy Shooting.

Want to learn more about the best camera stabilizers for you and your footage needs? Then be sure to stop by our blog at @ camerastabilizergeeks.com

Original article

Shoot Videos And Cash In On The Stock Footage Industry

Film makers often turn to the stock footage libraries in order to bring down the cost of their production. This gives people an opportunity to earn money by selling their videos to such libraries. So, if you have skills for shooting videos, you can also cash in on the stock footage business.

While watching a certain part of a film or a show, have you ever felt that you have already watched it? Before tagging it as a strong deja vu feeling, you should take a closer look as you may probably have seen it before. The video footage might have been taken from the stock footage gallery and used in different productions previously. Aerial shots, wildlife videos, festivities and certain other videos are used over and over in a number of productions.

Stock footage is used repeatedly to save costs of production which can be extensively high depending on the project. From getting permit to shoot and arranging for equipment to hiring people and travelling, the cost varies based on a range of factors. Professionals have been making big bucks by selling stock footage to various libraries for years. Recently, people with little experience with a semii professional camera which can shoot in an HD resolution have also began to get in on the stock footage industry.

So, if you have the interest in videography, the talent to shoot and an apt software to edit the footage, you can make money. Like everything else in today's world, stock footage can also be bought and sold over the Internet. With numerous stock footage libraries mushrooming on the word wide web, it has become easier for people to submit their videos to such libraries and get them sold for a reasonable price.

Since these online libraries accept video submissions from mostly everyone, you can imagine the amount of videos already available. So, you have to be a little cautious when you choose a theme for shooting. Most people go with wildlife footage as it generates a great interest in them, not only because of the natural beauty it possesses but also the thrill and excitement it brings while shooting. If you go through the footage available on these online libraries, you will see them stuffed with wildlife videos.

So, if you shoot a wildlife video, you will be competing against countless other videos. Talking about competition, I will say that even those countless other videos may not get a chance because National Geographic has its own stock footage library. Living in a city that has a historical significance or impressive architecture can be beneficial here. You don't even have to invest too much in shooting a video of your city.

Even if you live in a place that's not known for architectural monuments or buildings, you can get the footage of the crowd rushing. Footage of crowds, ambulances streaming by or even traffic is high in demand. Next time you are stuck in a traffic, roll your camera and shoot the jam packed street instead of cursing. Another great option would be world famous festivals, parks and suburban homes. Moreover, you can visit several stock footage sites and check out the kind of videos they feature to get a fair idea of what sells the most.

Due to better technology and rising competition, people mostly search for HD footage. So make it a point to shoot a good quality video with high resolution. Once you have shot and edited your footage, you can upload it on an online library. Though, libraries accept all file formats, Mpeg4 is the most suitable one. You can either burn a DVD and send it to a library or upload it directly on the website. So, kick start making a video today and turn your hobby into a means of earning.

This article has been written by an expert associated with MrFootage, a renowned online store that offers a wide variety of stock footage covering different fields like wildlife, sports, historical, war and more.

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