Five Tips for Creating Popular Footage Clips
Posted: August 30, 2011
If you’re a footage producer or shooter, you probably know that a clip should be properly lit, composed, and in focus. When it comes to sales of your clips, these are all important. But do you also know how to capture scenes that customers will be most likely to choose?
If you’re a footage producer or shooter, you probably know that a clip should be properly lit, composed, and in focus. When it comes to sales of your clips, these are all important. But do you also know how to capture scenes that customers will be most likely to choose?
Many of our popular clips share some things in common that generally appeal to customers. Here are some tips to help you differentiate your footage clips and achieve higher sales. We link to several examples in this post. Use them for inspiration, but be creative and do not copy them.
1. Shoot moving subjects.
It may seem obvious, but footage customers want motion. Don’t upload clips that consist mainly of static shots without any movement. The customer wants to use footage to tell a story. Including a moving element gives the customer something to work with.
Your moving object may well be a person. For example, a static shot of sunflowers in a field probably won’t get as many downloads as this well downloaded shot of a child spinning around in a field of flowers.
2. Create motion with your camera.
If you are shooting static subjects, try moving your camera. Use devices such as a camera stabilizer or a dolly to create smooth motion. These two popular clips are good examples of creating motion with your camera:
3. Vary the angles you use in sequences.
If you are going to shoot a sequence or series of different shots, shoot and submit each clip from different angles. For example, here are three examples of the same scene shot from three different angles, and uploaded separately:
Use diverse models. Like our image customers, footage customers look for ethnic diversity in the clips they choose. Here’s an example of a clip that’s popular with customers.
4. Shoot groups and crowds.*
Many people featured in one clip are preferable to one person featured in one clip. For a crowd shot to be available for commercial use, you must upload model releases for every identifiable person. A newsworthy crowd shot without model releases can be designated “Editorial Use Only,” or you may use blur and framing to make a crowd not identifiable. Some examples:
5. Shoot unique locations.*
Global footage is in high demand. What locations and venues do you have easy access to that might be unique and in demand?
* For 4. and 5., please note our current Editorial Policy, Property Release Policy and Image Restrictions List.
Biz Tip Source: Shutterbuzz