10 Shots you Must have

For more information on shooting/selling stock footage check out my other posts:
GETTING STARTED
KEYWORDING
WHAT SELLS?
PUSHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

In general, shooting stock footage has no rules, you can shoot what you want, when you want, how you want and make a good stream of passive income to help supplement your day-job earnings. However, there are some topics/shots that a stock footage portfolio is incomplete without. There are probably many more important shots, but here is my list of 10 shots. My hope is that this list will get you thinking about the variety in your portfolio. If you would like to view my example, click on the thumbnails to see my clip. Without further delay, here's the list.

Real dust particles flicker slow

1) - Unique Moving Background - a good motion background has big demand. There are tons out there so be unique.

Carnival Slide POV

2) - Something Rare - There is a great stock footage shot that only you can get because of your proximity, knowledge or access. Less competition is good.

Skyscraper tower over fisheye

3) - Business Related - One of the top uses for stock is business presentation or corporate vids. Topic is saturated, but shoot something anyways. Good demand.

Candle Seamless Loop

4) - Health and Wellness Related - Another top... topic. Easy setups, good stills out there to emulate.

Los Angeles Night Traffic

5) - Your nearest major city - Make a day of shooting your "downtown." Lots to shoot. Think establishing shots, tourism, corporate, businessmen, night life, urban jungle.

Analog TV Screens

6) - Set up a scene at home - utilize lights, props, furniture, pets, heirlooms, antiques. You don't need a sound stage to set up a worthy scene. Just a little free time/creativity.

Motocross Jump

7) - Something you know really well - You are an expert at something. Shoot that in an authentic way. It will give your shot an advantage over posers who have less informed shots of your job/sport/hobby.

Toddler watermelon laugh

8) - A friend or family member emoting - People are hot. People showing emotions even hotter. If you can't hire an actor/sound stage then shoot someone you know. Usually they'll do it for free and sign the waivers.

Spooky Halloween Jack O Lantern

9) - A seasonal/occasion shot - Valentines Day, Birthday, Wedding, etc. - Tons of possibility here, the time for sales is narrow, but high volume.

unroll toilet paper frantic

10) - Something just for fun - shoot a wacky, off the wall subject really well, even if you think no one would buy it. You will have fun and I have been amazed what shots sell.

Whether you're starting out, or you're a seasoned vet, hopefully this list of "Must Have" shots will spur some fresh ideas that will help you improve your portfolio, and increase your ability to create passive income.
Happy Shooting, HDCineman

Emulate, Don't Duplicate

For more information on shooting/selling stock footage check out my other posts:
GETTING STARTED
KEYWORDING
WHAT SELLS?

It is immoral and destructive to the stock footage business to duplicate/recreate another producer's top-selling shots and post as your own original stock footage.  However, looking at the top selling shots and emulating those topics respectfully and with your own creative angle can be the single most effective way to shoot stock footage that sells.

In a recent post I talked about ideas on what to shoot as stock footage.  This is a related topic but deserves its own section because there really is a fine line between plagiarism and emulation.  Below are my thoughts on what you should do and NOT do to stay on the right side of the line.

Things TO DO:

• Review top selling video files from iStockphoto.com and other stock footage sites so you know what videos are in demand.
• When you are writing keywords, search for the clips that look like yours and already have a lot of sales.  Use some of their keywords.
• Review top selling photos and get some ideas for shooting video of a similar topic.

Business is always a popular selling theme, this top selling photo would make a good video clip because 

there is an action that the actors can perform. (putting the puzzle pieces together)

• Look through the top selling videos when you have a mental block on what to shoot.  Sometimes you can get inspiration, and new ideas.
• Look at top selling clips to see trends in style. If a lot of the top selling clips are using a tilt-shift lens, maybe you should go rent/borrow a tilt-shift lens and play around with it on your next shoot.
  
  
                                

• Look at the producers that have top selling clips and try to figure out what they are doing with their overall portfolio that helps them achieve such high sales. (one thing you will notice time and time again is that the top producers are ALWAYS posting something new.)

Things NOT to do:

• NEVER try to use footage that you didn't shoot and incorporate it into your video.  You would be surprised how fast these people get caught.  And it's just bad Karma.
• Don't try to copy someone's top selling clip and re-shoot it exactly. Up the ante a little, put your own spin on it.
• If you are going to emulate top selling clips, don't do it often.  Buyers really are looking for unique shots, and they don't want 100 of the same clip to come up when they do a search.

You can create a few great clips by emulating some of the top sellers... still, the vast majority of your stock footage portfolio should be your original ideas and experiences.  Which is far more rewarding.  One of the great things about shooting stock footage is the complete freedom you have to go out and shoot whatever you find interesting, or beautiful, or unique.  It is a creative outlet, that somehow manages to pay pretty well too. (relative to other creative hobbies).

That's all for now, thanks for reading...

Happy shooting!
HDCineman