Without your own footage, there used to be one option: buy stock footage. Now there's AI generation too. Both make "a video without a shoot", but they suit different things.
What stock footage is
Stock footage is real footage someone else filmed and licensed for general use: city aerials, offices, handshakes, typing, nature. After paying for a licence it can be used commercially; licence terms vary by library.
Stock: strengths and limits
- Strengths: real pictures, real people and light, consistent quality, fast to obtain.
- Limits: only what someone else has already filmed, so the exact combination your story needs may not exist; the same clip may appear in another company's video; when the people and places are obviously not your country or your industry, viewers notice.
- Licensing: some clips can't be used in paid ads or sensitive topics, and clips with people carry model-release limits.
AI: strengths and limits
- Strengths: exactly the picture the script calls for, with scene, people, light and mood all specifiable; no clashes with anyone else's footage.
- Limits: realism varies by subject, consistency of people and products is limited, and on-screen text is added in post. See what AI video production is.
- Labelling: realistic-looking AI content must be labelled per platform rules; see do AI-generated videos need to be labelled.
How to choose
- Real people and real environments, and the stock library happens to have it: stock.
- A specific scenario, an abstract concept, a brand world, or no wish to share footage with others: AI.
- Products and logos: neither. Use your own real material; see can AI videos show real products and logos.
- Most videos mix them: stock or real photos for realism, AI for scenarios, and post-production unifies the style.
How we work
When we receive a script, we suggest a source for each shot and show you at the storyboard stage. Stock licence costs are listed in the quote, never added afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Is stock footage free?
Some libraries offer free licences, but commercial scope and quality vary widely. We confirm the licence before using anything.
Will AI visuals look fake?
It depends on the subject. Scenarios, mood and stylised visuals usually look natural; realistic close-ups of people are the easiest to spot, and we advise avoiding them at the script stage.
Can it be all AI, no stock?
Yes, many videos are made that way, provided products and real people are real material and the rest is generated.
